, 1877-12-01
TIE IN8ANn AkYLuM.


CH1o10o, Nov. 30.-Tho affairs Of tho Cook
County Insane Asylum haro been twice
thoroughly ventilated ia yonr columns, bul
willis the County Ring still held tho uppct
hand there WIS little prospect OF auy serious
attempt at reform in lta management. 1t Il
true that there was sotnc enlcayor to do nway
with, ur ut least cover up, fuw OF tho tnoro
Rlaring abuses, and tho Superintendent was
forged, BY exposure Of bis pretensions,to secure
the nominal qualifications OF diploma, uatnts
tho time paid for by tho taxpayers for this pur-
pose, but the old abuses stll nxtst to-day, und
have oil along c1atGd, the wllltcwaslling report
of certuln medical nen tnads unlcr pressure
from tho Ring to tho contrary Notwithstanding.
fhe charges nladc by thu Committee Ut Tho
Society Of pnyslcans and Surgeons ever year
aRu are as valid now ~ thcu, with tbs cx,
ceptftln that thu medical staH Of the Asy!uu,
has the benefit Of years additional experience,
md its incmbcrs can now, as they could not
tho present State law.
Tic cost Of tho !ustttutton to tho taxpayers
has certainly not been materially reduced.
C"mmiasloner Ayars stated publicly in tho
Of tho Asylum for the past year wcro Sill, ,000,
which. allowing daily average Of patients OF
400, gtvet Us at. aycfagc weekly cost per patient
OF s542.-makfnE 7 one, Of the most expensive
public asyiusns in the whole country. THIS ro-
ports of tho Cook County Asylum aro not ns
ACCESSIBLE to me - arc tloso of other similar
Institutions, but | am Inclined to thlak that loo
Is sufficiently high estimate Of tic daily
average Of patients .lur'ng tho past year:
Sut soxinE basyc aiy qs9,1ss = ssct Gt $50 80
muri,, so have weekly, cost per patient OF
$4,s3, which 10 onIy a little over 20 per cent
mora tlan tho average weekly cost tn State asy.
lunls. Thc New york City Asytun-not par-
haps model Institution. but oue Tint IL su-
peror In many respects 10 tho Jefferson estab-
ltshmeut-ls said to Keep its patients ut IN aver-
aGu weekly cost Of $l.30 apiece. 1t Is probably
not prncttcabla nor desirable to bring Cook
Countye Asylum expenses down to TINT figure.
but tue di1cEence Is certainly suggestive:
The miserable system theFu condemned Is st!]f
IN force, the Asylum Ii run as department Of
the poor.fiouae, and its rnrti'cal Superintendent
ls subordinate to the Warden, mud, with Ill the
rest OF the medical officers, only hoda his Office
Tor yeaF, With tho chances of rc-clcetlun II he
Gun commgnl snficlcnt support In tic County
Board. No tIrst'claas man ca, tuku tho
place under these conditions cxcent at a
sacrifice VI selt-respcct: certainly such terms
cannot sccure the experience anl aktl that aru
really needed In such sltuat!an. No ,nan who
haa already demonstrated his executive ability
In tue management OF hospital foF tha insanu
Will care to ba put on trial for year, and uules
the control Of another person without pEolrs.
s[onal knowledge, and ttl Rlt probability With
10 how such M Institution should 6s managed.
Thcse po!nts arc worthy OF serious con
stdcEation by ths oid and new mem.
hert Of tho County uoarl, who. Il II
to 10 presumed, aru not inclined 70 follow
the owl courses 81 tho Ring, or be governed by
Its traditions. There IL no question that these
reforms are needed, no more, indeed, thau tlerr
Is that the establishment. With all tts advnn
t4Eea Of situation and construction, wattr sup
ply etc., Gun 1e conducted At much lesa raie
Of expense, ara on much moru respectable ba
~, than y Aas been up TO the present time
Respectfully, IL. III. BANHlaTEH.