St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-04-23
DR.. Bartlett and His Subor-
dinates Are Said to Be ~
All Right.
The Asylum Is Overerowded
and the Help Inadequate d
But Efficient. =
Defects in Departments and
Some Pointed Suggestions II.
Are Offered. 90 30

riam to investigate certain charges made
against the management of the st.
Peter hospital for the insane, submitted
its report to the governor yesterday
| afternoon. The committee was com.
missioned March 20, and entering
upon its task at once, heard
all the testimony from which
it derived its report as to these matters,
which were not secured by personal OBJ
servatlon, on April and 5, at the city
of st. Peter, each witness testifying be-
fore the committee under oath, and the
testimony verbatim was submitted to
the governor with the conclusions and
recommendations of the committee.
There were about fifteen persons sworn,
and synthetically the evidence itself,
While showing grave defects in some de-
partmentS of the hospital system, eX-
onerated Dr.. c. K Bartlett from any
and all the specific charges made by
what have proven to be irresponsible
and demented persons.
GAS regards the general management of
the institution the committee reports, sit
finds 1t excellent and commendable. The
testimony shows almost without dispute
that G. Is. Bartlett NJ. D., the superintendent,
in addition to possessing the scientific and
professional attainments of a physician is
gentleman of integrity and good business ca
pacity, is attentive to the duties of his posi-
ton, and is prudent and CT o1omical in all
financial transactions relating to his official
station. His assistants, Dr.. j. H. James Dr.
Kilbourne, c. F. Brown, the steward, and
Mr.. Dunn, the supervisor, are gentlemen
amiable and pleasant in manner and seem
duly attentive to the discharge of their Off
cial functions. Their competency is I'M
questioned. We find that the food supplied
to the patients is ample in quantity, is of
proper variety, and fairly well cooked. The
allmnntarV nd
most of them are i'll such condition) are in
full flesh and apparently well fed. The
actual weekly cost of maintaining the pa
tients in this hospital is quite low. less,
In fact, than in most institutions of
similar character, being only the sum of
1913 per week. This cost is more proper
toned to the status of an aims house than or
tirst-ciass hospital We regard the system
pital as quite defective. We would recon-
mend the employment OF a competent
double entry bookkeeper and the adoption
of that system of accounts The storekeeper
should lie placed under bond in the sum of
at least SIC. 900. The clothing supplied TO,
the patients is per capita in excess of the
quantity required by statute, and is of fair
quality AS far as practicable it is neat, and,
considering the expenditure made on that
account, is quite satisfactory. -
The law regarding the correspondence of
patients has not IN all respects been duly OBJ
served, and we do not discover on the part of
l.
sympathy with the purpose and spirit of the
correspondence act as could be desired.
The superintendent claims that the law has
been complied with as far as practicable,I
and there is some testimony sustaining his
position. In any event. large discretion as,
to correspondence should be vested in the
physician charged with the management of
the hospital. H
Some testimony was adduced to the effect
that the superintendent and his family had
at various periods prior TO the date of our;
Investigation, occupied exclusively, and to
the detriment of hospital treatment for in
sane patients. certain apartments which had
cost the state the sum of Sl50,0 600. We fiId
such testimony to be quite mistaken. The
superin tendent and his family have never
occupied more than one-sixlh of the space in
the central portion of the hospital. and the
total cost OF such central portion approx
mated the sum of 100000
In regard to the charge that the hospital
pathological inquiry was not properly prose-
cuted, DR.. Vivian says: ut does not seem
that sufficient use, as general rule, is made
of the opportunity presented by the great
number of deaths annually occurring in asy-
lums, to study the morbid anatomy and
pathology of insanity. 1t would be a small
matter, as far as the expense is con-
cerned,, if every state shovld employ
a., pathSSl Sgsis at a,,, liberal salary.
and microscopical, and carefully noting and
tabulating the results. By so doing, in the
course of few years an immense amount Of
material would have accumulated and per-
haps discoveries made whose value would
prove incalculable. This cannot be done by
the medical officers of asylums, as they have
enough to do as it is. The pathologists
should be required to do nothing else and
need not be confined to any institution
I'VE respectfully recommend in this con-
nection the appointment of an additional as
slstant physician at the hospital and state
pathologist who shall give his entire time
n M hi "a
grounds are we'll kept Order and cleanliness
prevailed everywhere. Internally the wards
were clean and fresh, and, generally speak
ing, free from odor-not entirely so-that
being nearly or quite impossible in some
wards, where so many patients are filthy in
their habits, necessitating bathing and clean
garments several times daily. The hospital
is very much overcrowded. The ventilation
allowed to interview The superintendent we
find to be untrue. The patients have had no
difficulty in obtaining interviews with any
officers. As to the use of narcotics and
hypnotics, we find they are only used when
ordered by the physicians. and to limited
extent. Non-restraint is the rule
In regard to attendants ana help we would
call attention TO former reports made by the
board of corrections and charities and would
quote from report, 1SS4-S6, page 252 and
page 253.
In our hospitals the female attendants be-
gin at $40 month and work up to S14
The males begin at SIG and work up TO S25.
These are the wages of servant girls and
farm hands. Female Supervisors receive
$50 per month and male supervisors S35.
There is no more arduous and exacting en-
ployment. The attendants are on duty day
and night sleeping in the wards and liable
to night calls. When they go out it is to &C.
company. patients for work or exercise. They
have half of every Sunday and one day in
every fortnight. The rest of the time
they are at their posts. They must perform
the most servile tasks without shrinking;
bear with the yagaries of their charges with
unfailing patience; endure insults and abuse
without retaliation. No superintendent and
staff, however conscientious, can do the pa
tients or himself justice with unpaid, INSULT
Gent help. When we consider how much
| patience, good temper ana tact are required,
to say nothing of the physical qualities,
strength or endurance, it is surprising that
SO many can be obtained for the remunera-
ton offered.
Ample facilities for bathing are furnished
at all times to those desiring to avail them
selves of them, and those who do not are
| compelled to once a week.
In concluding this part of the report, we
| would state that The percentage of recoyerieS
from this hospital compares fayorably with
| that of similar institutions elsewhere, which
| is Of itself good evidence of the general good
care and treatment patients receive.
| The charge that persons who are sane are
| received into the hospital, or are detained
| after recovery, is one that has been made so
| often that your committee does not feel sur
prlSed at nearing OF IL. PatlentS are some
| times permitted to leave the hospital who ap-
| pear sane. but are very shortly sent
| back by their friends, and still
| others, who have no dangerous delusion, but
! who are not of sound mind are permitted TO
| go out good deal. These sometimes return
| to their friends without being discharged
| These two classes furnish most of the COM
| plants. We have carefully examined into
| the charge that certain sane persons have
! been heretofore and now are confined in this
| hospital, and we find the charge unfounded
| Patients are not admitted to the hospital ex-
| cept pursuant to a judgment of probate
| court, and are invariably discharged when
| cured and as soon as sanity has been res .ored.