The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-09-25

A Visit to the Insane Asylum 1t Stella
coom-The Institution and Patients.

HERE AND THERE.
A Visit to the Insane Asylum At Stella
coom-The Institution and Patients.
visited last week the insane asylum of West
ern Washington. Early experiences induced
me always to associate with an insane asylum
the clanking of chains innumerable instru-
ments of torture, brutal aud inhuman treat
ment by attendants, and wild, mad and frantic
shrieks from the insane. How pleasantly was
surprised at the asylum you shall judge Al you
60 with me through it.
Before entering, however, brief history OF
the institution will not be amiss The asylum
was established at Steilacoom August 10, 1871.
with twenty-one patients tsix OF those are yet
inmates), at what was then called Fort Stella
COON. The United States government had
abandoned that fort in ls66 1t was going fast
to ruin when the territory OF Washington was
given possession OF it, and there e.
tablished its insane asylum. In 1885
the territorial legislature appropriated $780,
90 for the purpose OF erecting
proper brick structure 10 accommodate the in
creased number OF patient& The last legisla-
ture appropriated $4,000 moro, and with that
money an additional building was constructed.
Both times the buildings were constructed
within the amount appropriated, via: no de-
defency had to be made up. The buildings
form . half square. Tie structure viii measure
about GOO feet in length by 10 feet in width four
stories high. and constructed OF brick They
are solid and unostentatious buildings, well lit
and well ventilated. These buildings are situ-
ated upon a section of land owned by the state
OF Washington, = mile and q half east of Stella
COON, 10 feet above sea level, on what is known
a. the Nisqually plain, in Pierce county. About
sixty acres are cleared and laid out into walking
grounds and grass plots. About twenty acres
are cultivated by the inmates Of the institu-
ton, which produces many of the vegetables
hPia int
Us enter the asylum proper.
Every day in the week, excepting Saturdays
and Sundays, from until o'clock, you are
welcome a. . visitor, and either DR.. Waughop,
the superintendent. or his assistant, Dr. Red
path, will take you through the entire institu-
ton Friends OF the afflicted are welcome ct all
times and at all hours.
As you enter the main entrance you find q
large reception room to your right, followed by
another room which is the Office of the account
ant. Across the hall there are two rooms, the
hrst occupied by DR.. Redpath, and the second
by the superintendent I shall make but brief
mention OF the machinery and appliances In the
outhouses. To all practical intents and pur-
poses the asylum 10 a world by itself. It has
complete bakery, much cleaner and more COM
modious than many of the bakeries in our
metropolitan cities: it has O laundry, supplied
with ali the modern machinery; has four large
boilers, and an engine capable Of producing 200
horse power; dynamo which lights all the
buildings with incandescent light The entire
institution Is heated by steam. and part of the
cooking 10 done by steam. The kitchen Is not
a. large a. the number OF the patients requires,
and the superintendent hopes to obtain an ap-
preparation from the next legislature to enlarge
It The food prepared in that kitchen is lowered
on an elevator to the basement It 10 there
loaded on little cars running on trucks in
either direction, and there h0isted in dumb
walters to the various wards throughout the
asylum. With this general description. let Us
enter the first ward.
With the exception of length the wards are al
alike, and . minute description of one will
serve for all The hall, which is about fourteen
feet wide runs through the middle of the entire
length Of the building. On each side there are
bedrooms, some having as many a. six or eight
bedsteads; others only two, and others again
only one. AL bedsteads are uniform. They are
single iron beds with woven-wire spring mat
tresses. good two-fnch hair mattress, snow white
sheeting, good WOODEN blankets and white cot
ton Govern Between the doors In the hall on
each side there are large wooden reclining
benches, where the patients remain the whole
day. There are several breaks in this monoto-
nous row OF bedrooms where tables and chairs
are to be found, enabling those who can to
read. play cards. checkers and generally amuse
themselves.
What strikes one most 10 the absolute clsanli-
tories, a. we'll - the halls, are bare, not piece
of rag or carpet to b found anywhere Not .
speck OF dust can be detected either on the door
or ON the woodwork, wainscoting or high
white-washed walls and ceilfngx The sys.
tenn Of keeping the floors and wood
work clean il simple, inexpensive and
yet very effective. Water IL sprinkled on the
floor and mopped up with heavy rollers wrapped
in old blankets. This produces on the door .
polish probably much better than any dancing
floor you have ever seen. Each ward il pro-
vided with q dining room where the food IL
sent three times day from the kitchen In the
dumb walters. The furniture IL plain. Medium
sized tables accommodate four persons each
with oil the usual table service, with the ex-
csption that In some wards no knives and forks
are allowed. Water closets, wash houses, with
the best sanitary apparatus, are also provided
on each floor. Though there IL little danger
from fire, for there are neither stoves nor Tampa
yet ample fire protection IL provided.
have thus described at some length the
rooms and the furniture Let N now see the
patienta There are nine wards In the asylum,
six for men and three for women. The two first
wards are known ~ the Workmen's wards. They
contain about eighty persons and composed
mostly OF q class Of patients physically well,
mentally dull, but not vicious. They submit to
Gil that il required Of them, do their work I'M
complainingly, but would be utterly helpless If
ally are-three wholesome meals daily. At
about o'clock in the morning, after they have
done their cleaning up in the wards, they are
taken out. to work on the grounds or In the
fields, and do general chore work. But little
trouble 10 experienced with these patients I
spoke to several of them. They seemed to real.
lie where they were. Some wished to be liber-
ated; others had no thought of another world
None had a complaint l remember one old
man in particular who is q chronic kicker about
not getting enough tobacco. In my presence
his complaint to the doctor was more in the ma
ture OF joke than anything else. He laughed,
showed his clay pipe to the doctor, and indi.
, Gated that it was empty.
The third mems ward il what Il known a. the
convalescent ward. The patients there are what
the name of the ward indicates, getting better
and about TO be discharged. After having been
taken from the various wards on their way to
recovery they are kept there for several weeks,
more with view TO recuperate than anything
else. Most Of the discharges are made upon q
mutual understanding between patient and
physician. The patients in this ward, however,
are utterly without restraint During the day
they can go and come when they please.
The fourth ward is rather mixed-mostly cpl
lansica The m siorify of tt,e patiaptx bare bay.