The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1892-12-12
HERE AND THERE.
Eastern Hospital for the Insane-Vfsit to
the Institution at Medical Lake.

HERE AND THERE.
| Eastern Hospital for the Insane-visit to
the Institution at Medical Lake.
Grand panoramic views, with swiftly rushing
| mountain streams and rugged, fantastic hill
| tops are not at ali scarce IN this state. But
| venture the assertion that 1t would be hard to
! match anywhere on this Coast the calm and
! magnificent scene that presents itself to one
standing on the little cliff about quarter Of
| mile from Medical lake
| On this hill, about 125 feet above Medical
| lake and not over a mile from the town named
after the lake. Is located the eastern hospital for
the insane. 1t is a very large and impressive
structure. with solid granite foundation and
three-story brick superstructure 4l6 feet long,
| A feet wide and fully 80 feet high.
As early as l6SS the people of this territory
had concluded that the cruelty OF transporting
| insane patients 400 or 500 miles to an asylum
should no longer DO practiced. And the last
territorial legislature appropriated $4,000 with
which to begin building an Eastern hospital for
| the insane. But the government Of this section
| OF the country was then in the hands of our
| Democratic friends. And usually Democracy
| and progression are not getting along very we'll
| together. The contract was let. Tho contract
| ors failed; the bondsmen were irresponsible;
there was much trouble and controversy, but
the hospital was still on paper, so that when the
| nrss state legislature met the work had to be
| commenced over agein. The first state legisla-
| turs appropriated an additional 100000 with
which to complete and furnish the building.
| On May 9, 1891, the building was completed
| ready for patients. The architecture and gen.
| erai arrangements are the same a. At Steilacoom
Ia full description OF which appeared in the col
umns OF the PosT-INTELLIGENCER September %,
| 1899, with the exception that the Eastern hos
| pitsl. being new, has more modern electrical
| appliances such as watchrnen indicator, clocks
and fire alarm system, than hss its Western as
| sociate.
On that day. May 9. 1891, twenty patients were
brought over from Steilacoom, and few weeks
| later l02 mere patients were brought from the
| same hospital Since then all the patients from
the eastern part of the state committed to the
| hospital at Medical Lake, so that ct the present
writing the asylum has in its care lis men and
| 81 women. The classifying of the patients is
| not az distinct as that done a. Stella
| COON, but that is due to the fact that
| the new hospital has only six wards
| while the older one has nine, yet extreme care
is taken in grouping the unfortunates SO that
the curing process can 60 along unhindersd.
Thanks be it to science and modern civilization
that temporarily insane person is, no longer
thrown among horde of raving maniacs aud
| LETT there to exc out the balance of his days.
From September, 1891, to September, 1892,
twenty-three patients were discharged cured.
| Considering the number of inmates treated this
certainly Is a showing of which DR. Semple, the
| physician in charge Of the hospital, has Just
reason to be proud. The extreme low death
rate, one OF the very lowest on record, 10 also q
matter worthy OF favorable comment. The
death rate was as low a. three and three-tenths
per hundred A glance at the reports of the var
ious insane ssylums in the United States show
this to be an anstoundiugly low rate.
The second state Legislature appropriated an
other 100000 to maintain the institution for
two years But the trustees will have quite q
large deficiency, amounting to perhaps 10000
This can be ascrioed TO various causes. First
About s, 600 were taken from the maintenance
fund with which to pay the transportation ex-
penses of the 100 patients that were taken from
steilacoom TO Medical Lake. Second-The in
crease OF patients during the last year was
much larger than was anticipated by the ap-
preparation committee Several other minor
expenses were also incurred that could not well
be ioressen. Such things always will occur in a
new institution, aud to On extent mitigate the
fault OF the trustees in mourning so large a de-
fcency. But do not wish to be understood a.
thinking the trustees entirely blameless Far
from it On the contrary, think ii unpardon-
able on the part OF trustees OF any Institution
TO live beyond their means and then depend on
the libarality of the legislature to pay
the incurred debts, There might be some
cases where going in debt is unavoidable. But
in the majority OF cases am convinced that
strict economy would enable the trustees to live
within their means. l am not ready to say that
the entire deficiency at Medical Lake is justi6-
able. prefer not to go into details, but close
Investigation will prove the business of my
criticism. Yet, for fear that I may be misun-
derstood. say emphatcaily that do not i'm
puts anything dishonest or intentionally wrong
to either the trustees or the doctor in charge OF
| the hospital at Medical Lake, but do charge
them with being too prone TO desert the strict
| lines of economy at the least provoeation.
IsN;r kh2 rs.Hf.>,
toned. $4,000 was appropriated for water
| plant. That money has been wisely and well
expended.
half-mil1on gallon reservoir has been built
| about two miles ana a half above the hospital
on hill. The reservoir 10 well built out oil
granite and brick. A six-iuch main was laid
from the reservoir TO the hospital hydrants and
| a complete water service for all necessary pur-
| poses have been put in. An enging house with
| two powerful engines and boilers, having a
pumping capacity of forcing $1,000 gallons of
water per hour into the reservoir. has also been
| placed on the banks OF the lake. and an ar
rangement has been entered into with the city
! of Medical Lake to sell them water at D cents
| per 1000 gallons taken at the reservoir. The
| contract with the city now awaits the approval
OF the next state legislature, and soon as ap-
| proved and the city is supplied with water the
| water plant will become sslf-sustaining.
Another special fund OF $4,000 was also sp-
! farm. The institution owned loo acres OF
| land, donated TO it by the town OF Medical Lake
| Some more land was purchased. so that now the
| hospital owns 81 acres OF good farming and
grazing land; has a complete farm outf1t OF tools
| implements stock and buildings, SO much so,
that when the farm Is in full cultivation IL will
| so a great way TO maintain the hospital. As 1t
is now, two principal items needed in a hos tal
i, are raised on the farm FREQ OF cost-milk aud
| vegetables.
II have been a little too hard on the trustees
| beg to assure them that they are not the only
| ones that are censurable on account of no.
strictly adhering to economy But must saysn
honor of and justice to all the trustees whose in
stitutions have been desert eed in these columns
| that nowhere have discovered the least trace
| Of dishonesty negligence. On the contrary,
| everywhere do ! meet with an evident desire 20
| do what is right. and Gov. Ferry. the various
| boards and the people OF this state may we'll bs
congratulated upon the excellent beginning
| they have made towards the proper treatment
OF the demented, deformed and those needing
reformation RosH LooKesH
CHANDLER Is CHAIRMAN OF THE
COMMITTEE.