The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-11-27
NEW INSANE HOSPITALS.
The Site for the Asylum at Evans
willie Finally Agreed Upon.
Ex-Superintendent Rogers's Views as to the
Best Method of Lighting the Buildings
and Their Proper Construction.

The session of the Insane Hospital Commits
| sloners yesterday was occupied mainly in the
consideration Of plans for the new asy lum build
1ngs. The purchase of the Howard farm, near
Evansville, as the site for the hospital to be To-
Gated at that point, was finally decided upon.
The consideration is ST 900. The right Of way
Tor the building of the railroad switch which is
TO extend to the hospital grounds from the
Louisville, Evansville & st. Louis tracks, dis
lance OF about mile and half has been Sc
cured, and all that remains for the consumma-
ton OF the transfer is for the present owners of
the land to give a clear title.
DR.. j. G. Rogers, ex-superintendent of the In
sane Hospital, in very interesting statement
TO the Commissioners relating to the matter of
lighting the hospitals for the insane, said that
the institutions in America have been almost ex-
clusively, in late years, lighted with gas. He
gave the statistics of forty institutions bearing
upon the subject, which he had recently gath
cred, and it has shown that seven
OF the number were using gas
from petroleum, six mixture of air and naphtha
vapor; two, gas from resin, and twenty five gas
from coal OF the latter, six made the gas on
the premises, and nineteen supplied from
the city works. All using gas other than from
coal have their own works. The cost Of gas
from petroleum is from sixty cents 10 81 40 per
1000 feet; of hydrO-carbouated air. ST. to 50; gas
from resin, $1.4o to $1.SO; gas from coal, If
bought of manufacturers, 81 to So, and if made
on the premises, forty-two cents TO 81. Fifteen
foreign reports show coal gas to be generally
Used. The cost of lighting with gas in the Indiana
Hospital for the Insane has been annually, since
the enhancement to lts present capacity of ], l4O
the city works at So per 1000 feet.
Within the last two years. DR.. Rogers said, at
tention has been directed toward electricity as
a means of lighting asylums and in the returns
OF the statistics which he has been soliciting,
the method has been Endorsed by superintend-
ens, especially on account of its security against
fire. In his remarks on electric lighting Dr.
Rogers says there are two systems, the arc and
the incandescent. The arc light has great
intensity, representing the power OF hundreds
of thousands of candles concentrated at sin
gle spot. It is commonly used in streets and
large oDen places. The incandescent light has
soft raw, OF the power of Jet of the best quail
lty, great steadiness aud pleasing color Each
lamp is controlable independently, or In groups
sizes, so as to equal the light of from twenty to
one hundred candles EACH These sizes are in
terchangeable on the same plant. The
lamp enlits, practically, no heat
evolves no gases and consumes no
air in the operation. DIR, Rogers says
that tine economy of 3he incandescent lamp is
beyond question. The plant being once installed
the cost of running it is based on the cost of
coal for generating steam required for motive
the renewal of lamps and the oil, waste,
etc. 1t is estimated that the cost of a 4OO-light
plant complete WOulu be about $4,000. DR..
Rogers regards the tucandescent light as far SUI
periOr TO any other system of lighting for asy-
lums, and it is altOgetherprobable that il will be
adopted by the Commissioners for the new hos
pital.
At the session yesterday afternoon DR.. Rogers
submitted supplementary report to the Com
msslOners on the different hospital systems in
the United States and Europe, together with let
tiers he had received from forty American
sources and seventeen foreign countries in
answer to a circular OF inquiry embracing Ques-
lions relating to the proper limit OF segre CATION,
the extent to which the means and methods of
the domestic domicile may be used, the advant-
ages of the various systems of construction and
the extent to which they are especially applica-
BILE in the building OF the new hospitals in this
State
In addition, Dr. Rogers submitted to the Com
missoners plans for five different systems, to-
gether with estimates OF the cost OF the nstruc
zion of each. The first WAS congregation of
twenty-nine cottages; second, combination of
three detached and independent groups; third,
detached pavilions of 200 capacity each; fourth,
detached administration buildings, with q group
of three pagilions, total capacity of 400; and
twelve wards, varying in capacity from twenty
to twenty five on the horizontal house plan in
accommodating by central hall, with a rear
wing for domestic offices. "fhese several sys-
facilities for SURROUNDING patients with
pleasant garoere, etc, in which they can
ENJOY 5aIeiv proper liberty, exercise and occu-
patlon md are equally capable Of being made
hoh1c-1ike in their interior arrangements. 1t is
proposed to Introduce fre-places in sitting
rooms; to avoid permanent window-guards as a
rule; to secure maximum of light and air and
to afford every comfort compatible with reason
able economy"
The Commissioners will continue in session
to-day and before adjourniDg will probably de-
eide upon the plans for the hospital buildings.
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