Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1884-12-18
Cost of County AsyIums.
From the Milwaukee sentinel
tie Editor of tie Sentinel.


While attending meeting of the
State Board OF Charities, held at the
Northern hospital, my attention had
been called to the following extract,
reprinted in the Sentinel from an
Oshkosh paper, purporting 70 give
some statement of my arguments
before the Winnebago County board,
in favor of the building being in
creased and better accommodation
for the chronic insane, and the action
of the County board in the prem
Uses:
Winnebago county has sixty-five insane in
the Northern hospital, and forty-iive chronic
cases in the county asylum the past year. The
support of the sixty-hve in the state institu-
ton cost s3.2ls.25. and the forty-flve in the
county institution cost S3,53o0s.
The board Of charities is so ac-
customed to unfavorable criticism
from some parties and some papers
in this state, that its members do not
usually think it worth their while to
reply to such criticisms, however un.
fair or prejudiced they may be, but
| have so rarely seen so many false
statements, or so many of those
worse lies, "half truths" crowded
into so small Il space, as in this ex-
tract, that in justice to the county
system for the care of the chronic
insane, feel compelled to show its
false statements.
First, Winnebago county never
had, at any one time, sixty-fve in
sane in the Northern hospital The
records of the hospital show that
Winnebago county is charged, dur
ing the past year, with 1928 2-7
weeks board for their insane,
amounting to 3,365.19, showing an
average of a little less than thirty
seven patients. No one acquainted
with the cost of running our hos
pital will for moment suppose that
the above, $3.50 per week, charged
to counties for the care of their in
sane, covers one-half of the cost to
the state of their care. The cost to
the state, above the product of the
lands attached to those institutions,
is a good deal more than double the
amount charged to the counties,
while the sum mentioned in the par
agraph quoted above, S3,53s.0S, as
the cost to Winnebago county for
the care of their insane in the coun-
ty institution, represents the entire
cost of their care, above the product
of the lands attached to that insti-
tuition.
No account, however, is made of
the sum paid to the county from the
state for the care Of their insane,
which amounts this year to S2984,l5.
Let us then see the relative direct
cost to Winnebago county for the
care of its insane.
Paid to Northern hospital for the care
OF thirty-seven patients, exclusive of
clothing. .......- ..,..........-..-..S536 10
Paid for the care of forty-hve
patientsin county institution S2,538 0S
Less amount paid 60 county
from sthte..... ..... ....-..,.. 2,9ol.I5
Total cost to county of forty
A slightly different showing from
that above.
The answer made to my appeal
for additional and better accommo-
dation for the insane in the county
institution, made by the chairman of
the County board, and acquiesced IN
by the entire board, was that the in
sane were better off in the county
institution than they were in the
Northern hospital, and the board
thought was doing we'll enough. My
reply was that, although from the
better opportunities for open air eX
ercise, greater occupation, and al
most entire absence of restraint, the
insane were better off in their coun-
ty institution than they had been in
the hospital, yet they were not as
well cared for as they were in other
county institutions under the charge
of the board of charities, and not "a
well cared for as they must be, if
Winuebago county expects to con
tinue recipient of state aid. The
board of charities has reason to
criticise uufavorably the building
and the lack of variety in the diet.
Yours truly,
JNo. ii. VIVIAN, Nj. D.,
Member Of State Board of Charities
and Reform.
Winnebago, Nov. %.