Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-01-08
INSANE HOSPITAL.
Monthly Meeting of Trustees--First Bien-
NAL Rennrt of the Governor.

nal Report of the Governor.
The regular monthly meeting of the
Board Of Trustees of the Delaware State
Hospital for the Insane was held at the
hospital Monday. DIR. ]. ]. Black, chair
man of the board, presided and all OF the
members were present but one.
The superintendent submitted his report
as follows: Present number of inmates,
1863; white males, ~ white females, So
colored males, 81; colored females, IA; adj
mitted during the month, 4; discharged, A.
died, /. The resignation of Engineer John
Keely and the appointment of George
Cross to fill the vacancy was also reported.
The finance committee reported that the
accounts Of the superintendent for the
month of December were correct. The
receipts for board of patients during De
cember were sail; incidental expenses
for supplies, ss3.13; balance in the super
intendents hands, @25a.l2; due for pa
TENTS board, Sll0 The payroll of S469.5b
was ordered paid.
Theeommftteeo bliildingsand grounds.
reported having secured a reduction of
$1,000 on the bill of Baker ~ Dallett,
architects Of Philadelphia. A revised bill
for $3.50 was presented and ordered paid.
The total cost Of the hospital for IL
months has been S2'i.295.49.
Superintendent Richardson submitted q
report, which was adopted, covering the
management of the hospital for the II
months that il has been under the control
OF the State.
The report begins by noting the first
meeting Of the state trustees ON July 10th,
1889, at which time organization was
effected The board is congratulated on
the fact that Delaware is the first state to
| gather herinsanc population into buildings
| provided and maintained by the state.
The following statistics for the IL months
are given: Total admissions to date, 800
discharged restored, So improved, Is; I'M
| improved. 4; died, ~ not insane, 2; total
discharged, 100; patients in hospital jan
uary lst 1872. OF the patients 2l4 were
! Americans and 90 foreigners; 40 were I'M
married, 81 married and ~ widowed. The
total number of admissions from New
Castle county were 206; Kent county, 36
| Sussex county %.
Superintendent Richardson gave short
| dissertation on heredity as a potent cause
of insanity, and noted that the % cases
| admitted To the hospital were imputed to
intemperance The necessity of increas-
| ing the corps Of attendants was pointed
| out.
The first biennial report Of the governor
of the State, which was prepared for the
board by DR.. ]. J. Black, was adopted;
The report reviews the legislation which
| led to the transfer of the insane hospital to
4 the State, and notes the advanced step
which such transfer made. The need Of
| n State institution uf the highest character
! is advised, the experience of the last II
months demonstrating the fact. The re-
port states that such an institution could
be made largely self-snpporting.
The Legislature Is asked to be generous
in its appropriation, and il is stated that
4 the board believes that the sum Of $4,000
is necessary to fit the buildings for State
asylum, and further sum Of $4,000
| yearly in order to carry it on. More room
for the better class of pay patients is
needed and separate residence for the
superintendent is proposed.
The superintendent was authorized to
have 900 copies of the reports printed for
| distribution