Homer guardian., 1889-05-17
The Insane Asylum.

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La, has recently addressed a cir
cular letter to the police jury of
this parish, in which they state
that no more inmates can he ia.
ken, owing to the crowded condi-
tion Of the Asylum. The letter
suggests that when we have any
applicants, to send their names
which will be registered and the
parties received when vacancies
occur, in the order Of the fling of
their applications. Now this is Il
shame and = stigma upon the fair
name Of Louisiana. The psor un-
fortunate lunatics are the special
wards of the State, and there is
no class Of human beings whose
condition and surroundings, ap-
peals louder and more piteously
for aid and human treatment than
this. The Asylum is for this pur-
pose. 1t is tho property Of the
State and every one Of her citizens
have an interest in 1t. 1t is pre-.
sumed that skilled nurses, exper.
fenced physicians and every ap-
pliaDce for successful treatment
Of these persons are found in this
institution. Then, when one ia
80 unfortunate as to be interdict.
ed, he should be sent to such o
place and receive the proper treat
ment. These interdicts are often
vicious. uncomfortable, and be.
aides, are not accessible to the adj
vantagcs Of treatment at home.
Again, they arc inmates of poer
families who are not able to care
for them when they get in this
miserable helpless condition.
Now, what are we to do with
them? Claiborne has one poor
white woman, recently interdicted,
whose husband is not able to hire
nurses to care for her, no being a
poor laborlng man. Our opinion
- that the board of administra-
tors, has no vested authority to
issue any such peremptory order,
and that they are required by tho
law, controlling this institution,
to receive every interdict from our
state that may be carried there
and give him or her the best pos
sible treatment under the means
at their disposal.
We are constrained to believe
that the fault lies mainly In the
management and administration
of the Asylum. The cry is that
The appropriations are too small.
The last legislature appropriated
100000, being $4,000 more than
was appropriated in 1885. 1t
will also lie remembered that this
institution has 200 acres of good
tillable land in connection with
it,, and it does seem to US that
100000 and the products of this
farm, which is worked mainly by
The inmates, would maintain 600
persons one year. The last legis-
|ature appointed a committee to
|ook into the affairs of this lnsti-
luton from the report Of which we
take. the following:
I'm regard to the records none
are kept with the exception of
register upon which for many
years back are entered, on the day
,f their admission, the name, age,
ast residence, sex, etc, of each
inmate. In this register the
names are not kept alphabetically,
nor by parishes, nor are they in.
lexsd. 1t is therefore necessary
10 rely upon the memory of the
officers, or to search through the
whole list to discover any name
Or to attain any information"
"Your committee found, With
great surprise, that no regular
'ystem Of books is kept by the
treasurer for the financial affairs
of the Asylum. The treasurer
keeps a check book and a cash
blotter, but no ledger nor any
ltemized books arc kept. 1t is
the work of an expert to
prepare any intelligent report or
statement Of the receipts and ex-
penditures Of the Asylum and of
its present financial condition"
The above report, made by a
,nsof c0un ~ ito, F.or. a.. H.