Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-21
In De. pIotpes County.

In Des NIoines County.
Another report on a county insane
asylum has been given out by the state
board of control, this one on Des
Moines county. Judge Kline says in
his report
ION October 25 visited the county
asylum of Des Moines county, which
is situated about five miles southwest
of the city of Burlington. The build
ing is 3SX100, of brick, two stories,
basement and attic. 1t is a good build
ing. The attic is used for store
room. The second story is the mems
ward, and the first story the women's
ward. In the basement they keep
filthy and violent men. The rooms are
all good size, about half of them have
two beds in, and the other one bed in
each. The sleeping rooms have stools
in them, but they are not self7acting;
they have to be flushed after use.
Twice day they are looked at and
cleaned, and oftener if they are seen.
The night rooms have ventilating fues.
The tops of some stools were broken,
and when / was there it was warm
day and the windows were open, and
there was very little smell in the
house.
"The house was very clean and neat-
ly kept. The basement is about half
way in the ground, and not very we'll
lighted, and was damp and unfit to
keep people in. About ten men are
kept there. They have dark room
there where they put them when vio-
lent. Sometimes used once or twice
a month; kept them in there from two
to two and one-half hours day. There
is no ventilation and no light. People
in this basement, except one, eat in.
the hall, and this one eats in his room.
Those on the first floor eat in dining
room on that floor. The men on. the
second floor eat, in their hall. These
halls are spaces between the rooms in
the wards.
"The board of supervisors visits the
institution every three months. Mr..
Mathes, chairman of the board, comes
much oftener. The grand jury visited
it last spring. The judge and county
attorney do not visit it. At Christmas
they have presents for the inmates and
visitors and amusements. Most of the
facts We're obtained from the assistant
superintendent, as the superintendent
was in the city. The population, in
Guiding paupers, runs between eighty
and ninety most of the time. Paupers
and insane all get the same food. There
is no paid employee in the insane build
ing at night. The nearest is seventy
or eighty feet away. They lock them
up at 1880 to s o'clock, and do not go
through the building again regularly
until they get them up at o'clock in
the morning.
The attendants have no special
training or qualifications for this work.
The county physician, Mr.. Zaiser, of
burlington, comes every two weeks,
and oftener if called. They have tel
ephone connection with the city. The
physician visits both insane and pau
pers, and also the county poor. The
paupers and insane are kept in sepa-
rate buildings. The Superintendent re-
ceives a salary of $1,000 for the sew
ices of himself and wife and their keep.
The attendants oman and wife) get
Sl6.65 and $13, respectively, per month.
They have no nurse. The physician re-
ceives $500 per year, and furnishes
some of his own medicine. The con-
tract is by resolution of the board of
supervisors, and is fulfilled. They keep
some common remedies on hand. There
is no record Kept of prescriptions, or
changes in'condition of patients. Once
in while theystuse cuffs or mittens.
When such restraints are used they
are ordered by the superintendent and
applied by the attendant. No record
is kept of these cases.
"The physician supervises the dietary
of those who are sick only. They use
good quality of meat. They raise
some and buy some. They use -four
manufactured at Burlington, and also
Mt Minnesota. They milk fourteen cows
and make their own butter. Sometimes
they have butter twice week, and il
plentiful, once day. The insane are
given meat once a day, and those who
work, twice astday. The drugs are
bought from local dealers. The beds
are mostly iron. A few have springs,
the rest have Stats. The filthy pa
tents in the basement have straw ticks
and no sheets. They have blankets
and comforts. The rest of the house
have mattresses of various kinds. The
blankets are double width, of wool.
There are no white spreads. Pillows
are part feathers. and some sea grass.
Beds changed every two weeks. Two
patients occupy one bed. All the rest
sleep single. There is no night watch-
man, no night attendant. They have
good water supply, deep well and
tank, and get their ice from creek.
There is a bath room on each floor,
except in the woman's ward. There are
iron tubs, porcelain lined. The rooms
are good, and in good order. Have
both hot and cold water. Only one
person bathes in the same water. They
have no outside fire hydrants, and
have small pipe attachment in bath
rooms. The clothing for men cost
from SIS to Sc slit. Women's dresses
are made of calico and ginghams, etc.
The underwear for both is knit goods,
and costs about 81 per suit. Shoes for
men and women cost ST LIS and 80 per
pair.
"The food is well cooked and served.
They have tin plates and cups, and
some china Oil cloths on the tables.
Three meals a day, except on Sunday,
wnen they have two meals and lunch
con. No case OF abuse of patients.
They have twenty to twenty-five men
and sixteen to seventeen women. They
have six hired people, and they attend
to insane and paupers, and the farm
and all other work. There are three
men who are epileptic, and two men
and two women are violent, and one
man is filthy. The women hardly ever
get out-four men are out all of the