Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-12-16

OFFICE OF SUPERINTENDENT
WESTERN LUNATIc ASYLUM, OcT. 1, 1891
To the President and Board of Directors:
GENTLBMEN-I have the honor to sub
NIT, for your consideration and approval
the sixty fourth annual report of the opera
tions and management of this asylum, to-
gether with the various medical and statist
ical tables, and the financial statement fol
the year ending September 3Otb, 1891, to
which I respectfully call your attention.
SUMMARY OF, AND OBSERVATIONS UPON,
THE MOVEMENT OF THE POPULATION.
The following statement gives in con-
densed form full account of this subject:
The general character of the admissions
was very uupromising, both as to their
physical and mental condition. Many of
their forms Of insanity were practically in
durable from the outset. Many were suffer-
ing from the feebleness aud the mental and
bodily ipfirmities of old age.
The number remaining in the asylum,
October 1st, 1891, was 294 males and 300
females-a total of 603 During the year
76 males and 45 females-a total of 121-
were admitted. Of these, 16 males and 6
females were readmitted-a total of 22
The admissions for the first time were 80
males and 80 females-a total of so. The
total number under treatment during the
year was 724-males, $40; females, 354.
The total number removed was 115-males,
"a; females, Al. The number remaining
October 1st, 1891, was 1896 males and 313
females-total, 500. The average monthly
number was 618, and the daily average,
GIT.
The number discharged as recovered was
59-msles, "a; females, 25. As improved,
18-males. 13; females, 5. As unimproved, !,
4-males, 2; females, 2. Died, 34-males,
25; females, 8.
8 The highest number in the asylum during
the year was on August 31st, 632, and the
lowest, September Bob, 600.
The percentage Of recoveries to admis-
siops was 63.6 This calculation gives a
more correct estimate of the asylum work
when based, as it is, upon the number ad-
mitted during the year, instead of upon the
whole number treated. If based upon the
latter, which includes the chronic and in
durable cases, 1t would be both misleading
and unjust to the institution.
The percentage of deaths to the daily av-
ersge was 5.
The number of patients admitted from
1927 to 1891 was 4 1868, of whom 1 1,251 died,
and 2, sos were discharged, leaving now in
the asylum. 6O9.
The total capacity of the asylum is 602
beds. There has been no month during
the year in which the number of inmates
did not exceed this capacity IA Dumber of
the patients being always absent on fur
lougb, who may return at any time).
Among the deaths reported are the fol-
lowing interesting data: One was after
residence in the asylum of 49 years, one 80,
one 23. one 16, one 13, one II, and one 10
years.
When we consider the large number Of
old and infrm persons in the asylum, the
death rate is very small. A large number
of the deaths was due to chronic physical
ailments and to the failure incident to old
age.
HEALTH OF THE ASYLUM.
The general health of the institution,
containing IS has been said so many aged
and infirm persons, has been remarkably
good. The death table shows an almost
entire absence of any acute or preventible
disease. The sanitary condition of the
asylum is also excellent, to which fact is
due to large extent its immunity from
any epidemic of the zymotic diseases.
OCCUPATION AND EMPLOYMENT OF Pa
TIENTs.
The requirements of the inmates in this
respect have been steadily kept in view,
and am happy to say that larger num-
ber of them have been industriously en-
ployed than during any previous year.
Much work has been done by the male
patients in digging the foundations of the
new female building, and in filing the
front grounds for the park, at the brick
yard, and on the farm and in the garden.
In many cases patients were taken from the
disturbed wards and placed in charge of a
special attendant detailed for the purpose,
and were given opportunities for healthy
outdoor labor, such as whitewashing the
fences and out-houses, and other work cal
culated to divert their minds. The fe-
males have been usefully employed in knit.
ting and sewing, and in the usual domestic
work of their wards-in word, a vast
amount of work of various kinds has been
accomplished during the year by the pa
tients Of both sexes, and with good results
both from the point Of view of economy
and of moral treatment.
AMUSEMENT AND RECREATION.
While the importance of useful labor has
been recognized, recreation and amuse-
ment have not been neglected during the
year. The officers have been dlligent in
continuing the usual weekly dances, cou-
certs, and theatrical entertainments, and
games of every kind. They tighten the
tedum of the winter months, and make a
pleasant break in the monotopy of asylum
life, and are only second, in my opinion, to
good nutritious food, rest, and occupation
in promoting the recovery of durable cases,
while they reconcile in some degree many
hopeless and weary patients to their lot,
and cause them for time to forget their
troubles.
Some of the insane are extraordinarily