The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-12-30
THE INSANE HOSPITAL.
Annual report Of the Trustees and
Superintendent.


than that of any previous year Of the ex-
istenee Of the Hospital, thus denoting that
insanity is increasing, and that, too, beyond
the rate Of increase of population. The In
stitution is practically free from indebted
ness, indicating the efficient management Of
the finances by the treasurer.
At the regular visits Of the board, an In
spection Of every ward has been made, every
patient has been seen, and the condition OF
each one noted. The condition Of the build
ings, farm, stock, ETC., has been critically
examined. A hearing has been given to all
the complaints. The lady visitors have also
made their regular visits. The farming
operations Of the year, under the supervision
of Mr.. Horace Cony, have been managed
with commendable skill. The garden and
green houses have continued under the ex-
cellent management of Mr.. VIM. I'll. Allen.
The construction Of new green houses IN
different location has been effected. The
buildings are Of bfick, and afford every
modern and needed convenience.
The need OF an abundant water supply 70
every part of the premises. will now at last
be met by the contract made with the Au-
gusta Water Co., by which an unlimited sup
ply is to be furnished for a term Of 80 years
at S1400 per year. The present limited and
unsatisfactory supply costs $500 per annum.
Great attention has been given the past year
to sanitary matters. In the extremity OF
the male wing there has been introduced the
most improved system Of ventilation, water
closets have been 0verhauled, bath rooms re-
modelled, and apartment dressing rooms con-
strueted.
The Institution consumes annually about
2500 tons of coal, which has to be drawn up
an exceedingly steep hill. 1t is suggested
that this could be done at saving by the
use of a tramway and cars, moved by steam
power and an endless chain.
In regard to the criminally insane, the
trustees call attention to the Recommended
tions Of their last report, asking for further
legislation upon the subject so that they
may be enabled to provide for the care and
restraining of this class OF insane persons.
The helpless insane are now obliged to min
gle with murderers, thieves and cut-throats.
Again the suggestion is made that the old
brick chapel. in front of the main building
an unsightly blot upon the otherwise beauti-
full landscape, be removed to different loca-
ton, and enlared for practical purposes.
The immediate necessities Of the hospital re-
quire the enlargement of the chapel, kitchen.
bakery and laundry.
The trustees state that Dr. Bigelow r. San
born, superintendent, is entitled to their high
est cOmmeRdatlOn for the fidelity, skill and
humane spirit in which be performs the re-
spOn5lble and often trying duties OF his
office. to the interests Of the institution and
those under his care. The faithfulness ex-
hibited by the assistant superintendents,
Drs. Hill and Davies, in carrying into execu-
tion the plans Of the SUPERINTENDENT, shows
them to be safe and efficient c0adjutors.
Warm words of just commendation are
spoken concerning the steward and treasur-
er, John w. Chase, and the other officers and
attendants, and, in conclusion, they ask from
the State the continuance OF its liberal poll
cy towards the institution. The report Is
signed by the entire board Of trustees.
sUPERINTENDENT's REPORT.
At the beginning of the year, Dec. 1, 1885,
there were resident in the Hospital 4S6 pa
tients--241 men and 245 women. Two hun
dred and thirty-One have been admitted since
-l27 men and 104 women making the whole
number under treatment, T7-36S men and
$40 women. Of these, there have been dis
charged 1S9-106 men and SO women; leaving
at the close of the year, 52S-262 men and 266
women. One hundred and seventy-six OF
those admitted during the year were on their
first admission, SO on their second, on their
third, on their fourth, 2 ON their fifth, and
/ on his eighth Condition Of those dis
charged: Recovered. Co.'S men and 2S
women; much improved, 34-1S men and 10
women; improved, 22-10 men and II
women; unimproyed, Ga men and two
women; not insane, ! man; died. 60-35 men
and 25 women. OF the 66 discharged recov-
cred, 45-25 men and 20 women-were on
their first admission; 11-9 men and
wOmen-were on their second 2-1 man and
woman-were on their third; 5-2 men and
3 women-were on their fourth; women on
their fifth. and mar on his tenth.
The death rate has been p per cent less
than last year. Aside from the deaths re-
sulting from epilepsy and the fatal cases Of
paresis. the mortuary record has been large
ly confined to terminal dementia, OF to
those cases suffering from mental malady
of such character as to have but little
power to resist disease in any form. Some
had passed the allotted period, whose lives
had become to them burden, and death was
release. Two men committed suicide, one
Of whom was admitted only the day prior to
the sad event, and who was reported by his
friends mot suicidal" Both committed sui
eide by drowning in the Kennebec. Exami-
nation of the records show that 66 persons
| have been committed to the institution the
| past year Of suicidal tendencies.
The causes OF death appeared TO be as fol
| lows: Acute mania, men; acute melan-
| chOlia, men apoplexy, woman; chronic
mania, 2, l man woman chronic melancho.
and woman: diarrhcea, man exhaustive
| mania, 2, / man and / woman; epilepsy, T.
| men and woman; erysipelas, man
| ibroid tumor, woman; general paralysis,
men; MISREPRESENTATION, 2, l man and
woman; latent phthisis, 4, 1 man and !
| women; paralysis, woman; phthisis pull
| monalis. 2, mnn and one woman; paralysis
| OF heart, woman; senile dementia, 4, mel
| and woman; suicide, 2 men; terminal de,
| mentia. 10, man and 9women. The aver
| age age at death was males, 4S.41; females
| 52.45; total average, 1912 years.
| The assigned causes OF Insanity in thOst
| admitted during the year are as follows
| Critical period Of life, 16 women: chlora
| habit, l man; c0ngenital, l man; diss0luts
/ life, women; domestic infelicity, =, 2 meT
| and women; disappointed affection, man
| epilepsy, 1873 men and women; excessive
use of tobacco, mans electric
shock, 1 man; financial embarrassment,
men; general paralysis, men; i'll health, 3.
| ~ men and 20 women; intemperance, 2
men; injury to spine, 2 women; injury o.
/ head, men loss of relatives, Al man ant
/ women; measles, women; maSturbation, II
/ men; over exerti0n. 1873 men and women
| puberty, ii man and women; puerperal
/ l woman: religious excitement, man rheu
matism, man; sunstroke, 6-5 men and
woman senility, 1873 men and five women
| suppression OF menseS, l woman, syphilis
| men; typhoid fever, man; unknown, 5
20 men and % women; vaginismus, wom
| an.
The social condition OF those admitte,
| during the year, we find to be as follows
Married. 102-54 men and As women; wild
| owed. 27-11 men and 16 women; single, o
so men and 40 women unknown, men.
The Hospital has now been in operation A
years, during which time 6S44 patients hay'
been admitted, and 63l6 have been dis
| charged. OF the latter, 1872 improved, 1903
did not improve, and 1880 died. The actua
number of individual patie ats admitted ha
been 5185.
DIR. Sanborn gives additional emphasis t.
the valuable suggestions he has heretofore
made concerning the treatment Of patients
which should be both medical and moral
Besides the medicine given, there has beel
a gratifying and satisfactory progress in th'
direction of increased manual employment
During the summer months the patient
frequently ayailed themselves of the priv
ege Of exercise in the open air, som
times spending nearly all the day, accom-
panied by attendants, upon the lawns play
ing croquet or engaged in some other recrea
ton. The regular course of entertainment
has been kept up; good singers have ful
| nished vocal music, and the Hospital Band
| instrumental music. A new parlor gran
| piano has been introduced into the middl
cOnvalescent ward of the pavilion 70
| women.
But Notwithstanding so much has been az
complishe0, the Hospital still has needs
which may briefly be enumerated thus: Th
disassociation of the criminal insane frOI
the more deserving and less dangerous elias
| of patients, and caring for them in a sci
| arate ward. There are 20 such persons no.
in the Hospital. More and better room f.
| the help employed Is needed. Urgent an
| immediate need exists for repairs and IN
provements in the laundry and its machiI
| ery Repairs on the entire roofing OF the oil
wing resilling and painting the barns an
reconstruction of certain water closets an
bath rooms are needed.
From the Treasurer's report it appear