Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-03-07

lin Senate March 5sh. the subjecs under
discussion being = resolve fer an appropria,
ton to odd two additional wings TO the Insane
Hospital
N. Presidezf: There are estimated 70
be 1850 insane persons in our State, entitled
| by Law and by their misfortune, to be care,
fos and to be protected By the State from do.
ing injury TO themselves or 10 others.
The number of those who have homicidal
or suicidal tendencies seems 10 have largely
increased within the past fes years. and lhey
constitute class which Is especially danger.
Gus, and which must be provided for.
Of this number there has been an avera q
number of oniy $50 cared for in our State
Asylum during the past year
l hope that every member of this Senate
has visited that Hospital at some time, par.
ticuiariy al night, during the past nine weeks
and am sure that il he has do rot need to
depict 10 him the overcro~dsd coe,iition OF
an Institution where nearly $50 anfortunate
people are huddled together
IN accommodations originally intended for
the occupancy of only 450--zhen three or
four of these poor creatures are compelled
10 sleep in rooms suitable for only two at
most--hen the wards at night and some
( times by day are filed with cot beds, and
when a condition Of things exist which is
certainly bad and which can only be relieved
by having more room or fewer inmates.
The number of inmates has been con-
stantly and regularly increasing for the past
forty years, and to-day would be very much
larger than it is were it not for the fact that
the officers Of the hospital have refused to
receive or have returned to their homes, all
except the most urgent cases, thus eompell-
Z inc
assume q burden for which they were en-
tirely unprepared. and deprising many IN
fortunate fellow creatures of that care and
attention shich they, more than all others
require.
If it was necessary, | could give you
instances coming under my own observation
in country towns where are today, and ha We
been for years, fastened up 10 solitary con-
tnement in iron or wooden cages, men who
were once as keen in int .leet and as ready
in faculties as almost any person in this
chamber. They do not have the ad-
vantages of paid attendants, properly pre-.
pared food, music, social intercourse when
prudent, and the only exercise they receive
must be obtained within the narrow walls of
their prison.
But, Mr.. President, the remedy for over
crowding applied by the officers of the
hospital has not been effectual, and the
friends and guardians Of the unfortunate
ones are sending 10 the asylum in greater and
still greater numbers, and are demanding
that they be placed where they can receive
better care and treatment than is possible to
give them at home. The State must meet
this demand, and how can it hes, be done.
The committee on insane hospital of which
had the honor TO be chairman, carefully
considered this question before reporting the
resolves which are under consideration.
We found that 700 is about a fair average
of the members thought best to be congre-
gated under one management in our best
New England asylums for the insane.
We lind that 200 more inmates will bring
the present hospital up to that limit, reckon
ing the present capacity at 500 which is a
fair estimate. We find tina. the boiler
rooms, baking laundry, etc, of the present
hospital are ample for the wants of 200 more
patients. With these facts in view il would
seem to be the part of economy for the State
to make provision at the present location for
2CO additional patients-and that is the plan
recommended by the committee. We have
examined plans and consulted architects, and
believe that for the sum called for
two buildings, one for males and one for
'' N"h oe Siee'eu III me rear oi tne
present pavilion ana connected to the other
puiiding ~ the necessary traih"ay ana cor
riuoIs' WIN what the hospltai fuhds VIII
s4u 'iiey can DC iurn,sheu anu iiiaue ready
i 'o.. I'upancy' were these adui.io'ai
ai'lo'a. ouiiiihss erec'eu 70 Jay Mr' rresi-
ueh'' .nsS "ouiu De liniheuialely 'hileu' ou'
must pe renhenioerea .hat TWO years from
nov WI" oe required oeiote IN VIII oe
reauy Ior occupancy anu Judeihs rom .he
present rae " increase VINO can uouoe tha'
my a"e" WIN pe hileu 70 o'e e!
hout Ioa'n,'''ee was, 4 oeIlete' unanimous .,
IN 'es uel,ei ei'as au an',,'oh Vi ~ 10 'he
pie1.nt 'apa.u9 Vi me iosP'.ai snouli oe
Wv mn. "i.''n ,ouii eaie9 oe unuei one
nan. mana gu anu exposed 70 'ie sauie riSA'
w " - ~ Vi o'''i ea.e'ii'.es
", nn'e e'ne iui'net 'nau "
p.Ie i w. 'i'e a'ii ptes'IiH nesu,
oaiy =, tue ,nsane, ana nave fe'o"''"e''e'
" W. p .t. =,
-, .ii.Dsi ''a' W 80. 'l'e ~ al
,espo'? sui'aD'e ''i a" lnsu'u'on u 81
u.u.n az - az insale ''y lun',
pau a"ail De ''si M ,'
49,, "a ~ a;,,;".. i =, ~ ln' sps
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