Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-11-07
INCURABLE INSANE.
Board of Control Has Designs On
Our County Hospital
JUDGE KlNNE VISITS POOR FARM
Legislature Will be Asked This Winter
to Compel Return of Incurable In.
sane From County Hospitals
to the State Instirution.
[From Saturdays Daiiy.1

From Saturdays Daily.l
Judge Kline, member of the board
OF control of state institutions, visited
the county farm last week presumably
IN search of evidence of want of care
OF the incurable insane confined in our
county hospital. The antipathy of the
board to combining that class of people
in county asylums is well known, and
emanates from desire on the part of
the board to make a good showing in
its report as to the cost per capita of
the insane. When the hospitals were
full the cost per capita was lower than
at the present time, for the reason
that few required the same amount
OF help as good many, and the salary
list could not be cut to figure COM
mensurate with the number of patients.
Hence, it is said, they desire return
of the great number of incurable in
sane which have been taken from Nj.
Pleasant and Independence and are be-
ing cared for by county authorities
at much less expense than formerly.
1t is said, upon apparently good au-
thority, that an effort will be made
the coming winter to induce the legis-
lature to so amend the law, that in
sane people must be kept in the state
institutions after having been adiudgea
insane by the commission of the coun-
ty in which they reside. Action of this
kind would mean that Wapello coun-
tvs new hospital, fitted with all the
appliances necessary for the. care of in
sane people would be utterly useless
and entail the old expense of SIP per
month per capita, which sum this coun-
ty has paid for years. The present cost
| per capita per quarter is only $7.64,
and the care of the patient is better
than at Mt. Pleasant.
The residence of the steward of the
county farm is situated between the
hospital and the old county building,
thus cutting off communication be-
tween the paupers and the insane.
This fact explodes one Of the ideas adj
vanced by opponents Of the county
hospital idea in so far as it affects the
argument relative to the mingling OF
the classes. The conveniences compare
favorably with those in use at Nj.
Pleasant. There is bath tub supply
ing hot and cold water for each ward,
and each inmate is given bath at
least once week, and oftener if nee
essary. Likewise they get change OF
clothing in the same length of time.
The thing that appeals to the relatives
OF the afflicted ones is that Mr.. Wilson
and wife see to it that absolute cleanli-
ness prevails. The male patients are
in charge of a male attendant, and the
women patients are under the care Of
persons OF their own sex. These at
PENDANTS are always with their charges,
attending to their wants, are patient
| with their idiosyncrasies and soothe
the excitable and idiotic. Their diet
will compare fayorably with that of the
average farmer. and strict attention is
paid to their actual needs. The sick
are fed those things recommended by
the attending physician, and the well
ones are given exercise in the yard
under the care of attendants. No "bull
pens" are used to herd them, in, but
they are taken for walks, if their phys
ical condition permits, and consequent
| ly their general health is better than
when confined at Mt. Pleasant. The
inmates say they would rather stay at
the county farm than return to the
state institution, and from actual OBJ
servation they appear to be more con-
tented and are better appearing than
when they first entered the hospital.
1t is well known that incurably in
sane persons require less medicine
than those whose attacks are acute.
and therefore in majority OF cases,
Temporary and with the system inaug-
urated by Mr.. Wilson, actually do re-
quire but little medical attention. The
county physician makes one trip per
week and comes on call, there being
telephone communication with the
Il rifv The 1nor{o1iSyy &C. or,, lD.., xl,a,.,
having been but three deaths in four
patients. Contrast this with the care
difference in expense. At Mt. Pleasant
they would be well cared for, it is true,
but the present method is very salts
factory to the patient, and bound to
be, from the very nature of things,
better in some respects than could pos
sibly be afforded under state auspices.
Not, probably from lack of good in
tention, but for want of time to care
for them as Mr. Wilson is doing. They
are one large family, and contentment,
the medicine they most require, shines
in their faces. Cases might be cited of
snllen, obdurate men having been adj
mitted from Mt. Pleasant, who now
| taih aS naturally DIS people Ill Cnelt
condition could, and also do odd jobs
under the direction of the attendant.
The question now naturally arises,
why cannot the county give the same
care it was thought they could give
q few years ago when the
Mt. Pleasant hospital was crowd
ed? Requests were frequently
made that patients be sent to the coun-
4 ty farm, if their condition would pos
sibly permit, instead of sending them
to the usual place. Just now they are
wanted back, and wanted badly. So
much SO that legislation will be asked
compelling them to return Some in
teresting things may be made known
when Judge Kline makes his report
I public, but that part relating to the
Il ignorant acknowledgement of county
hospitals will not apply TO our institn-
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