The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-02-13
THE CARE OF THE INSANE.
The Showing Made by the Annual Re-
port of Superintendent Fletcher.
Advantages of Mental instruction for the In
mates Of the Asylum-What 1t Costs
the State to Care for Them.

The thirty seventh annual report Of the Off
GERS of the Indiana Hospital for the Insane was
fled with the Governor yesterday. The state
mentof the trustees shows that at the beginning
of the fiscal year there were 3S9 patients in the
hospital, and at the close the number had in
creased to LAS There were TIA admitted to
the institution during the year. and 587 were dis
charged, while l2Sdied. The percentage of deaths
Is smaller than during any period in the last ten
years. The superintendent says 1.-THE total
discharged as cured is small, because our in
creased capacity, by change in the dining room,
has enabled as to gather iE from county poor
houses a large number Of chronic and incurable
cases who will only be discharged by death.
The past year will ever be re-
membered as one fraught with disaster
to hospitals for insane No less than Ave insti-
buttons have been subject to flames, and in sew
eral the lives of the inmates were sacrifice to
mans cupidity and negligence There is no rea-
son in building any but fire proof structures for
the unfortunate insane. Without magnifying
the horrors Of this subject will state that from
December, 1884, to February, 1885, we had
three fires, and in every case the origin
was from steam pipe in contact with
combustible matter. Fortunately no patients
were injured. The cost to the State by fire, to
repair damages and provide against such acct
dents In the future. has been about 500 000."
The work done by the patients, in addition to
the ordinary labor performed on the farm and
garden of the hospital, is estimated by contract
ors to be worth at least S., 500. Since last
June all the brooms used in the hospital
have been made by the patients, aud nany are
employed in the work of lock repairing, making
pictureframes. and upholstering furniture.
1T has been regarded by the most advanced
alienists for the past half century," says DR..
Fletcher, that education, moral culture, and
mental and manual exercise were the best ave-
nues to the diseased mind. The slight observation
OF the results in our very limited school for the
past year, convnceS me that not only should the
body be treated to healthful condition, but the
mind. also, End that teaching the insane is a
powerful means of cure There is little doubt
that the day is near when the services of a
welqualifed teacher for each ward will be
deemed as necessary as the physician or
the apothecary. Insane persons are in
a second infancy, neutrality-suspicious..
willful acting without reason or elfcontrol. In
structon. added to proper medical treatment, will
do for them in degree the same that it does for
children. It is hoped by the end of the next fs-
cal year it will be demonstrated that our funds
are sufficient to greatly extend this means of
treatment Of patients by properly arranged
school system. l am convinced that in educa ton
and manual training we have means at
content the insane than the materia medca,
cherries wards and prison discipline can ever
offer"
The superintendent says that with time the
evidence grows stronger that alcoholic beverages
and mechanical restraints in the treatment of
| the insane are, as rule. useless as we'll as in
furious The use of supplying and sleep-pro-
ducing medicines has been greatly reduced, while
there are fewer attendants in proportion to the
number of patients than ever before. Greater
attention has been given to changing the form
| and quality Of food than in previous years.
Among the deicacies consumed by the patients
during the summer months were ii, 100 quarts
of Strawberries and FIVE carloads Of watermel-
ons The trustees of the hospital
| report that the estimated value Of
the property is $1,6l5 44734, of which
$208. 297 81 is personal The appropriation of
$3.50, 0C0 for maintenance was all expended ex-
oept So 876 IL. The appropriation for repairs
was $4,000; for clothing, $l2 000; for repairs to
the chapel, 500, 000 for boiler-hous $780,
900; for pipe covering &c. 600; for special repairs,
$4,000; for laundry 81, 500; for warehouse, ST.
00O, and for water supply $40. 600. The
unexpended balances are as follows:
Repairs, $l6.23; clothing $l8455; chap
ell. $86 80; boiler house. $14. 100 "a:
pipe covering, $500; laundry, $6601. None of
the appropriation of $4,000 for water supply
was expended. The per capita expense of main
tanning the patients was $17343, which is less
than in any of the seven preceding years.