The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-08-28
Better Accommodations for
the Insane Needed.
WHAT INVESTIGATION SHOWS.
Danger From Fire and Little Or
No Water-Patienis Sleeping
on the Floors.

-
yesterday l called on DIR. King aud asked
him to show me the building and point
out some of the defects he complained OF.
He readily consented. 1 first made
superficial examination of the exterior of
the institution. It's only recommends
tion was new coat OF paint The asy-
lum consists of half dozen extensions
that from time to time have been added
when the county has been forced to pro-
vide additional accommodations With
the exception of the last addition. known
as tho new extension, the building is en-
tirely frame structure two stories high.
1t is a perfect fire trap. Constructed
without and within of light and infian-
mable material, better subject for a
holocaust does not exist anywhere.
The windows are all closed by heavy
qratings, impossible to break without
tools. aud these are of necessity Kept
locked. The only escapes from fire are
three wooden bridges on the second noor
TINT extend from windows or doors in the
rear of the Asylum TO the hill beneath IL.
The keys OF the doors and the gratings
over the windows are kept by the attend
ant in each ward. and should fire break
out IN the buildlng, especially In the
night. before the terror-stricken lunatics
could be rescued these Rratfngs would
have to be unlocked, WORK that no one
attendant could possibly perform. and at
the same tims look after the twenty-five
or thirty lunatics In his or her ward.
Sane people become frantic In fire panics.
and cannot be managed. How mucn
more difIicult it would be to handle luna
tics can only be imagined.
In addition to this the Asylum Is al
most without water supply. DIR. King
said that the institution depended on
water pumped into tanks on the reof, tine
pressure net being sufficient TO supply
the building with water Tor Ordinary
gers Of this fire trap that shelters 29f In
sane persons and twenty-nine employers.
would be a frightful commentSn civiIiza-
tion in Hudson county In the nineteenth
century.
HOW PATIENTS ARE LoDeEo.
Entering the main building short hall
leads direct to Ward a. This Is a room
sixty feet long and twenty feet wide. In
ic are kept day and night twenty eight
insane men ranging ia age from twenty
10 sixty-hve years. There is neat look
ing iron bed provided for each patient,
hut TO make room tor the twenty eight
beds they are separated from each other
by a few inches only. Everything in the
room was fastidiously clean, but the
place did nos have that appearance OF
comfort that those who cannot take care
OF themselves should present, for certain
~ there is nc class OF people 10 the worIa
SO deserving OF care as taose bereft OF
reason. The patients in this ward are
not considered dangerous. DIR. King told
me. but. he added. that frequently one
would become SO, and this close proxin1-
ity of the beds made IL very dangerous 10
those nearest the patient who becomes ex-
cited.
Ward B opens on to ward A. 1t Is
long. narrow room. In 1t are seven beds.
Opening on this room are eight rooms
ten feet long aud eight feet wide. pix OF
these rooms contain two beds each lOr
patients. The two other rooms are used
by attendants. This ward contains
patients more hopelessly insane than
ward A. Il is SO crowded that at night
it Is necessary to throw seven mattresses
on the floor for that number OF patients
TO sleep on. Or. King said there was
room for edsteads, and IL there was there
are no bedsteads Think OF ltl seven
helpless persons sleeping year in and year
ont n the floor because Hudson county
does not provide proper beds for theinl
Leaving this ward, and passing through
n clean but dilapi1ated dtning-room. we
entered ward G. This is dark room.
four windows that open on very narrow
courtyard This ward Is where the
s.1lthy" patients are kept. In every par
ficular it is inadequate for the purpose IL
is used. The, ceihngs are low ana sne
ventilation is bad. There are number
OF 10xS feet rooms that open on this ward,
when contains each two beds. But this
is not sleeping accommodation enough
and each night half dozen mattresses
are placed on the Moor Tor patients 70
rest on and thank GOD Tor the chaflty oi
Hudson county.
The average house dog fares better
than these unfortuuates. This is no fault
of Superintendent King, however, De-
cause he is powerless TO do otherwise. ne
would be only too happy to give the help
less what they require. 1t was for this
humane reason Dr. King recommendec 10
the Freehoiders that Twenty-Five patients
be sent to the Morris Plains Asylum ana
maintained at the expense OF the county.
FEMALE PATIENTS.
On the second floor we entered Ward D.
This is occupied by females and Is a
counter part of Ward A. II contains
twenty. four beds closely crowded to-
gether. In Ward z we found thirty-four
insane women and thirty beds. Four or
these poor demented creatures are com
pelled to sleep on mattresses on the moor
Ward + is one Of the best in the build
ing and the only one where there is room
enough In it were thirty beds ana
tweniy-nine female patients. Ward q.
IN tbe new extension, also contains thirty
beds and is not over crowded.
4 he male lodge, on the ground noOr OF
an old extension, is devoted TO the use OF
excitable patients- These are iulaties OF
very dangerous CidScs AA.A ANAut~ -
room than any others. IL Is but hali
filled with patients. but owing Co the nat :
ure of the ailments oil those confined
there, patients not similarly afflicted can
not be placed in this ward. Ine lar2eSe
ward is in the new annex on the ground
floor. There are thirty-flve male patterns
confined here The beds are all crowded
into one room, and large exercise room
is attached where the unfortunhtes walk
about during the day when not permitted
to 90 out of doors
The female lodge is pretty well filled
with female patients Of dangerous
class, but few more could be accono-
dated. but. like the male lodge, only those
suffering from like troubles can be ad-
mitted here
SANITARY MATTEES-
Tie sanitary arrangements OF the Asy-
INN are atrocious. Attached 20 each ward
room is but one small closet and bath
room. DIR. King COMPLAINS bitterly OF
This. He deDounces 1t as one OF the worst
features and the most detrimental 10
health that exists in the Asylum. The
plumbing is very defective, and the roof
Of the building has TO be patched about
once every four or flve weeks 10 prevent
ft leaking DIR. King says the sewerage
from tic Asylum Is good. but the over
crowded condition OF the Asylum MAKES
the building unhealthy.
In going threw the rooms pointed out
10 the Superintendent that the gas Jets