New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-11-27
CARE OF THE INSANE.
REFORMS INSTITUTED BY THE STATE
COMMISSION IN LUNACY
A SCIENTIFIC DIET OF wELL-cooKED FooD-oUT
DOOR WORK FOR PATIENTs-DoING
AWAY WITH TOBACCO-EXPENsEs

AWAY WITH ToBACco-EXPENsEs
CUT DOWN.
IRON THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT TRIBUNE.
Albany. Nov. 26.-The phanthropic men and
women who by years of agitation, destroyed the
inhuman system of imprisoning hundreds OF the
insane poor OF the State in county almshouses VIII
be glad to know that the state care" system Is
now In successful operation. All of the insane
poor In the county amshouses, except those III the
County of Queens have now been removed to the
State hospitals for the insane and those hospitals
now contain insane population Of $500 persons.
There $500 insane men and women IN the
asylums Of Kings and New-York counties; so that
the total insane population of the State In the
State asylums is about 1890.
1t was upon October / of the present year that
the state care system went into full operation
by the State assuming the financial responsibility
for the support of all its insane poor except those
Of Kings and New-York counties. This response
bility Is a great one, because 1t imposes upon the
State the duty Of raising N,3O0OOO for the support
of the insane poor, and then of economically ex-
pending this large The members OF the Legis-
lature and the Governor were naturally unwilling
that such large amount Of money as N,3O0VO
should be put in the hands OF the hospital trustees
without some State authority being estaphsheu 10
see that the money was wisely spent. Accordingly
the State Commission in Lunacy were empowered
to audit estimates to be monthly submitted TO them
by the hospital trustees as to their needs Tor the
succeeding month. The members of this COM
mission DR.. Carlos F. Macdonald, GOODWIN
Brown and Henry A. Reeves. Not dollar OF the
N,3O0000 can be used to pay hospital expenses
without their consent first being obtained. Sub
stantially they are members of the State Finance
Board which supervises the expenditure of every
penny appropriated for the support Of the State
hospitals.
The work already done by Dr. Macdonald, Mr..
Brown and Mr. Reeves financial board is
of a highly interesting character With the aim
of learning precisely what amount Of food Is needed
for the maintenance in good health OF an insane
patient they requested DR.. Austin Flint professor
of physiology and physiological anatomy IN the
Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New-York
70 state to them what articles or food ana
their amount each person requires to sustain
Mfe They further stated that they desired
each insane patient to have "a generous uiet.
DR.. Flint made careful report in response
TO this request. He recommended among other
things that good cooks should be hired for each
of the hospitals "Skiful cooking" he says In his
report mot alone contributes much to the COM
fort and we'll being Of patients, but. by reducing
waste Of material to the minimum, is an important
element In economical administration / do not
make the statement merely upon general grounds
In 1867 I was appointed by the Commissioners OF
rubic Charities and Correction of the City Of New
York to inspect the methods Of cooking and serv-
ing food to the inmates. numbering then more
than 10000 Of the institutions under their charge.
After a careful inspection. as requested proposed
certain changes In the OletdrleS, anu az my "~e
restion an accomplished professional cook. at
liberal salary. put in charge of the Kitchens
ut Bellevue Hospital. AS result Of this not only
did the cook save to the institution the sum OF
his salary, but the cost OF maintenance OF the
patients per capita was materially reduced. Az
that time the number Of patients IN Bellevue
Hospital was between 800 and Co., 1 suggest at
the beginning that thoroughly competent male COOK
be put in charge Of the kitchens In all institu-
lions with 500 or inmates. and that ne be
REQUIRED TO personally supervise all the cooking.
and not the cooking for the medical stan only
While 1t may be proper to provide for ordinary
paupers and criminals little more than enough 10
keep them in fair physical condition. the insane
moor. though a charge upon the State, should re-
cetve better consideration. Again. a most I'M
portant part Of the treatment OF the insane relates
10 general nutrition and many patients suffering
from mental diseases require great abundance
of nutritious food. which contributes very largely
20 their cure and thereby tends to relieve the state
from their care and maintenance for long
period" Writing In the line Of this suggestion Dr.
Flint recommended the following quantities OF sup
plies for 100 persons for thirty days:
Meat. with BONE including salt meat. fresh and nm