The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1891-03-01
CENTR4L LUNATIC asylum.
Superintendent Barksdaie's Report of That
Institution.

| Asylum for the fiscGl year ending September
| 30. 1890. has been printed but few days In
his report he states
"A larger number of patients was admitted
last wear than this: l75 were admitted last year
| this year l56-nineteen more last year. This
! is due 10 the institution gradually filling up
| with incurable patients. The total number
present during the year exceeds that of last
! year by twenty-sS patients 1OS this year, 6s2
! last year The number discharged this year
is a little larger than last year-eighty last
! yenr and eighty-twO this wear. The death roll
| is less this year by three deaths than last
/ fifty last year and fOrty-seven this. The num-
Der remaining in the asylum at the end ot this
| year is larger 10y twenty-seyen than last-5I9
/ this year $50 last YEAR and the daily average
| during this year has been greater than last
| year by twenty-three patients-60l this year
| and 5sl last year
The health of the institution has been re-
markablv good the entire year Five of the
| deaths reported were caused by acute di-
| consequence of disease Of long standing. most
seases: the other forty-two deaths were the
! of them directly attributable to brain trouble.
| OF the forty-seven who died, twenty-five
| were between twenty and fifty years old and
! and twenty-four between fifty and eighty:
| -Four patients died in less than fOrty-eight
| hours after admission. The ratio of deaths
| of the daily average OF patients during
! the year.is COZ"
FINANCIAL HISTORY.
The whole cost for supporting the asylum
| for twelve months was S69,sj3.55; average
number of patients Goa Average Of each pa
tent per year. sll5.66; per month, $685.;
| per day. 3l25c.
receipts and expenditures during the year you
will see that SsS ,272.s2 has been received
| from all sources This includes balance
carried forward from last years account
from money received from the Auditor OF
| the State. and from money paid in from sales
/ made bV our farmer. and rent paid by granite
quarry Also, it shows the expenses of every
| kind, which amount toS74 .5j6. So which leaves
| each balance on hand an in bank amounting
| 10 S13 1856 Sc. II Is very fortunate we have
| this large credit. The new building has 10 be
furnished. and the support of LOG additional
| patients until the Legislature meets In De
| cember. 1891, has to be also provided
| for ont of the surplus fund. BY
April. 1891. Gf the addition is COM
| pleted by January /. 1891 there Will
! be 725 patients in wards. Every economy
will be practiced consistent with the proper
| treatment of the insane under our care; nut
as there was 10 appropriations made for fur
nishing the new building, nor for the support
| OF the additional l06 patients, we can scarcely
expect that at the end If the year the balance
will be on the right side
RECOMMENDATIONS.
/ can do no better than to repeat my recon-
!
| adding 10 them as circumstances have dlcta-
| ted during the year. The capacity Of this IN
stitution is six hundred beds. II Is nearly full
| AT present. There are Mt this date slXty-four
/ colored insane persons accommodated nj the
/ Pinel hospital in Richmond. a private asylum
under the care of Superintendent A. ". Ball.
An arrangement was made by Gov. Lee with
/ Mr.. Ball to receive these patients and care for
| them until they could be admitted here. We
are receiving new applications for admission
al the rate Of five per week, or twenty per
month-2f0 per year. Our average discharge
! list for the last two years has been eighty. orr
| deaths fifty-130 during the year. Thus II can
| be seen that applicants at tlR rate OF 2iO per
wear. and the ability TO discharge 100. with
! our present capacity 10 receive, would leave
! 10 patients unaccOmmdatcd IN the JANIS every
/ wear. If the patients now at the Binel Hospital
/ were received at once this institution would
| be full TO overflow. ana no more patients could
| be admitted for several months. With these
facts in view. recommend that you ask the
General Assembly. which meets IN December
next, for money enough to erect buildings
! here of sufficient capacity 10 accommodate all
the colored insane Of this State for some
years 10 come. IL is my opinion that II would
| be useless to erect additions 10 accomplish
this end for any length Of time with less
! capacity than 300 beds-ljO for males and
| like number for females. il i believed
/ that these buildings COmplete-Suppled
with water (hOt aud cold. with gas and heat
ed properly. for the care Of 300 patients-can
| be erected for eco 0O0 and this amount /
recommend that YOU ask for this purpose.
! Something in this direction mean for the
/ proper care Of the cOlOrcd insane of the State
! has 10 be done, and this y the only proper
way 10 accomplish II. and viii be much the
most economical in the end. There il enough
| land here go acres) for an institution of 900
patients. and an abundant supply of fine
/ spring water. The land laws well 20 obtain
proper drainage, and the location Is salubrl-
Gus.
i recommend also two other additions TO
! the institution which will add very much 10
the comfort and convenience of the inmates.
| The frs; in importance Is To enlarge the laun-
/ drv. The present laundry was built to do
the washing OF 400 patients; II was too contract
ed: for that is entirely too small 10 DO the
work of GOO patients. The addition is, may
say, absolutely necessary"
In response 10 these earnest recommended
tons. supported 10y facts. forincreased accom-
/ mediation for the cOlOred insane. instead Of
/ 100000. the General Assembly appropriated
! 800, 600. just one-third of what was recon-
mended.
Il will sum up my recommendations in few
| words in view of their importance:
Il. Enlargement of male dining room.
-. Appropriation of $4,000 for additional
/ accommodations.
80. Some way 10 enforce the carrying out
! the law as to examination Of persons supposed
! TO be insane and their commitment"
FARNERs' REPORT.
Mr. 7. J. Trice. the farmer for the Asylum,
submits the following report for the year:
| Proyender vegetables raised on the farm.
! 81. 99a.05: stock and vegetables sold, $4,000;
! total, s647s67. Cost of production, So
559,79; revenue, s2.9lsSS.
EXPENDITURES.
The following table shows the expenditures
! for the wear: Salaries of officers, s9.l97.51:
wages of employees. Sl2. 12i59; expenses of
board, $500: general expenses. al. $50. SO;
farm, s2,067.79 improvements and repairs,
s6,l22.9s: advertising and printing. S9I SO;
| insurance. sS22.50. surveying, $50, attorneys
| fee, $500; expenses conveying patients,
ssl2.02 transportation paid by Auditor,
ss79.33 Total. s74,55655.
CIVIL CONDITION.
| The number of single patients were as fol-
| lows Males A. females 30-total "a. Married:
| Males 32, females 27-total 80. Widowed.
| males 9, females s-total II. Unknown: Males
| A. females 2-total g.
OCCUPATION.
The occupation OF those admitted during
the year was as follows: Laborers So.
blacksmiths |. bricSlayers |. cooks 5, garden
ers /, house servants 5. factory hands g. laun-
dresses |. nurses |. hack drivers /. farmers 8,
| wOodsaWVers l. none 80 unknown l6-total