Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1890-02-14
Average

Dr. James Strong, superintendent Cleve-
land (Ohio) hospital for insane: I'm view
of your enormous outlay for fuel and the
comparatively small number of patients
carried in your institution, 1 am not sur
prised at your per capita cost for the SUP
port of patients. Should your number be
increased to 500 OF 800 your per capita cost
would be reduced about $500 per annum,
which is about the average per capita ex.
pense for the support Of patients in asy-
lums of the United States"
DR.. W. M. Knapp, superintendent Ne
braska hospital for insane: "In my judg-
ment you reduce your per capita cost one
half by increasing the number to 800 pa
tients. The cost of fuel in these western
states places us at a great disadvantage in
comparison with these institutions where
this item Is not so important a factor. In
our state the item OF fuel for heating is
about one-seventh of the entire per capita
cost and this item is, | presume. much
cheaper with us than in Jamestown"
DR.. G. r.. Bartlett, superintendent hOspi-
tai for insane at st. Peters, MINI: IA
very slight examination ought to convince
anyone that the cost of support would
creased, the salaries of Understanding
the same, and the cost of fuel and repairs
on heating apparatus not increasing in
proportion to the larger number supported.
The difference in cost between the support
OF 200 and 800 would be 80 cents per week
on salaries alone. We farm 1,1O0 acres
n raise wheat enough for half of our sup
duction. We had 5000 bushels of oats, ana
as many of corn, and a full supply Of all
vegetables.
DR.. G. B. Burr, superintendent of the
Eastern Michigan asylum at Pontiac:
During our first year 500 patients were
under treatment, and the rate Of main
tenance was 81 o. per week. The institu-
ton has gradually expanded until it now
cares for above $50 patients and the rate of
maintenance charged is So. 80 per week,
You will perceive that there has been a
very marked diminution in cost. About
one-twenty-fourth of the total amount ex-
pended for the institution during the last
year was for heating and this includes the
incidental labor. Our item Of fuel is far
below yours. I can understand very well
that, with soft coal at $3.50 per ton and
hard coal at IS per ton, this institution
could be run less extensively than your
own, where perhaps the cost of coal is
twice as great"
DR.. Horace Wardner, superintendent hos
hospital starting with comparatively few
patients. must necessarily have far greater
expenses per capita than one that is eStab-
lished ana has a much larger number of pa
tients. The amount stated in your letter
($9S1.22 per capita), is not excessive when
compared with other hospitals in the first
year or two OF their existence"
DIR. II. +. Carried, superintendent hospit-
al for insane at Jacksonville, ILL.,, says: "Of
course with only 1856 patients your per cap
lta cost could not be compared with other
institutions that have from 500 to 800 pa
tients, and your per capita cost of 1881. %,
particularly as you say o%ne-quarter of it
uyoc FOR fbn nnct nf fy,nl "nr,11 Sou -ynr
very reasonable and as low as could be x
pected. If your institution is increased to
accommodate 800 patients, your per capita
cost would be reduced very much. When
we had $50 patients and increased
by enlargement to 900, we only
received $500 a week per capita for addi-
tional appropriation, and while our cost
this $500 a week for the additional num-
Der, we got along and found it sufficient.
Our per capita cost for 1887 for about 900
patients was S16S per annum, and this with
the price OF soft coal at about $3.50 per ton.
My opinion is, should the legislature in
crease the size Of your building to accom-
MEDIATE six or eight hundred patients, your
per capita cost would be reduced one.half.
Myown Judgment is, that your per cap
ita cost is about as low as it could be and
take such care Of your patients as other
state institutions are doing. The necessary
organization of your institution is prob
ably the same as if you had three times the
number Of patients.
DR.. E. T. Wilkins, superintendent of the
hospital for the insane at Napa, California:
"Nothing Is better known by persons at all
%conversant with the history and manage
ment Of asylums for the insane, than the
fact that the per capita cost of maintenance
decreases with the increase Of the number
Of patients; in other words, that 1856 pa
tients will cost 100 per cent more per capita
than one thousand. L send you copies OF
two tables showing the number of patients