The Portland daily press., 1884-01-04
MAINE INSANE HOSPITAL.
Reports of abe Superintendent and SIN
Trustees.


To the Board of Trustees Of the Maine Insane
Hospital.
GENTLEMEN-Hayingb been selected by your
Board tue successor of DR.. Henry M. Harlow
as SUPERINTENDENT of the Maine Insane Hospi-
tal the duty involves upon me to report what
has occurred in its affairs during the year end
ing November 30th, 1888.
1t is CRAFTY to be able to record tho fact
that through the blessings OF Providence, the
Institution has been preserved from oufagla-
ton, or disaster of any character, and that no
accident has occurred to endanger the life, or
TO cause suffering to any of its inmates.
There have been no deaths resulting from sui
eide or from violence, taking into account the
large daily average of patrons which has ex-
ceeded that of any previous year
At the beginning of the year, December ,
1882, there were III the hospital 46I patients
252 men and 209 women; 208 have been admit
ted siuca-130 men and rs women, making
whole number under treatment 669-382 meu
aud 2o7 women. or these there have been dis
charged 205; 136 men and SO women, leaving
in the hospital at the close of the year, 464-
GAG men and lis women. five men aud fcnr
women were admitted in December, 1882, 10
men and women in January; 3 men and 7
women in February; Ii men and women 10
March; IL men and women III April: II men
and women III May; II men and 10 women in
June; IL men and women in July; 10 men
and women In August; IL men and 10 wom-
en- in September; IS men ann 10 women 10 Oc-
tober; B men and 6 women in November
One hundred and ffty-hve of those admitted
during the year were on their first admission,
"a on their second, 10 on their third, II on
their fourth, one on the fifth, enc on the sixth
one on the ninth. Three have been admitted
twice ia the year. Recovered, 53-3l men and
% women; improved. 32-2i men and women +:
nnimproyed, 22-17 men and women; died,
os-of 70 on and "a ~ 70, 0f-these So dis
were on their first admission; 1876 men and
women n. on their second; 2-one man and one
women, on tht ir third; 2-one man ard one
woman. on their fourth and one man On the
eleventh
The mortuary record, as will be seen, has
been unusually large the past year Many of
the male patients who had become debili, ated
from exhaustion accompanying brain disease,
began to be affected with liver trouble, giving
rise TO lanndice; IN short time. droopsy Of the
abdomen and lower extremities. The disease
appeared TO be epidemic in character, and was
attended with unusual fatality, nearly every
one attacked yielding to the malady. We
know OF no cause, nnless it was in consequence
OF some obscure atmospheric condition At
the same time the outside community did not
escape its ravages Quite a large number Of
those who died were advanced in years, aod
had been Icing suffering Irara physical as well
as mental weak ness, and with shattered consti-
tlutons wers readily susceptible TO any acute
disease that might arise.
The canse Of death was as follows: d iarrhaa q,
men paralysis 7, ) men and women; geEer-
al f'sral}sis 3, men and l woman, erysipelas
man. apop exy 4, men sDd l woman; chTou-
&c Insanity, 90 men and 2 women; exhaustive
mania 10, men and women; paralysis of the
heart, men; consumption 4, 2 men aud VIC
men; congestion of the brain. 2 mem sspile de-
nehtla. | man; epilepsy Z, 5 men and wo-
men; diarrhes and droDsy, l man; dropsy IS,
l5 mel and woman; old age, man; gasiritis,
women; Inflammation Of the bowels, VIC
mau; exhaustive aud acute dementia3, 3 men
and woman; chronic melancholia A. 8 men
and woman; yalyular disease of the heart,
| man; diabetes. man; typhomania. man; car
diac disease, men; phlegmonous erysipelas. /
man; latent phthisic, woman; exhaustion
from Insanity, man.
The assigned causes of Insanity in those adj
mitted daring tho year are a. follows: Ill
health, 3o-l4 men and "a women; intemper-
ance, 1913 men, l woman; critical period of
life, women; epilepsy, 12-11 men, woman ;
domestic afti'etion, 1913 men, s women; mas
turbatlon, men; over-exertion, III men,
women; injury of head, TO men, woman;
puerperai, women; sunstroke, 2 men; old
age, SD men, 8 women; disappointed affec-
tions, women; religious excitement, p
man, womsn; spiritualism, | woman; en-
barrAssment in business, l man; paralysis, 4
men; injury OF Spine, man; effects of cleo
trlclty, l man; suppressed Eruption, man;
secondary syphilis, l man; severe sickness,
woman; law suit. man; dissoute life, L
woman; pregnarcy. woman; unknown. 81,
Al men aud 10 women
One hundred we're MARKEDLY mep, 43
women; 81 unrnarried-54 men, 27 women;
ii widowers: s widows a,d that of & tnen mn
known. The hospital has been in operation
fcrty-theee years. during which time 6, 161 pa
tients haze been admitted. 1857 HAYS been
discharged: of The latter, 2,325 recovered,
l,l3l improved. 999 did not improve, and 1.242
died. The daily average number of patients
for the year, 450; 40 have been supported BY
their own means, or relatives, SO entirely by
the State. and 1863 have received State aid Of
Sl.50 per week, towns or individuals paying
the balance.
The treatment OF patients has baen By the
most improved methods-good nursing, moral
treatment Much has been done Ia the way of
varied amnsemenss, music ranking high in the
moral treatment.
a Proper classification Of the insane being
indlst'e nsable for the conlfor and safety, aud
for tho best opportunities for recovery, mental
phases ard p8culiasities are so varied, ven in
persons suffering from some general form of
insanity. that IL pTecludes the idea u many
cases Oh classification with reference only to
the same type Of disease. 1t would be unnar-
sble, except from necessity, tn associate the
mid melanchoic who is quiet and manageable,
with the boisternus and refractory one, a.
though both are afflicted with the same menta,
disorder.
The surroundings of the patiaut should be
made DIS inviting as possible, and in the classi-
ncatlon due regard should be paid to the COM
Tort and welfare CT each person. The quiet,
the appreclative and tue convaescent should
De removed from the anuowiug and the turbu-
lent We believe these indications are fully
nett the inception, planning and location of
the new pavilion Just erected.
Ihe farm forms most important element
10 the every day life of an institution of this
ZINC lnasnueh as 1t affords the facilities for
the healthy employment of q large number of
our people. We believe that farm connected
With the hospital of this character is desirable
III any country climate. A large portion of
our Inmates come from rural districts, and
were formerly employed in agricultural pur-
suits. Here they have the opportunity to en-
gage In the same occupation that they have
been educated in, aud while it affords mental
and physical vigor, it relieves the undue strain
upon the mind. During the summer and au-
tumn, q large number OF patients have labored
upon the farm, but not compulsory. The re-.
suits attained have been most gratifying-uot
only In the amelioration of that undue restless
ness and excitement which accompanies many
forms OF mental disorder but also in the
marked improvement of the physical health
that has been observable in quite number
thus voluntarily occupied, Indeed the restcr-
ation to mental and physical soundness of sew
erdl persons suffering from acute insanity,
was neen due, mainly, in my Judgment, to
moderate and Judicial manual labor in the
open air. The hay crop, which was secured in
good condition, is probably the largest ever
cut. The garden vegetables were all we'll ma
tured. The potato, grain and other crops were
all OF good quantity and quality.
we have had under cultivation the past year
the usual amount of acres, and the result has
been very satisfactory. Tae COWS as a whole
are not producing as much milk as their num-
Der should with the feed and care they are re-
celVi1g, and 1t is my purpose to kill and fatten
the poor mixers and replaces them with those
giving larger flow of milk. The sale OF pigs
10 increasing from year to year, and the farm
ers are becoming more and mora convinced
that the White Chester is superior to any other
IN the country. / have recently purchased for
the Improvement of our stock the best pure
w hlte chester" to be found in Pennsylvania.
Our present. stock consists of 1913 pigs from
10 III weeks old. The amount received from
sale OF pigs doripg the year is $1,493.S3.
There las been such heavy draughts upon
the treasury OF the institution, in consequence
OF the extensive improvements and repairs
made during the year, it is with some hesitan-
cy that we press its future wants. We hope,
as soon as finances will allow, to renovate the
old bath rooms and water closets. These
would seem to demand our first attention.
Feiting of the new steam mains is needed be-
fore another year, which would prevent the
radiation of heat tefore the steam reaches the
hot air chambers, thereby lessening the con-
sumption of fuel. The farm bui dings need
repairing.
Entertainments have been held for the
amusement of patients, two evenings of each
week thrOup bout the wear. One evaninp of