Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1891-04-02

purpose Of erection and construction Of Ii
| main building and tso main vinss therec
snd for the sewerage Of the same accord
ing to the plAus and specifications, the sur
Of 4l0o. GOO il hereby appropriated, th
same to be expended durirg the year ls9
and before March /. 1898, uader the airec
| ton Of said commission. One member o
the commission shall be practical build
er who shaii receive $500 day and nav
cling expenses for the time actually en-
gagged in the work of the commission
The remaining commissioner shall re
eeive nothing for their services. their reas
enable expenses to be paid out Of h,
above appropriation.
In regard to the ability Of the Maine Io
sare Hospital to saiisfActorily accommodat,
iss present ard future requirements, vii
state thas by careful inquiry Of the super
inEesdent. l fnd that on the male aide Of
the house every available room 10 full ant
there are 43 patients sleeping in cots in thu
wards at the present time. Some rooms
contain five beds which ought not 70 have
bu. two, while others contain three bed.
which ought not to have more than one
Oa the female side Of the house evers
available room is fun and 80 patients ars
sleeping ou. in the wards on cots. 1t wa.
claimed by one speaker in the House thai
there is ore unoccupied ward which ough,
TO be filed. That is the fact. and Why
Because the superintendent hadn't the
funds to bug the furniture to ct the rooms
up. There are 23 rooms ia the ward
capable when furnished Of containing o9
ps,ients. This ia on the female side,
nd R.vS ed
and occupisd there will still remain 81
pa.ients Sleeping out on cots in the ward,
10 the female side. Add the 43 patients
now sleeping out on cots in the wards on
the male side to these 81 and it shows that
there are 100 more patients now in the
hospital than there are rooms to satisfac.
torily accommodate them. Nov the aver
age increase for the past 10 years At the
hospital has heen just 20 Ten years
previous to 1883 the average of deaths was
46. but in 1888, 1884, and 1885 there were
266 deaths, an average Of SO. Thi, was
owing to an epidemic in those years, and
consequently the Increase per year for the
past 10 years was greatly reduced thereby.
The increase for 1889 WAS 46 and for 1880
l understand was about the same. So thtt
it is fair to suppose that by the end Of 1892
there will be from $50 to IT'S patients 10
the Maine Hospital more than can be con.
veniently and economically cared for.
Il hss been thought there were many
patients in the hospital who could be re-
turned to their friends to be taken care %
at home. During the time when the diph-
iberia ragged SO seriously there. an effor,
was made to select ou. aud send home 80
OF the mildest cases. but out of that mum.
Der only eight could be thus disposed Of.
Ii is probably unknown to most of the
members of this Legislature that there are
thousands Of insane people still remaining
among their friends scattered throughou.
the State. As to the condition of the
States finances, will. stste that, as a mem
Der Of the finance committee, l have used
my best endeavors to keep the appropris-
tions down in order to enable US to get
along for the mex. two years with tax Of
only 3.4 mills, and in my calculation go
20 do l have allowed 500 010 for the
Eastern Maine Insane Hospital, and still
have our treasury $500 900 better off at the
beginning Of 1898 than :. it was 10 the be-
ginning Of 1891. l will give you my
figures, as follows:
Total amount Of appropriations for
1891 10 HarcA 20, including 100000
loan OF the past.................. SIS, gss. 6s
Appropriations pending at
that time. S2t1 ,3o066
Less Bangor Hospital and
also not probable to pass, l2i,0oo.00