The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1890-03-13
Paper read by Gustave Miller, Supt
of County Insane Asylum at
Convention in Madison.

Employment of the insane is one Of the most
important subjects of study for those who are
entrusted with the care of the insane at the
County Institutions, as in my opinion, employ
ment is the only medicine what has any effect
on the patients. The question now arises
What labor or employment is best and most
conclusive to the improvement of the patient
Ny answer to this question is, "Any employ
m-nt or work in which you can get them in
terested and especially such work as they have
been engaged in before they became insane.
Ny experience is that as soon as you can get
them interested in any kind of work, they
are more content, less noisy and less filthy /;
| they look bright and free, and there is little
use..fer the iron.measures tomanage them. To
induce patients TO work il requires a study Of
their nature and habits, and the mode of pro-
cedure must oe accordingly. Instead of ad-
vancing and exchanging theories, on the en-
ployment of patients, | consider it of more
importance to state facts which have occurred
under our personal observation, and with
your permission | will relate few instances,
| how We succeeded in encouraging patients to
| work and with what results. One of our pa
| lients could not be induced 10 do anything
whatever, he sat in the hall and seemed TO be
| brooding over something. He was a carpenter
| by profession and we asked him to help us to
| build an ice house, but he refused to lie ii. l
managed TO have him 60 with ne to lhe place
| where we we're working and have bin" look on;
one of the carpenters was instructed TO saw
| off board, but TO act as awkard as possible.
The patient looked at him awhile and then
said "He don't even know how TO saw off a
! board" | asked him to show the man. which
he did, and since that time he worked and q
specimen of his work was exhibited here one
year ago. Another patient was not only fl
thy but weuld scratch his face and nose with
| his finger mails in such q manner that we we're
compelled 10 fasten his hands. He was en-
able bodied man and we were determined TO
! reform him if possible. We took him to the
field where other patients were spading and
handed him spade, but he did not know how
to take hold of it much less 10 work with it.
We placed the spade in his hands and by TAX
ing hold of his hands forced him TO do the
work as his neighbors, the same as you show
a child how to write. Aftera while he would
do a little work without assistance and after
three or four days worked like the rest and
TO improve every day: he was less filthy and
scratched his face only when he was not at
work. lie is now one of our ceanest patients,
and never scratches his face. He has charge
of the cattle and can be sent to the city on
errands and is reliable.
Another patient was harness maker. lie
worked at outside work machine fashion, if
told to do this or that he would reluctantly do
II until finally he struck, not for higher wa
ges, but because he did not care TO work at
| all One day the harness broke and l asked
| him if he would repair it for me if | would
get tools do it with. He seemed plased with
the proposition and said he would do it. got
| tools for him and he repaired the harness. and
to encourage him we purchased leather and
had him make hallers and straps until one
| day he said TO me, Mr. Mueller, if you get ihe
! stock for me | can make you as fine buggy
harness as there is made any where. lie was
| furnished the stock and made a fine harness
which we use, and also heavy work harness
and buggy harness which is on exhibition
| here to-day. He has been home On leave OF
absence since October ist and we have all
| hopes that he will fully recover, as he is now
carrying on shop again and supporting his
| family. | believe in progress and improved
machinery, but circumstances alter cases land
in my present position | am opposed TO use
machinery where We can possibly get along
without them ;; in the first place because they
| are dangerous for the patients 10 handle, and
second we want work.
| have been censured by relatives of pa
tients for requiring the patients 10 work in the
field with hoe or spade. or in The barn, parties
who perhaps had seen better DAYS before they
became insane But these relatives were little
aware of their mistaken idea and the relief il
was to their unfortunate dear ones to be taken
out of the four walls into the fresh air, and
how much better they sleeped during the
night and how much more content they SEEM
ed with their lot
The space we pze for vegetables, corn &C.,
cover nearly thirty acres and all the work is
done by hand, no cultivators or other machery
| is employed, except seeders. We cut and
cured about 100 acres Of grass this season,
Of cur own and for other parties, but used no
horse hay rake: we threshed by machine only
what can not he stored in The barn, the bal
ance is threshed by hand during winter: we
have 30 head Of cattle and four horses all fed
with rut feed which is cut by straw cutter by
hand we have taken contracts for clearing
land of pine stumps, which were taken home
and chopped up for fire wood. May seem as
II we worked our patients for the purpose of
profit only, or overwork them, but there is lit
tie danger of overworkiug patient az every
one knows who has charge of them. As the
work required to be done covers the different
seasons of the year the whole force can be
concentrated 10 one particular work, and no
patient need 10 be urged 10 do more than he
Is naturally inclined to do, with the exception
OF few whe perhaps need little urging 10
keep moving. That the patients are healthier
than those who have little exercise and are
confined in doors the greater part of the time
proven by the fact that three fourths of what
httie Heuicihe we use Is aPpHea 10 the latter.
Each nationality has its own habits and
ways of living and the patients should be treat
ed somewhat according 10 the manner in which
they lived before they became insane. The
great majority of our patients are Germans
and Bohemians who are accustomed to beer
or liquor and the majority of them had been
doing hard manual labor before they became
insane, SO we give those who work drink OF
beer or liquor frequently and they seem to
appreciate it, feel more at home and seem
more ready and willing to do that is required
Of them.
A. our dances which take place each month
durin. winter our patients are furnished with
beer care being taken that they receive il in
moderate quantities. and | hare failed TO see
any harm ii has done them, on the contrary
cnn,a orl c:hers Shov Ivy tho