The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-12

three meals daily; always beef for breakfast
and dinner and a light tea. With many of
the pauper insane the good nourishment is
complete restoration. Each ward has q
clothes room with compartment for each pa
tlent, a reception room where they meet
friends from , to 5 P. NJ, except Sunday, q
bathroom where each patient bathes once q
week, and oftener if necessary, an attend
ants room and a private room for each
patient. There are books and flowers, music
and birds; in short, all material surroundings
Tor their comfort and restoration. Remove
the iron window gratings and throw open
the doors and the whole surroundings more
resemble a convenient and elegant hotel
than the kindly asylum that it is, much less
a mad-house. You hear no raving; there are
no bad wards" no dungeons, no chains, no
unnecessary confinement.
MEDICAL HISTORY AND ATTENDANCE.
The tenth census estimates the insane in
the United States as 90, 000-one to 543 popu-
lation. Indiana has about $500, of which
100 are in the hospital, and over 1000 are
at large-many of them awaiting the new
hospitals to be built as their permanent
homes. OF the average number of inmates
last year (1,0S5A 1872 were admitted and 742
discharged; the whole number treated 1927.
Or the discharged 1878 were restored, 121 inn
proved, 116 not improved, 105 died and 10
proved not insane. OF the 1872 admissions,
249 had good family record, $40 had pre-
natal tendency to nervous disease or vicious
defect. OF these cases where heredity is a
known factor, go were Incorporate, 48 tuber-
c%ulous, % epileptic, 81 hysterical, and s de-
formed. Here, as elsewhere, the history of
the Duke family repeats itself; the defective
organization. physical, mental or moral re-
appears. A sound mind can only be in a sound
body. For a hospital the general health has
been good; the ratio of recoveries to admis-
sion AZ per cent, and of deaths to whole
number treated 81 per cent, which is lower
than the average of English and American
hospitals. The medical staff consists of the
superintendent, with Drs. J. n. Smith and
a. j. Thomas in charge of the women's de-
partment, Drs. J. r. Brown and W. E.
Brandt in charge of the mems. DR.. Brandt
was appointed in the place of DR.. w. Ii.
Hubbard who resigned May l, to assume a
private practice. DR.. Hubbard is a scientific
physician, aud during the four years of mis-
service endeared himself both to patients
and management.
The entire staff are in harmony and the
general morale and spirit excellent; the SUI
perlntendent is kind and genial, a travelled
and cultured gentleman, giving his officers
and employees liberty in their departments
and quick to recognize earnest effort and
good results on their part. He has a pleasant
fDth ~ III BdIAClllD anu dllCllh1llla Il lit
meets them in wards or work-rooms: he is
omnipresent, and calls every employee, and
most OF the patients promptly by name, and
never fails to say the apt word at the right
time. His qualifications are those of the
business man and manager, as well as a long
professional life and large practice of general
medicine; while his wide knowledge and in
terest in technology have brought a practical
economy to the hospital which annually saves
the State thousands of dollars.
DOMESTIC ECONOMY.
This is everywhere apparent. They have
carpenter-shop, with foreman and four work.
men, steam-power saws, dry-klln, etc, and
make tlteir own fu-- tiers and half a
dozen steam engines in his care, and is fore
man of six fremen, so-called, but really
practical mechanics, who do all gas-ftting
and plumbing. A Westinghouse steam en-
CINE, the acme of perfection in light running
engines, self-oiling and automatic until worn
out, is in the wash-room for men, and is run
entirely by women. 1t is a gem, and the
only one in the State. Steam i~njectors throw
water into the tubs, and clear the waste from
the engines. There is a tjn-shop and
FORCES, From the refuse tallow and
grease 5000 gallons of soap are
made at a cost of less than a cent a pound.
In earlier times $12, 900 worth annually of
refuse was sold; this is now mainly saved to
the hospital, and only rags, bones and old
lead are sold. Upwards of So 5000 is saved in
soap alone. DR.. Rogers has taught the apoth-
ecaries to make the paraffin gas-lighters.
They make an indelible marking ink better
than Payson's.
The mason is a free lance-Mr. "McCune."
He is forever in the caverns that underlie
the buildings and grounds like the cata-
combs of Paris, patching and mending. He
makes his Portland stone; fights, with the
aid of butcher and storekeeper, the cock
reaches with boraX and chamomile dust. He
only knows OF one rat in the building, and
will soon have scientific salt on its tail, and,
with DR.. Rogers, has concocted a deep-laid
scheme to rid store-house and bakery OF red
ants (Which thrive on Persian insect powder
and regard borax as a luxury by getting on
the blind side and stoning them to death,
after having first made them "comatose''
with oil of peppermint.
STATISTICAL AND FINAL.
As to civil state, $50 of the admissions for
1881 were married, 276 single, 6S widowed
and 81 divorced. As to occupation, 215 were
farmers, 70 laborers, 5 professional men, 8
merchants and 6 mechanics. AS to age, 50
were under twenty and So over sixty, while
1873 are from thirty to forty. AS to nativity,
347 were Indianians; IS were from Marion
county and none from Adams or Posey. The
grounds are in fine condition, the green
house redolent with jasmine and bright
with foliage plants soon to adorn the grounds.
There is a large bread-fruit tree, rose trees
two inches in diameter and bananas in every
condition of growth. The white and purple
lowered magnolias adorn the walks, and one
in full blossom, and also red bud and dog
wood. There is every outward surrounding
that can minister to a mind diseased, or
pluck from the memory a rooted sorrow in
short, there is not in the State an institution
better adapted by location, intent or manage
mentt to administer to the needs Of its unfors
tunate inmates.