Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1891-03-07
THE INSANE HOSPITAL.
TRUSTEES WANT HELP FROM The
LEGISLATURE.

The trustees of Delaware State hos
pital for the Insane want an additional
appropriation of $40 600 fer repairing
aud making improvements upon tine
| present building and erecting dwelling
house for the superintendent In add.
ton to this they want the General As
sembly to vote them an annual appropri-
alton of $25, 900 for salaries aud running
expenses
In order that the members Of the Cen
erai Assembly could fully appreciate the
needs of the institution the trustees held
an adjourned meeting at the Hospital
yesterday, and received the General AS.
sembly and several other guests OF promi
nence
Men high In the councils of both polit-
ical parties in the state we're present.
Noticeable among them were Governor
Reynolds, Secretary of State d. T. Mar
vel, Speaker Donahoe Senators McMullin,
Pilling, Hall and Houston and Rep
resentatives Higgins, Jackson, Marvel,
Eisenbrey, West, Ridgely, Walton, Rick
ards, e. j. Morris, Smith, Cranston, Elk
inton, Hutson, Chapman, Tindall,
Attix, Day, Speaker SirmHn,
State Treasurer Burnlte, Senate Clerk
Hearn, House Clerk Dunn, Chaplain
Green OF the House, Sergeant at-Arms
A. r Phillips of the Senate and George
Philips OF the House, Auditor Delaney.
ex Speaker John II. Hoffecker, Abram
Vandegrlft, Colonel Ezekiel Il. Cooper
and representative of the press
These visitors left Dover at 10 20 a.
m In special car, and arrived at Farm
hurst at ~ 20.
Ihe visitors were received by DR..
nh I'd To-, 4 -
tuition. as they entered the building,
President j. j Black and Secretary ]. ii.
Wilson introduced the visitors to him as
they filed by him at the front entrance.
Meeting Of the Board.
After the guests arrived the meeting
OF the board was held A. p. Robinson
presented proposed amendments to the
law creating the Delaware State Hospital
for the insane. These amendments pro
vide that in any case whore the INDECENT
insane undergo medical examination for
admission to the hospital, the county
from which such person comes shall
pay the cost OF the examination. The
amendments further provide that the
board shall be empowered to receive
patients from this or any other state who
desire to come to the institution for
treatment and pay for it, He also pi
sented to the board a joint resolution
making an appropriation of $40. 600 for
buildings and furnishings and $25 coo
annually for current expenses. The
work Of the Legislative Committee,
which he represented, was endorsed by
the Board of Trade.
Legislators Show Their.Teeth.
A. - L.. A.
partake OF refreshments in the dining
room. Four tables running the whole
length OF the banquet hall were loaded
with the substantial good things Of life
and were followed by delicaeieg. The
board understands human nature. and no
better move could have been made. The
General Assemblymen know a good
thing when they see 1t, and II 1t is ia the
eating line they seldom ask questions
The nurses and walters looked on in
astonishment as they saw the way in
which the average assemblyman can eat,
and if the place is not put on short
rations to-day it is because the wagon
came to town last night AMI replsnished
the larder.
Hospital and Its Needs.
After dinner DR.. Black called che meet.
llH W bf0CA AAtAt lis pldSc az Jus 4cdN OF
the banquet table, and requested A P
Robinson to tell the General Assembly
why it had been invited to visit the hos
pital. he said:
The reason we asked you TO come
here and inspect the hospital is because
we need more money and have To come to
you to get it. We ask you here to see
for yourselves. The law creating the
Delaware State Hospital for the Insane is
not yet two years old. Our control
commenced in August or September
1899 We got from New Castle county
but little more than the bare walls
That cannot be denied. We had none Of
the appliances necessary to conduct the
institution properly. The-aanual sppro-
priation was only S14 600 which was
soon found to be insufficient We will
take you through the building and show
you that the rooms are not furnished nor
finished as was intended. There is no
way to shut out the violent insane from
those who are durable.
You will also End that we have not
money enough to employ safe number
OF assistants. We could not have en-
ployed a more efficient superintendent
than Dr. Richardson has been. But we
have not been able to give DR. RichBrd-
son the appliances he ought to have,
even If You aid only the idigent insane. "
He then went on aud tried to impress
upon the General Assembly the import
ance of making it an institution for tine
reception OF not only the INDECENT insane
but also those who were able to pay for
such attention. IN concluding he said
1T may be possible to run this hospital
on $25, 600 but we should, | think have
$50 600 to do it properly"
In answer to an inquiry made by
Senator Halt IS to how many paying
patients there are in the institute now,
stated that there were ten, and the
revenue derived was 81, coo per year. He
further stated, in resp nse to Inquiries
that he believed If the place had the
proper facilities for receiving this class
Of patients the iuc0me would be from
$500 to $1,000
DR.. ]. j. Black said "There are now
178 inmates. At the present rate Of in
crease they will number 200 within the
next year. We want window screens,
fire escapes, house for the superinten-
dent and repairs upon this building.
Then again would recommend the pur
chase of small track of land TO be
worked by those who suffer from melan
cholia"
He was followed by DR.. Il. r. Burton,
Dr. James Il. Wilson, e r. Sharp,
Nathaniel williams, and Zebulon Hop
kins, all members Of the board of trustees,
made short addresses asking for the in
creased appropriations.
A thorough investigation Of the build