Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1899-12-14
.NNNE VISITS ASYLUM
Member of Board of Control De.
scribes What He Saw in Des
Moines County Asylum.
Found Conditions Above the Aver
age, But Bad Enough in Many
Particulars.
Paupers and Insane Patients Are
Kept Separate, But Are Given
Same Food.
Special to Tines Republican.

=
~ ,,a;. - .t.
- : S9ut'ss i''as''ie ''.ss 90 ''ts7
4 given out by the state poard el cohtfoB
this one on Des Moines county. The
lexan,ination was made by Judge Kim
- - - -
oi-iact "ltnout Ihueh COMMENT. ne
found the Dcs Moines county institu-
ition much above the average. YET lack
- 80 I go
is SO mncn oeller IMAM some olilers's
s however, that il appears good in com
parison. Judge kinne says in his re-
ON Oct. 20 ! vlslted the county ass-
lum of Des Moines county. which IS sit
uated about tive miles southwest of the
,4.,e ,,,,,.,. ,,. a,,fi,si,,s. ~
: .
i'o OF prieH' IND sefofss, ps'ssiileiis ssiii
Iattic. 1t is a good building. The attic
i ,sa1 for a store room. The second
-
- = '''s' ~ : '.''st
story the wemenls ward. IN lhs oass-
! The rooms are all Of good size, about
half Of tnem nave two beds IL and the
Iothers one he'd in each. The sieepinel
a rooms have sto.ss 10 the.a. but Trey
y ara nor self-actjne. they have 10 be
flushed after use. Twice a day they a.s
booked AT and claanesi. and of.ener III
they are seen. The nfatie rooms have
4 vanfiIatine filles TIE t6ps of some
4 sfpals were broken ana when / w4s
there. Il VA, a warm aav ana the Min
4 doNs were ,,,alY. ana there Mas ysis
Is,iIrle smell in the house
a .rh.. house was very cleana and neat
II kent Tna bassnss,lt. Il about haif-
way in the. ground. ana rot very well
Y lishted. and was damp and unfit Is
Y l,.s.n n..nni4. in Ab8,lf tsn man are
kent there. They have d dark rS5in.
fIe,.. yyh4sr,. they t,lt ti,snl yntflts 10
ls3t Sometimes used once. 81. twice a
. month. kent them in there frem tWo Ia,
!. fNo and one-balf hours. a day. There
is no ventilation and no light People
in this basement. except one. eat in tne.
hail. ana this sone eats in his room
lThose on the second ff6ors eat in a din
4 ing roSm on that floor. The ines, an
the second floor eat in their hall Thess
halls are spaces between the rooms IN
z the wards.
"Tha hoard of sufaryisars visit the
lfnstit,1ti9n every three months. Mr.
AIathas. chairman OF the board. comes
much oftencr. The graad Jury visited L.
], last spring. The judge and caunts at
E,ornev do nor visit i'll At Christmas
hey have presents for thesinniates and
visitors and anlusernents Most OF the
facts were obtained from the assistant
. ssi,nerir,tendsrlt. as the stlferintanlerat
was IN the city. The population. in
L Guiding paupers, runs between eighty
and ,fnstv ,7ost Of fha tiine Pau;16ps
I .anfl5 insane ali get the same food. There
; lis no paid employe Sleeping in the IN
sana buildjng at night The nearest
lone is seventy or eighty feet away.
rrbay lock them no at 80 to S O'Clock.
and do nat 60 through the building
aaain regularly until they get them UP
ar : in tha morning.
..Tha attendants have no special
training or o11aliiications for tn. work,
The county phvsician. DR. Sizer OF Bur
lineton comes every two weeks. and
aftarer If called They have teisph0ns
e canneatinn witb The city. The ,5hvsiciafl
, vislts hoth the insane and pallpers. and
also tbe c,,,ntv po6r The pailp4rs and
). insane are kept ia SEPARATE buiiaings
!. The s,lperintenfient receives a salary II
II 900 for rha services Of himself and
wife and their keen. The attendants
!, oman and wifel get $685. and siS re-
: snactivelv nar month. They have no
nurss Ths pfysiclan receives $500 per
vaar and furnishes. some Of his own
,neaieiu. The Contract is by resolution
: of thaabaara Of slnervisors. and is FIJI
: f;l1s5 They kees some som,nor RENE
dies on hand There is no record ken;
!, ~ nrsscrintions or ebange in condition
: Of patients once in a while they use
. cuffs or nittens When sucf, restraints
1 a,.a ,,s.45 they are ordered BY the si1ner-
;ntandent and appIied by the atterd-
ann No record Is kent of these cases.
..rhe phvsieian s,peryises the dietary
Of those who are sick. only. Thev use a
: e,ood oual{fv of meat They raise some
ard b,,v sorne rhav use tnur manu-
: factured at Burlington. and also al
y AJ;rnssota They milk fourteen COWS
and make rbei, own butter. Some
limos rhev have hutter twice week