The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-12-11
Annual Report of the Commits
siOners and Superintendent.
An Attempt to Answer the Charges
of Extravaganza.
A Labored Showing of the Operations
of the Institution.
Claim That the Management Has Been
Consistently Economical.

ana superintendent OF the Indiana Hospital
for the Insane ito the general assembly of
the state of Indiana" was issued yesterday
in an official pam phlet form, not having been
submitted TO the governor. The report is
quite lengthy document, of which the fol-
lowing are abstracts:
The commissioners, p. II. Jameson, Geo. +.
Chittenden and John L. Richardson, cOmpIi.
ment the officers and employees Of the instftu-
ton for the manner in which they have per-
formed their duties, and say that the internal
affairs of the hospital have moved along
smoothly and without interruption.
IL has been our desire, and, In cooperation
with the SUPERINTENDENT, we have .abored to
place TINS hospltai In the foremost rank of
state institutions or It's Kind In this country.
In this we have measura"l y succeeded. In.
diana, with nearly two million inhabitants,
her great industrial interests, her colleges ana
schools, and her lower percentage of illiteracy
than is found in some OF the New England
states, has not been behind her sisters In her
public charities. She may well be proud OF
them. While we have avoided spending
money merely for display, We have deemed 1t q
duty, in view OF the liberal appropriations OF
whatever might, In our judgement contribute
to the best and most satisfactory results.
Well furnished wards-gronnds ornamented
with trees and flowers, and harmless Indoor
and outdoor amusements are among the things
which please the senses, and thereby TRANQUIL
ny with its surroundings.
PROFESSIONAL WORK.
The strictly professional work pertaining 10
the hospital has, in our judgment, been intel
ligently and faithfully performed by DIR.
Everts and his assistant physicians. Their
medical regime seems to have been in pursu-
ance OF tle NOR auyanceu PROFESSIONS IDEAS
anu tner treatment according 10 the more
generalIy approved metnous
In our opinion, Two more physicians should
be added 10 the prs sent corps at an early date.
hoIuihg suooraihate rank 10 tne assistant
physicians. BY this means me assistants would
be enabled still more TO lndiv1dualize their
cases, ana better meet the distinctive lndlca-
lions OF each-and perhaps contribute some
thing original TO the kno Wedge OF the profess
sion. During the year each assistant has had
in immediate charge more than three hundred
patients, the majority OF whom have been
acutely insane; with only such advisory as
ststance as cou be given by The superintend-
ent. 1t seems clear that there should be addi-
tional help in this department.
yrNTII ALTON HEATING AMI FrrEr
W.. a.. ,,.,..a..o,,., -, a,,,,,.1, -
, III n 70 shitiul neuicat .reat
ment, we regard proper heating ana Ventlla-
'i4 d. , ,-o,,,,,a,,,,,, a., . ,,,,,,. ,,,- .,,
bitoi ar nacaSsariII az aesrcinIed id rs
lioSpi.. .I 'u ~ az 1870 iils . "
S 9. otnSr tne Ieiatlon vi cause anu enect,
= @ Maeh ~, .aie vi .ng ar
~ i"m, , oS ", H. m sI
me exPeL dlt9re OF neat. 10 move the foul
an vi eue Maius ~. Malu a.u ouIMaLu IIIIougu
nues coIs I, ior tnaI PurPose requires
she const'h ihsIesS ol warm ar IIslnS from
the steam coils beneath through the REGISTERS
any ore, Whether physician or not, IN
insane can rot fail to obServe the Yiar1e
proportion of patients having cold and clam
my hands, pallid faces and emaciated forms.
Equally noticeable in many instances is the
unhealthy and offensive character of the EN-
relieve these unfavorable conditions the air of
must be frequently changed-which makes
s SER ~ ''' u ' " amount i"e' "e'e
hospital IS nearly 10000 cubic feet ought to
ment, and the expenditure made necessary 10
meet it. The coal required for this purpose
at such times and in such quantities as has
been found necessary. The vouchers show
thar 30 40 bushels of Pittsburg Goa at IL cents
per bushel, 39,9l7 bushels of block coal at So
cents per bushel, 5,SOl bushels of block coal
at Ia5 cents per bushel have been
have delivered it on the switch of the l., & St.
l.. Railroad near the hospital. From here ii
has been carted, and weighed by the steward
on the scales of the hospital Forks are used
in removing il from the ears, so that all slack
is excluded before weighing About 10000
bushels of Pittsburg coal remain son hand"-
but nearly the same Quantity brought over
from the year before has been consumed,
so that the amount purchased during the year
used. For several wears past we have thought
ii better 10 keep three or four months supply
i'm store as occasionally 0strikes" of operatives
in the western mines have made supplies
from that source uncertain, while our de-
mands might be urgent.
We believe that the so called "luxuries of
the TABLE are almost always unhealthy, ana
as q general thing unit for the insane. Al the
same time we are firmly impressed with the
lndea mat such articles Oh I0ou as are neces-
kary, SnOuld De OF the very DebJ qubHty. as IN
veStments, inferior meats, Toor -four, strong
butter, etc are but one degree better than bad
eggs. AS food they are a1ke unpront-
able for either sick or well. during
the year the beef furnished the
house has been the product Of the
best shipping stock" purchases by the stew
ard, and butchered at the hospital The flour
used has been of the best grade offered by the
manufacturers of this city. 1t has been bought
at wholesale always. Our butter supply has
been from the best in the market and of a
quality used at our best hotels
teas, coffees, and sugars have been of
fine grades-and ftuits and vegetables have
been as good as the market afforded. Pur-
chases have generally been made at wholesale
prices from the lal gest houses in the city.
We believe that the resident officers, whose
duty IL is TO purchase these supplies, have ex-
ercjsed due care and prudence in so doing We
have found that light and poorly fatted meats
shrink so much in cooking that they are quite