The times., 1898-10-11


ernment Hospital for the Insane (St.
Elizabeths) which institution is under
the immediate supervision of the Interior
Department.
The report which was submitted by
Superintendent Godding, says that at the
date of the last annual report, June 80,
1897 there were in the institution 1857
patients. During the past year 437 new
patients have been received. OF the 2,20i
in the institution, 351 were discharged,
ninety-three recovered, forty-nine i'm
proved, three were not insane, and 1877
died, so that at the present time there
are 1853 inmates in the institution.
Since the opening of the institution in
1855 0.772 cases have been treated. OF this
number 3,47S recovered, 1,749 improved, o.
726 unimproved, and 3433 died.
Continuing, the report says:
THE whole number under treatment, O.
20i is nearly 100 more than that of any
previous year, while the number of ad-
missions, 437, has been exceeded only dur
ing the closing years of the Civil Wal
The increase OF the army to a quarter
of million of men and the rapid develop
ment of the navy since war was declared
against Spain in April last explains this
Although peace is now in sight, this in
crease in the number of hospital inmates,
out Of proportion TO the Increment OF re-
cent years. will continue, since consider
able increase in the army will be per-
manent.
Moreover. the law as 1t now stands
provides for the admission here of 1ndig-
atfS Syua nc H.
sane within three years after their dis
charge from the service from causes
which arose during and were produced
by said service. In the period from the
2lst of April to the 18th of August, 1898,
the time covered by the war. forty-six
insane persons were admitted from the
active lists of the army and navy, one
half of whom were from the volunteer
army This Is against fife. n rece we'd from
the same source during the same period
of the year 1897. An increase of admis-
sions from this source alone of not less
than fifty year must be expected and
provided for.
THE daily average number of inmates
during the year has been 1873, an in
crease of eighty-eight on that of the pre-
ceding year The whole number of deaths.
197. amounts TO S.94 per cent OF the whole
number under treatment. which is more
than Is per cent above that OF the prev
ious year. This is due to the advancing
age and incident inffrmity of majority
of the inmates rather than to any prevail
ing disease, for while there has been more
than a sufficiency of -roiarial poisoning
IL has not resulted in the aIl-pervading
| sickness of some previous years.
improvements.
Extensive building operations have
been carried on during the year. We
are at last TO have, in the new laundry,
whose walls are now in process of erec-
ton, and whose plans have been mat
ter of careful study, a building which 1t
is believed will be found ample for the
Importance and growing work of this
department.
THE Allison buildings for infirm SOL
diers and sailors from the National Home
| for Disabled Volunteer Soldiers are prac-
| tically completed, and will be fully oc-
| cupied before the report is issued This
| is a group of four buildings of the pavil-
! ion type connected with the relief and
! home buildings, affording an indoor and
| outdoor provision for the sick and feeble
ones (who by their advancing age are
| every year more helpless) that is more
| liberal and inviting than anything that
| has hitherto been developed at ST Eliza
| beth's.
There is ample indoor space for 100
bedrdden and feeble men, while the
piazza space is actually greater than that
within doors. The floors of the latter
| are of the same level as the dormitory
! floors, and the doorways wide enough to
| admit of the beds and couches on casters
| being trundled into the open air. This,
for more than half the year in our cli-
mate is a perfect luxury of shaded cool
| ness and free ventilation.
of. rlon 1rf1 frc
turned his face to the wall only to 'bab-
| BILE a of green fields that he no longaS
| sees wheeled out on these piaZZas may
| again associate with the trees, look into
their green leaves, and lying in the morn
| ing light drink in its reviving breeze. A
| little glazing may transform these same
| spaces into winter sun baths to rival
| Algeria's housetops for invalids. When
| outdoors means heaven to the bedridden
sufferer, why shut him out of it? These
| very satisfactory buildings for 100 in
mates, with all their liberal provision,
will be completed and furnished with the
appropriation of $4,000.
"The commitment of insane persons
from the District of Columbia to the
Government Hospital for the Insane was
for many years under the orderly pro-
ceedfnss laid down in United States Re-
vised Statutes, sections 1914, 4S45 and 1876
which proceedings were undoubtedly in
tended by the Congress which enacted
those provisions to be all that was nee
essary TO determine the insanity and pro-
vide for the care of the unfortunate
sufferer. The Supreme Court of the Dis
trict of Columbia, in their decision in re
Bryant g Mackey Rep, 4S9), changer al
this. Bryant was an insance man, adj
mittted under sections 4S53 and 1854, but
| the decision was afterward held to apply
to those admitted under sections 4SH
| 4S45 and 4S46
Estimates for Next Year.
1.-THE estimates for the year 1893 were
made in September, 1896, and were based
on an average number of 1,700 of the
class provided for. AS a matter of fact
| the average number under treatment
during the year was nearly 100 in exces.
of the estimate, but the price of supple.
was lower than the present year, ant
there was a hope of closing without
deficiency. But the war came on, ant
during the last third of the year about ?
per cent more patients were admitted
than during the same months of the pre-
vious year, necessarily increasing th
daily expenditure for supplies and rem
dering a reduction of the hospital fore
, impra acticable. The result is that S12, 003 6
will be needed to close the accounts TO
the year, which amount is asked as al
urgent deficiency.
1.-The estimates which under the Law
must be made early in September of 1881
were based on a DrobableA number o
| 1725 of the class for which the appropria
tion was made. Before the fiscal yea
commenced war was declared, there wa
a marked advance in the price of all pro
| xriSi nT