The Jersey City news., 1899-03-29
MORRIS PLAINS.
Annual Report Of the Man
ayers Of the State
Hospital.
DANCERSOF OVERCROWDING
Four Hundred More Patients
Than the Institution Was
Built to Accommodate.

1.-THE News" has received from Moses
K. Everitt, Warden of the New Jersey
State Hospital at Morris Plains, copy
of the twenty-third annual report of the
managers and officers of that institution.
In their report the managers say that
during the past year much attention has
been given to the improvement of lands
for farming purposes, which has amply
repaid the efforts by increased crops be-
sides furnishing employment for the In
mates Of the institution. The report de-
votes much space to the overcrowded
condition of the hospital, which contains
4S6 more patients than the buildings were
intended to- accommodate. The Legis-
lature just adjourned appropriated S3oO0
for repairs and improvements. In speak
ing on this subject the report says
Owing to our overcrowded condition we
have several times warned the Legislature
that the institution was liable to an out
break of contagious diseases, and though
every precaution had been taken, on Feb
ruary 4 scarlet fever made It's appear
ance in one of the wards and soon two
attendants and eight patients were at
tackled with this disease, the highly con-
tagious nature of which caused serious
apprehension that it might spread through
all the wards, but with rigid enforcement
of the most modern methods of disinfec-
tion and the isolation of the patents in a
hurriedly improvised cottage in the rear
of the building its spreading was pre-
vented
In speaking of tlhe county 1unatic asy-
lums the report has this to say of Hud-
SOM
There are in this institution $40 pa
tients-207 males, 313 females. DR.. Geo.
w. King is the resident physician and
superintendent. There are "a day attend
ants employed, IL males and II females,
which gives an average of about l male
attendant to every II patients, and / fe-
male attendant to every "a patients.
There has been no change in the man
agement or the regulations during the
year. The interior of the building has
been painted and the grounds and sur
roundings have been improved by the aid
of patients labor"
The report of the Medical Director,
Britton D. Evans M. D., shows that on
October 81 last there were 61S men and
61S women patients in the Morris Plains
Hospital, making total of 1,236. Dur
ing the past year SO men and 81 women
have been restored to sanity; II men and
II women have been discharged as i'm
proved, 13 men and 13 women discharged
unimproved; Al men and "a women have
died and 2 men have escaped, or, as the
report says, been discharged by elope
mant.
lo foy.f ho Tlnr
cent of the number admitted. This is
good ratio of recovery for State hos
pital which receives all forms of insan-
ity, including imbeciles, dement's, epilep-
tics and idiots. Higher percentages may
be found in reports from institutions
which have option as to the class of pa
tients to be admitted.
There are in the Hospital 96 epileptics.
For years in preceding reports I have
called attention to two important facts Ii
this connection; one is that the presence
of epileptics in hospital for the insane
interferes seriously with the successful
treatment and management of the insane
not afflicted with epilepsy; the other,
that hospital for the insane is not the
place for that class of epileptics which
may be treated in an institution especially
set apart for their care. These two
statements are based upon the experience
and observations of the most competent
observers of the dependent classs.
The year closed with 5S convicts ana q
criminals in the Hospital. making a total
of 79 patients whose official commitment
papers show criminal record.
The report of the Warden shows that
tI,a raoo;ptc from al c011roac during ha
year were $330;O34.96 and the expenditures
1885, of $18, 43423.
Excellent crops of corn, wheat rye, hay
and potatoes have been raised on the
farm. The improvement to farm lands
made by the draining of wet ground and
the liberal use of fertilizers is beginning
to pay for the money expended.
The application of the sewage of the
dairy buildings, hog-pens and slaughter
house. on about fifty acres of the farm
land, shows marked improvement in the
productiveness of the soil. The work of
clearing up waste land has been con-
tinued during the past year. This is in
creasing the tillable land thus making it
possible to raise larger crops of corn and
wheat than previously.
The improvements mentioned above
bring threefold good
First-They improve the appearance of
the property by removing stones and
brush and leaving instead graded fertile
land.
Second-They remove sources of con-
tanina ton by draining the wet and
ground and caring for the sewage
of the out-buiIdings
Third-They enhance the value of the
by increasing the amount and
fertility of its farm lands.
During the past year 251, $40 quarts of
milk have been produced. The average
number of cows MIXED each day has
been sixty-one. This gives daily yield
of 11.29 quarts per cow.
The comparison of this with other dali
ries will show that the average per COW
is higher than usually found. Six hum
hundred and eighty-nine quarts of milk
have been consumed daily This gives
an allowance of about one pint for each
person. This is fully up to the amount
furnished in institutions of this eharac-
ter. From observation made since the
last report, we are convinced that the
original plan of building a dairy-house,
with modern appliances for cooling, bot
Ting and caring for the milk, is the right
course.
This would be quite as economical as
our present method. One of the main