River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-12-30
The HOspital Investigation

insane.
To his Eee.lle.,y WI. L. SMITH soeer,,or II he
state NJ Hisoalsia:
The undersigned having been selected by your
exceliehcy pursuant to the provisions 90 joint
resolution u the " iscOnsin legislature 1opted
March 10, 1850, committee 10 investigate
the affairs of the Wisconsin state hospital for the
insane, have the honor 70 submit the following
report
DIFFICULTIES OF THE TASK.
Your committee at the outset Of their work rec
ognized the fact that the task before them was a
difficult one for an insane asylum is naturally a
secluded institution, the workings Of which must
necessarily be shut out from the public gaze. In or
der therefore to come 70 a thorough acquaintance
with the condition and practical operation Of tht
Wisconsin state hospital, as well As for convent
enee Of examined ion Of books and accounts, one
or more members Of the committee have resided
in the hospital for the greater part OF the past
summer, and report is based on what we
have and experienced, well as on the testi-
mony If others.
THE AIM OF THE COMMITTEE.
The constant aim Of the committee has been to
make the investigation as thorough and complete
as possible, and, at the same time. prevent its de-
generating into anything less than an impa rtinl
consideration Of the case; and we take pleasure
in saying that work has progressed with great
harmony, and our conclusions have been reached
with perfect unanimty. IL also gives MS great
pleasure 10 add that the hospital authorities have
cheerfully yielded Us every assistance in their
power and have seemed deslrous for the commit
tee to ascertain the exact condition of the nstltu
ton.
THE WORK DONE.
The work OF the Investigation has taken Us very
much longer than anticipated at the FIRST
This has been due To the exceedingly confused
condition Of the accounts, and the entire lack 81
system in the keeping Of the books of the hospital
The committee decided to go back in the accounts
to October 1875, the beginning of the fiscal
year in which the present administration began,
and the examination of the books and accounts
from that date to July 1880 alone occupied the
attention Of nj least one member of the commit
tee and an expert in bookkeeping, three months.
Subsequently, we examined g. witnesses making
500 fohos Of testimony, and heard the argu-
ments Of the hospital superintendent and his coun-
sell 50 that il late in the year before the work
closed.
GENERAL VIEW.
We find that the Wisconsin Hospital for the
Insane was open for patients in 1860. That it Is
situated on Il farm Of about 400 acres, owned by
the state and most beautifully located ON the
shore of Lake Mendoza. The buildings are light,
airy and eommodious, and are well supplied with
domestic and hospital convenences. They well
afford fair accommodation for 500 patients,
although there are now in the hospital about $50.
The farm is of good land and has all the con
veniences for farming and gardening. SO far as
outward appearances are concerned the hospital
seems nearly perfect eyincing the liberal policy OF
the state and iustIfying the high encomiumS con-
stantly giyenit by visitors from home and abroad.
TREATMENT OF PATIENTS.
| We find that the patients are humanity treated
| and properly clothed. The food furnished Is ia!r
| in quality and quantity, but, IN the opinion OF
your committee there should be a greater variety
! in the diet list. The serving Of hash for break
| fast every day in the year, should cease, even
| though il should ult in increased cost to the
| state. The allowance of sugar to the patients,
at least in some Of the wards is uncertain and in
aud hp
| regulated.
| WATER SUPPLY
| The supply Of water from Lake Mendoza, for
| drinking and culinary purposes. we must condemn.
| Whether sickness in the institution has at any
| time been caused by impurities III lake water,
VIC do not pretend to say, but We are convinced
! that it might be so caused we doubt whether the
lake water is fit for drinking, and culinary purpos-
eS in any event and We certainly feel that the hoSp-
tai supply Is had in view of the fact that the whole
| sewerage of the institution is emptied into the
lake at the distance Of only third Of mile from
the point where the water is taken in. There is
a wei ON the premises which is said to furnish a
| good supply Of pure water aud We think that wa
ter for drinking and cooking should be taken from
| this rather than from the lake.
MEDICAL AND SCIENTIFIC TREATMENT.
OF the medical treatment of the insane in the
hospital we are not prepared to speak from stand
| point Of experts. The general health Of the
patients has been uneXceptionally good, and the
| percentage of deaths lower than is generally
found in similar institutions. However we lind
that the superintendent has not been III the habit
| OF giving his personal attention to the medical
department and the needs of individual patients
| to the extent calculated by the statutes, and
which from his position and requirements he
ought to give. He has been assisted by a corps
Of intelg gent well educated and wealthy young
men, but they have had extended pro-
fessional or hospital experience and must neccs-
sarily be incapable of originating and conducting
! Investigations of brain diseases and the scientific
treatment of the same, such as we ought to lind IL
an institution of this kind. The committee may
be mistaken but they have a very positive feel
ing that there is a lack of thorough scientific in
vestigation consideration and trea tment Of indi-
vidual cases and failed to do the work for thu
advancement of science and the cure OF insanity
which might and which ought to be there done
The superintendent Claims that he is required Il
take active supervision of the complicated bust
ness transactions of the hospital. and so has NJ
time for this work Had we found the bushes:
department thoroughly and efficiently, conducted
we might have deemed this excuse good, but
neither the medical nor business management
have been satisfactory to the committee.
MORAL TREATMENT.
OF what may be called the moral treatment o.
the insane such rs light work, pleasant converse
ton lake excursions, good reading, music, dan
cling and other healthtnl amusements, we have
only words of commentator. This department
|
think its beneficial results very manifest. Il
should be extended rather than curtailed.
HYGENIc CONDITION.
In order more inteligently to ascertain the by
genie condition of the hospital took the liberty
to request the honorable state board of health Il
visit the asylum, examine its condition and repsr
to us its conclusions. The report of the board i
hereto annexed and made a part of our report
1t contains valuable suggestions, to which We
would call the careful attention Of your eXcellen
cy and the legislature; and we may add that thu
Judgment of the committee entirely comedies witt
that of the state board of health, so far whC
are non professional men are capable Of judging
ATTENDANTS AND NURSES.
Your committee found the hospital well pro
vided with intelligent, active and faithful attend
ants and employees except there ought to be a
least two more nurses, whose special duty il
should be to look after the sick at night and :,
prevent the unfortunate occurrence of sick pa
tients dying alone and unattended, as has beer
the case heretofore.
THE FARM And GARDEN.
We find the farm connected with the hospital {
a large and fairly profitable investment. Tht
renting of what is known as the " Farwell place
in addition to the farm proper, at an annual rem
of about three hundred and fifty dollars, we con
slider unwamanted extravaganza The heat
farmer Mr.. Warren. an intelligent and candle
man. would fix the actual rental value of the Far
we'll place at less than one hundred dollars, anC
his Judgment entirely meets the views OF the com
mittee We think this outlay should cease. The
gardening carried on with the supervision Of al
expert gardener and under most favorable cir
cumstances is very perfect, and has our hearty
approval. This supplies fresh fruits and yegeta
bles To the tables at a cheap rate, and meets Z
positive need
HERD STOCK.
The herd of stock on the asylum farm we founc
to consist Of about one hundred and seventy-fivt
booded and fancy animals Of both sexes which
have cost the state cXtrayagant sums. This num-
Der is too large for the farm by at least onehalf
and the character Of the entire herd should be
changed. Experience at the hospital shows that
fancy stock raising is not the proper sphere Of an
insane asylum. and the result has been a constant
loss to the state The purchase and breeding OF
fancy animals should be abandoned and sixty OF
seventy cows be procured, with the one end in
view of securing the largest dairy product. Thi'
number of cows of ordinary grade would yield
the hospital far better than the present herd does
OTHER STOCK AND APPLIANCES.
The number of horses employed on the farm and
about the hospital viz. sixteen to eighteen, seem,
large and can properly be reduced The farm
and garden equipments numerous, Of the best
quality and have cost large sums, but doubtless
the hospital needs the best that can be had. Con-
sidcring the character of those purchased, we are
not prepared to say that great extravaganza has
been manifested in the purchase OF wagons, OF
which some public criticism has been made, in
| the purchase Of other appliances.
| BUSINESS MANAGEMENT.
The management Of the business affairs of the
hospital both ON the part of the board Of trustees
and on the part Of the resident officers, has been
| sucb a. to he highly unsatisfactory The board