Evening journal., 1897-05-01
INQUIRY AT FARNHURST
Work of Legislative Investi-
cation Committee.
AW PATIENTS TREATED AND FED
SPENT A HALF DAY GOING OVER
THE HOSPITAL ACCOUNTS, To-
GErHER WITH THE REPORTS or
OTHER STATE INSTITUTIONS
FOR THE INSANE.

fOh The INSANE.
Senators John Pyle and George f..
Pierce, Representatives Dempsey, Nc
Donald and Johnson, the legislative
committee appointed to make an in
vestigation Of the Farnhurst hospital
completed their labors in time to take
the evening train home yesterday
The investigation was thorough and
very satisfactory to the committee
They went over the accounts of the
hospital, examined some Of the vouch-
ers, compared the biennial reports of
the past decade with those OF other
state institutions, went through the
wards alone and with the physicians.
saw the patients at dinner and then
questioned the superintendent and as
sistant physician of the hospital at
length.
Senator Pierce was not prepared to
state before leaving for home what
recommendations they would make.
but IL is believed the committee will re-
port favorably upon the appropriation
of $4,000 asked for by the institution
for the ensuing two years and upon
the present administration Of Della
wares institution for restoring lost
reason
Under the head of disbursements
from the current fund, in the trus-
tees report for the past two years,
there is only "A brief resume of the ex.
penditures from that fund Of S64 ,0O2.0i,
-and the superintendent fund shows
an expenditure, not itemized, OF Sl2,-
1905, making total expenditures of
entire period of S76 ,29S.32. II was not
deemed necessary by the Board OF
Trustees to itemke the moneys issned
from superintendent fund, as the re-
ceipted bills are all on file at the in
stitution and have been passed upon
by the Board of Trustees as a body ano
recommended by the Finance Commit.
tee to be paid.
The legislators suggested that in thl
future biennial reports of all bills b'
itemized and published separately il
/ tabular form and all moneys apprO
priated by the General Assembly anC
all expenditures from the superintend
ent's fund be treated the same.
The superintendent's fund is none!
| received by that official from pay pa
tients, sales of rags, bones, etc.
While the committee was deliberat
ing at noon, the dinner bell rang an,
it was suggested that all go see the pa
tients eat. The women patients eat il
a spacious room on the first floor an
the mems dining-room is on the thir
floor
The men ate at four tables, set twic,
About sixty ate at the first table an
about forty at the second. There wer
about forty women at the first tabl
and almost the same number at tn
second.
The menu was STAYED beef, white pO
tatoes, gravy, bread and butter ant
bread pudding for dessert. This wa
only an ordinary dinner at the hos
pital. Nothing extra could have beel
! prepared, as the committee came b.
surprise at 10 o'clock instead of even
ing, as was at first announced.
Before leaving the institution tn
legislators looked through the labora
tory in which superintendent Hancke
keeps his costly X-ray outfit and mi
croscopes which, by the way, are hi
personal property. but which the stat
institution gets free use Of. The legis
lators easily "saw through" each Othel
5 or examined the bones of their hand
and counted coin under a block &
wood four iches thick.
/, They also visited the greenhouse,
new building which is looked after b
patient and overseer of the ground
Just as the legislators left a sma
army of men was noticed coming dow
the road toward the institution. II wa
5 ! a party of fifty men patients in charg
e of five attendants, returning from
/ three-mile walk around the New Ca
{ tie trolley road and power-house. TIL
is a customary form of exercise ever
( fine afternoon, but as one Of the phys
] clans said yesterday:
1T gives the patients crack-a-jac
t appetites."
e The legislators will prepare and sui
T NIT their report to General Assemb
before they make any statement.
TEACRD tn TYR pPNNSVLVANIL