The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-09-29
The county physicians report tor the


year ending Sept |, 1888, was read and
ordered spread upon the record. Said re-
port Is as follows:
Mr.. Chairman 6c.-Gentlemen: Another
year having rolled around it becomes our du.
ty to report TO your honorable body the SAM
tary and HYGIENE conditions of your various
eemosyuary Institutions OF the county OF
La Sale.
First: The township of Ottawa has had
during the past year only Its usual sickness,
there having been no epidemics, with the eX-
ception of scarlet fever which occurred early
in the spring months. The epidemic o scar
let fever was short in duration, and only In
certain localities severe. While there have
been good many calls to answer from the
dependent poor, nevertheless there have been
| but few deaths.
Second: Your county Jail is. and has been,
in a remarkably clearly and wholesome con-
dition-thanks to the care of your sheriff aud
his ever watchful wife. There have been but
| few cases of sickness occurring in the house,
while good many prisoners, when brought
| in, were Suffering from disease, generally the
affects of debauch, which were soon RENE
died. During the year there has been no
death in the county Jail.
Third: Weare proud 20 say that we have
a county asylum with its appointments, that
is second to none in the State of Illinois. For
| much of the comforts and care received by
| the inmates, acknowledgements should be
| rendered to your worthy warden and his wife,
who are ever on the alert, watching in the
interest of the inmates as well as the tax pay
ers of La Sale county. During the year there
| has been no epidemic in the house, although
| we have had large number of deaths, the
reason for which you will better understand
| when we enumerate the causes of death,
| which are: Blood poisoning, one case; two
cases which were caused by injuries received
while working on the new railroad running
| from StreaiOr to La Sale; consumption, six,
| and here we would remark that in the future
cases of consumption will increase, for the
reason that the poor laboriug man cannot
| support himself when this fell disease has
| once seized him, its duration in most cases
| being from one TO two years, compells him to
seek the friendly protection of your asylum
dropsy, three cases-two, if not all three, be-
ing induced by whisky; pneumonia, two
deaths; one, we do not know what the cause
of the death was, the patient having died
within an hour of his arrival at the house;
cancer, one death; paralysis, one; diphtheria,
one; old age, three-lhe Oldest being sixty
seven years old; heart disease, one; delirium
tremens, two cases-here again whisky was
the cause of death; one child died Il few hours
after its arrival at the asylum; one case was
brought to the house in dying condition,
before either of us could get there he was
nal cord and last, one child thirteen months
old, died from actual starvation and neglect
before being brought to the asylum. The to-
tai number of deaths being twenty eight.
There were four births.
You had, on the first day of September,
one hundred and thirteen inmates in the asy.
lum; of these, thrty-eight are insane or fee.
bic minded. Thirteen men and twenty five
women of the above thirty eight insane.
There are twenty-four who have to be kept
under restraint-nine men and fifteen women.
We have in the sick ward four patients; be-
sides, others who are not we'll, who are suf-
ferng with chronic diseases, but are not so
sick that they require bed continually. Du-
ring this year We have made about one humid
red and ten visits to the asylum; ampuiating
one leg, one arm, and doing large number
OF minor operations, attending to the medical
sick from time 10 time AS required There
are quite number Of subjects | would like
to call your attention to, but Will only speak
OF one, aud that is the better care Tor our in
sane at the asylum. IL il well known to eve
ry member of this board that La Sale county
has more than its quota of insane in the State
insane institutions. This being so, as fast os
other counties whose quotas are not full, send
into the State asylums for the insane, a pa
tient, room has to be made for that patient
So again when La Sale county sends case
of acute insanity to one of the asylums, room
must be made for this patient. Now, all the
st. te Insane A5ylums are full, even TO run
ming over, and when a patient goes from the
county whose quota IS not full as well as from
our own county, some Of the inmates that
are there must be sent back to the county
whose quota is full, so that for every new
patient we send in, we have to take back two
or three of those that are now in the state in
stitutions. The outcome of this is that our
county house Is being rapidly filed up with
the chronic insane that arn bnipr rot mr. nl IN
us from the several insane asylums of the
state, until we are getting into the condition
that something must soon be done by our
county so that we ma, be- abe to give these
people proper care This is subject that re.
qures your attention. having no doubt but
IN your wisdom some remedy will be found
whereby humanity will be abundantly dealt
dealt out to these unfortunates.
All OF which is resdectfully submitted.
j &. HATHEwAY, Nj. ID.
REUBEN +. DYER, NJ. ID.
On motion of Supervisor Ellsworth the
appointment Of county physicians for the
ensuing year was made special order of
business for 10 O'Clock to morrow morning.
Supervisor Armstrong, of the special
committee to investigate charges against
the management of the county asylum,
submitted the following report of Said
committee:
Mr.. Chairman, DC: Your committee TO
investigate the complaints against Warden
Ready and T. G. Gibson, county agent,
would respectfully. report that they have
examined the matter of the inmates of the
county house, would make the following
report in addition to report made to this
Board, that we find many persons sent TO
the county house that are not entitled TO
aid. We find persons have been sent 70
the county house from the town of La
Sale who have friends or relatives willing
and able to support them, but have been
sent there without their knowledge; also
that the Warden bas been ordered to hold
persons there who were able and willing to
support themselves, also tramps and dead |
beats have been sent there from La Sale |
who, as soon as they found that they had |
to work, lett. Now this entails large rail-
road expenses, which your committee
think ought to be corrected In some way. |
All of which is respectfully submitted,
j. l.. ARMSTRONG, Chairman.
Supervisor Norton moved TO amend by |
striking out from said report the words
from the town OF La Sale"