The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-06
WEDNESDAY, Feb. II, A. ID. 1850.
Board met pursuant to adjournment.


Present same as yesterday. Also SUI
pervisors Hossack and Lauf.
Minutes of yesterdays proceedings
read, corrected and approved.
Supervisor Beach, chairman OF the com
mittee on pauperS, presented the follow
ing report of Drs. Hard and Macarthur,
physicians ut county asylum:
To the honorable members Of pauper com.
nittte and Board Of Supervisors OF
LG Sale County.
The undersigned would respectfully
present their report of the medical and
surgical attendance at the La Sale
county asylum for the year ending Janu-
airy 3lst, 1880. On assuming the duties
of physicians and surgeons to the asy--
lum on February lst, A. ID. 1879, we found
on the sick list eleven patients, with the
following diseases Bronchitis >, iretis
|, orchitis ! chronic Inflammation of eyes
/, inflamed ankle |, frozen feet |, wound
ed hand !, syphilis | pneumonia >. Since
that time the following cases have come
under treatment--2l3: Malarial fever 80,
indolent and varicose ulcers of the leg 10,
bronchitis 10, partial paralysis 8, hemi-
plegia !, pneumonia &, pleurO pneumonia
], acute opthalmia >, chronic Opthalmia
u, gastritis | hemOrrhoids .. diarrhGa 6,
constipation 1, epilepsy I, hernia ,, in
gland !, incOntinence of urine !, jaun-
dice 3, scroful0us ulcer of leg |, Orchitls
!, inflammation Of knee ana leg |, CASTRO
enteritis !, asthma |, liberated throat =,
liberated mouth >, inflammation OF liver
], consumption 4, ScerhuS !, erysipelas B,
bilious chOlic |, catarrhal fever =, congeS-
ton Of uterus /, acute rheumatism 4,
chronic rheumatism >, dysuria =, indiges-
ton 8, stOrmatiiS ,, pleurisy ,, neural
gia 3
Many of these were under treatment
for weeks. \ large proportion entirely
recovered, and many of whom have left
the asylum, while their places have been
filled 10y others. In addition to those on
the sick list many transient prescriptions
are required at each visit. The surgical
cases have been as fellows compound
eliminated fracture of leg !, amputation
of feet 3, fracture of shoulder |, inciSed
wound of wrist !, incised wound OF hand
!, incised wound OF hip |, incised wound
of foot |, incised wound of nose and eyes
>, sprained ankle !, sprained elbow ],
mammaryaDscess 2,abScess Sub-maXilary
gland |. These cases have all resulted
tavorably.)
The number of births during the year
have been three-males >, females /.
The males were illegitimate.
The total number of deaths during the
year were l7-males Is, females l. Causes
of death as follows: three from accident,
two drowned and one scalded-all insane.
Three died of congestive chills and be-
fore medicine could be administered.
One newly born infant from hamilton.
OF the remaining ten who were under
treatment, three died of old age and fail
IRE of digestive organs, aged reSpectively
elghty-one, ninety-iive and one hundred
years. Two died of consumption, one OF
typhoid pneumonia. one of epilepsy, one
of bloody tluX, one of gangrene OF lungs,
one of cholera morbus. When we take
into consideration the fact that the class
of patients presented for treatment at
the asylum are the most unpromising TO
be found in the community, the majority
of them old, and all with constitutions
impaired or broken down by want and des-
Iltution, or by a long course of dissipation
and intemperance, the results are more
than satisfactory. Then at the present
time sixty insane persons are in the aSy-
lum Among this number Is classed some
who are idiotic and epileptic. Ii is i'm
possible, with the means at our disposal,
10 give these persons the care and treat
ment that they require, or even the neceS-
Sary comforts that an insane asylum
should afford. We have neither prop
erly constructed building nor the neces-
sary number of attendants or appliances
for restraint. There is not straight
jacket or a pair of muifs to restrain the
violent. nor an instrument for forcing
food or medicine into the stomach of
those who refuse 1t. Should the number
OF insane continue to increase, the au-
thorities will find additional room and
means of treatment necessary.
We cannot close this report without
expressing the obligations we are under
TO the late Superintendent, Mr.. Martin
Flaherty, and also TO the present Incum-
bent, Mr.. Theodore T.. Gibson, for their
hearty cooperation in providing every
thing required for the comfort Of the sick
as far as their means permitted. And
especially are we under obligations TO the
excellent MatrOn and Warden for their
infallfnenf and humane assistance In the