Omaha daily bee., 1898-01-02
CONDITION OF THE INSANE
Pottawattamie County Commissioners Make
Their Report,
RECOMMENDATIONS MAD3 BY THE BOARD
Special Attention is Given to Dealing
with the Incurnble Cases Now
In the Local Hospitals
List of JnfOrtunatcs.
RECOMMENDATIONS MADE BY THE BOAR

Inc BOard OF commissioners LOT InS IN
sane has completed its work and has issued
the report upon which the members of the
commission and County Clerk Reed have
been engaged for several weeks. 1t is the
first report of the kind ever issued, and 1t
is believed 1t will prove OF great value as
well as convenience. The report contains
the names of the patients, the addresses OF
their friends and relatives and all that is
known about the unfortunates, making
concise and complete history OF each case.
The report refers largely to the incurable
cases, which have become county charges
and are now loated in st. Bernard's hos
ptal or being cared for outside of the hos
pital at the expense of the county The
report is made up after q complete personal
examination of each patient and shows that
there are twenty-eight male and thirty-two
female mostly incurables in the hospital.
Two Of these, Henry Wehland and a. D.
Quick, are no. regular county charges. While
the report was in progress OF preparation
aud since the visit to the institution three
of the patients have bsen discharged.
The commissioners make a suggestion to
the county supervisors, to whom the report
Is directed. They say: Your commission
els respectfully ask that they be permitted
to draw expenses for the removal of insane
persons in their jurisdiction to their homes
outside OF the state, and thus relieve the
county and state OF the expense of their
Keeping. Frequently such cases arise as
that Of Herman Mayfeld who was sent TO
Clarinda in July and discharged as cured In
December and returned to this city. During
his confinement in the hospital his mother
removed to Louisville, KY, and desired him
sent there. No funds were available to
send him, and it was feared that if left
here he would again become insane and a
charge on this county, and your commits
slohers, wishing to relieve the taxpayers
from any possible chance of his heing again
charge on them. directed their secretary
IF. L. Reed, to purchase ticket from here
10 Louisville at the expense of $l9.25, which
was done. Similar cases arise during the
lntermlssons of the beard and your com.
Inlssiohers III suggest that it is in the interest
OF economy for your honorable body to in.
struct the county auditor to honor sucr
requlsltlons as your commissioners NAV in
'he luture make to meet such cases
| four commissioners further report tha,
| IN All OF the cases coming before them foI
investigation, careful inquiry is made az
| to the property residence. etc. and whar
| ever any property is found the appointmen,
| ol guardian is suggested, and If not mad,
| oy those interested is made by the board
| NO report Is made as to the number n
inmates inmates cohhned in Clarnda, as that is =
| "tter colulhg TO your knowledge at eacf
| meeting OF your board We further rer,or
that in our judgment the patients crneneI I'i r.
81. Bernard's hospital are kindly treated ant
| properly cared for" "
me report shows that OF the females re-
IeiNeu I. as lhcurables twelve came from Nero,
MS I"S plta', davenport, and sixteen from Noun
ileasant and Clarinda making a total n
twonty-eight. OF this number savan how,
uled, one has recovered and twenty vet re
nam at St Bernard's hospital. The tota
nuhrDer or acute female cases sent by tn
ooaid 10 st. Bernarl's hospital was thirty
we vi this number seven have died. fiftee
nave recovered and eleven yet remain q
the male patients twelve were received as in
curapies from Mercy hospital, seventeen cam
from Clarinda total OF twenty-nne O
thls number twelve have died two have re
covered and fifteen remain at the hospita
me total number of acute male cases sen
to St. Bernards hospital was fifty. of whic
number ten have died, thirty have recovere
and ten remain.
Three incurables'' from the state hospital
have been sent home as recovered" Forty
five acute cases sent to st. Bernards hospti
have recovered and nineteen such cases hav
resulted In DEATH making the recoveries
acute cases little more than "a per cen
Five cases still in the hospital are yet rt
garded as durable.
Following are the names of the patient
now confined in lSt. IBernards John Carol
Ed Cannon John Kranlger. William J. Ma
thews, John w. Moss, Lee st. John Campbell
Levi Graybill Tommy Fox, Walter Neisol
Ole Oleson, Joseph Barnes, LawrenC
Kaveney, Thomas Crow, John Casey, Joh
]. McCoid William Goodwin, Riley BraC
shaw, Thomas McAdams, Thomas Iynch, Al
Quick, Edward Herman Henry Kelle
, Patrick Feeley, Henry Wehland Carl Kuh
meier, Georgina Chapman, Ida s. Lipfer
Mrs Elizabeth Bowman, Mrs Bridget NJ
Laughlin, Lizzie Shaffer, Ellen Hays, Me
donette Sides. Lottie Fadden. Martha Wilso
Carrie S. Madison, Ellen Boyle. Annie SEQ
(colored), Miranda MaXfed, Catherine Uh
bana Lottie May Sankey Bridget Kel
Gertie Skakson, Mrs. Rebecca Barton, Mr.
b. Peterson, Maggie Grady, Mary Rodger
I Mary Rasmussen, Annie Cronnan, IL
Blaney, Sarah j. Mcintyre Lena May Bosse
Jessie Brown, Kitty Collins Sophie Ra
! mussen, Mary Casey, Mrs. Susan Gransha
and Lucinda Tague.
The commissioners say that in the selectic
of cases sent to st. Bernard's the wishes
the friends are consulted All alcohol
, cases are sent there, as they generally r
cover soon. All cases of general paresi
/ which are always incurable, are sent the
: at once. All cases of mental imbecili
which promise nothing in the way OF r
covery and where the patients are too i'll
be sent to Glenwood, are sent there, as a
! also all cases where the patients are t.
feeble to stand the exhaustion of the trip
g Clarinda and remain there until such time
] they can be safely removed. BY this meth'
4 the board not only observes the wishes
the friends, but looks to the welfare Of Il
O patients and to saving expense of transport
. ton to Clarinda. The medical member
!, the board, DR.. Thomas, has the medical ca
OF the patients at st, Bernard's and exc
cises a watchful care over them without al
expense to the county.