The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-02-06
sometimes molssses ii added 10 the list. Mo fer
mented beverage ls ever given.


mented beverage IL ever given.
STORE ROOM.
The store-room IL clean and kept In good
orner " contains rice, peas, beans, sugar, Ten,
codhsh, lard, green NEST and nipIasses. These
sthees are choice aud OF good quality.
WATER,
paramount consideration. that should be
entertained previous to the erection OF arl insane
ssylnm, is TO secure an abundant and handy sup
ply Oh water 70 meet lis daily wants; I'm he
present case We find that The supply ID too scer,ty
FOR bathing purposes.
The too great distance from the Waterwprks
neeessitates the use OF eisterns, Of which there
are only four ON the premises. The water Ia
Gear. odorless, Of good TASTE and Iii sll respects
we'll qualified for drinking. The only obieetior.
We make with regard to the distribution oil water
s TO the mixture OF eistarn and well water Id the
bath-tub and trough; we find no reason why the
well water should not be alone restricted til the
uses Of washing and cleansing OF the grounds and
floors. Its yellowish color aud swampy smell dc.
note its otigi the well which supplies IL lies In
deep layers OF the soil and brings to the surface
the rain water which has long remained ut the
bottom 1t always contains large proportion
OF dissolved animal and vegetable matter which
renders it unfit for bathing. There can be no
swamp fever.
BY the construction OF d larger number Of eis&
terms, and the consequent increase in the supply
OF water, the requirements Ut health would be
obeyed.
HEATING AND VENTILATION.
From the nature OF their iufirmity the insane
are liable to sensible variations id their heatpro.
ducng faculties, and they frequently suffer from
cold, although they ars Needless OF H. The
rooms oeou led by the men and women on The
hrst floor, together with the refeotoly, are the
only ones now heated with stoves; the dormito-
ries have none. Though we ardently desire that
the inmates should enjoy all the comforts OF
warmth procured by Disappointing appearances,
we are well aware That the city cannot at present
possibly carry out our suggestion.
IL We mention the fact IL is only with the hone
that In days OF future prosperity The sum nscss-
sary to put up these costly apparatusss may be-
provided for. The Inconvenience attending stoves
10 their liability to induce variations Ia the tenn
perature Of the rooms, making breathing Diff
cult. and TO impart excessive drypess to the air.
In the sick room the ineonveliefoa Ia made still
greater, because when the stove is oyerhestsd
headaches and congestion OF the brain ars 10 bio
feared, and these must necessarily aggravRte
their condition. constant renewal OF air from
without and the care Of placing kettle filed
With water upon the stoves are the only MEANS
under these circumstances, OF impartin TO this
cir the moisture which ii should hold.
VENTILATION.
We have slready rem srEed tt ~ thsrs IL great
lack OF proper yentilation and we regret tst the
means OF securing ii should be too expensive to
be entertained. As the only praeticable and
economical plan TO supply this deficiency We
suggest the introduction, under the floors, in
each OF the walls, and perpendicular TO their
lengths, OF pipes, which would vsntilats the
dormitories by means Of openings, which could
be closed In cold weathsr The new air would
then make it's way out through ventilating hesas
from the ceiling through the roof.
This system, though we must acknowledge il
TO be vastly inferior TO mechanical ventilation, in
betser than none at ALL and would be source of
great benefit TO the dormitores, which, on ac~
count OF their vi lated air and the large number
OF inmates they contain, are 30 much in need OF
ventilation.
We were surprised 10 hear the dorrnitories arc
not lighted, because it is said light IL source Of
excitement to the patients. We think that this
prvaton is injurious to them, and may be dan
gsrous in case OF fire,
We can readily understand Why The patients
ordinarily plunged into the deepest darkness,
should be- startled by the sudden appearances Oh
keeper holding lantern; such gu appsri' ion 10
indeed calculated not only to awake them sud-
denly. but TO brighten them snd 10 increase their
dreams and hsllueinstions OF their diseased
imagiaat1ons.
La our opinion, il would be advissbl to plaos q
light la the dormtories; ia order to soften the in
tensity OF the light, ground glass might be used
pR1vtEs.
OF all odors thst vitiats the atmosphere fhs
most disgusting and tenacious il that wlioh erna-
mates from the privies; nothing can offer more
kept. The gas and nasmas which they exhale
not only disagreeable, but always deletsri0us Id
the highest degree. Near the end OF the w0men's
gallery, beyond the main buildings We find the
privy, with the front painted black. Six openings
lead to narrow rscesses, which are rendered 10
dark by tho black covering OF their walls, thst
even in the full light OF day ii Was impossible for
us to see anything distinctly therein. A small
aperture at the lower END affords the only ms&ns
OF vsntilation and exit to the characteristic am
monsoal odor that eiDgs thereto and increases
on damp days. In answer to our questions tho
superintendent complained that the employees
intrusted with the duty Of removing the sxcre-
ment every morning performed their task with
negligence and rspidity calculated all the more
to increase the intensity OF the stencil.
Without further dwelling ON such topics. We
osn safely conclude that you will exert your
selves energetcally to change this state OF affsrs
The only way to attain this end would be to
build privy about fifty feet from the main .
building, ventilate it properly, whitswash IT, ana
construct ii In accordance with modern improves
ments II could be connected with the asylum
by rooted gallery. which would afford protso~
ton from the inclemences OF the weather.
AS regards the buckets placed in the dormito-
ries, 1T might bs well 70 destroy their disagreea~
BILE ammoniaea odor by washing them with q
solution Of sulphate OF iron, which costs only five
cents pound, and TO aflow little OF IL 10 re~
main at the bottom. We think y would DO .
still more progressive step to employ the work.
men Of the asylum In the construction OF . few
odorless chairs, which would be q source Of COM
fort to everybody. The privy In the mems do
partment presents the same unheslthfui appear
ance, and we shall, therefore, refrain from re-
peating our remarks and suggestions on this
subject.
GENERAL HYGIENE.
The facts We have established conclusivsly
prove that the general hygiene OF the asylum 10
defective. Located as 1t is ON low plain, sub.
ject to overAows, the swampy miasmata which
surround it in all OK the year render 1t un-
healthy; add to this defects In construction and
want OF foresight in the general distribution OF
It's departments, and you will have the full COM
plement OF valid reasons why " should be con-
demned as permanent insane asylum.
The allowance OF space which enters 80 large
ly in the treatment OF mental affections. 10 here
too restricted; the air is yitiated by the causes
mentioned above; light is scarce ia some places
and only reaches them impsrfectly, and water,
which should be abundantly, is only insuficisntiy
supplied Quies and the receuide1sent, which are
so essential for cure, here become inefiectual
through the want Of systematic ciasslf1eation OF
patients.