Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-12-26
SAYS It IS UNCLEAN
Judge Kinne's Report of Condition
Of County Hospital.
SAYS COWS DRINK IMPURE WATER
Steward Geo. Wilson Rerutes Some of
the Statements Made by the Mem.
Der of the Board of Control
of State Institutions.

-
Judge Kline says in effect the Wa
pello county hospital is not a fit place
to confine insane persons. George Will
son, steward of the county farm, says
it is, the people of Wapello county be-
lieye that it is, and the patients con-
fined in the institution know that it is.
The following is the report Judge
Kline made to his colleagues on the
board of control of state institutions,
concerningihis recent visit to the coun-
ty hospital, and appended thereto is
what the steward says about some
things contained in the report:
The Report.
On Oct. 81 / visited the asylum in
Wapello county, which Is situated
about six miles northwest of the city
OF Ottumwa. They lave one two-story
basement and attic, brick building, 4S
X102 feet.
The basement is used for store
rooms, kitchen, dining room for men
and ward for filthy patients.
Thew have in the upper story fifteen
rooms to each ward, and on one side
of the building, each room has stool,
self-hushing, but they do not operate
very we'll. On the second floor they have
sleeping rooms for the steward and
family, and ward for women, and
dining room and bed rooms for attend
ants, and the same sort of stools as
those on the lower floor. On the first
floor they also have narlors and living
rooms for the steward and family, and
dining room for women and ward for
In 1.o+ =,
Have stools on one side of each ward.
There are two beds in each room. The
basement is dark and over one-third in
the Ground. Has n cement floor; it is
damp andgill-ventilated. and in some of
the rooms the walls are besmeared
with filth which it seems cannot be
gotten off. Some of the beds and
clothing looked filthy, although they
are said to be often changed.
The rrand jury visits the institution
three times year, the board of super
visors three times a year, and one
member of the board once a month.
They have ninety-six people in all, in
sane and paupers. They have one male
child there now. The board often
sends children there to be kept until a
good home is found for them. The
help consists of a steward and his
i wife, two attendants, two kitchen girls,
! one farm hand and one sewing woman.
Patients sometimes escape; one man
4 has pot away four times.
Sewer is to a small stream about L.
J 600 feet away, and the attendant adj
vised us that the stream passed
through the pasture and the COWS
drank from it.
The attendants have had no training
save what they have gotten here.
! County physician, E. A. Sheafe of OF
! tumwa, comes when called for. They
have telephone connection with the
city. sometimes the physician comes
when he is not called. He visits the
paupers and insane, and also paupers
in the city and in some townships out
side. Insane and paupers are kept sep
arate when in the house.
The superintendent receives $1,000
per year and his keep for himself. The
man attendant $25 per month, and the
woman $12 per month and support
4 They have no nurse. The physician re-
ceives 5000 year and furnishes his
own medicines. He is hired by reso-
luton of the board of supervisors. The
!, institution keeps good supply OF
medical stores. There is no record OF
cases, of prescriptions or of change in
the condition of patients. They use
lstraps, cuffs and mitts, and these are
applied when ordered by the steward
by the attendant. No record is KEPT
of these cases. The physician super
vises the dietary of those who are sick
They raise their own meat and sell
1 sixty hogs, averaging about 20(
pounds each, and three beeves, averag
ing about 1900 pounds each; buy some
salt pork in the summer time. They
use patent -four, milk eighteen cows
1 make their own butter and use all o
!, the butter and milk. Use about forty
4 pounds of butter week. The drug!
are purchased from local dealers. 8
4 The beds are iron with wood side!
lthey have wood bedsteads and Stats
They have mattresses made OF cotto,
). on the outside and shucks on the in
side; except in the basement, wher
J; they have straw ticks. Have doubl
wooden blankets and white sheets an,
white spreads, except in the basement
Have feather pillows. Bedding j
!, changed once a week, and straw tick
], for the filthy patients, some of them
:, every day, and some three times
) week. Only one patient occupies
bed. They have no night watchmal
: and no night attendant. A man al
: tendant sleeps in the pauper part Q
the building, and woman attendan
: sleeps near her ward. The water j
J obtained from deep wells, but the sur
r ply is not ample. They use no ict
/. They have bath rooms off from ever
. ward. Iron tub porcelain lined. Goo
i room and good light, but not well yer
i tilated. Have hot and cold bath!
I When they were short of water, the
: bathed more than one person in tn
!, same wafer; they do not now. At on
/ time they used to battle two in sth
S same water. They have one fire plu
/ on each floor, but no hose. Have eight
i feet Of hose on the pauper side, an
also plugs on each floor. Three tank
in, the attic, holding As, go and 1875 ba,
rels, respectively.
Suits and clothing for men cost abor
u $3.50 a suit. Women's dresses al
made from calico and bingham. The
!. use knit underwear costing about 81
: suit. Pay about $1.25 per pair fe
Q shoes for men and women. Food
n we'll cooked and served. All dishes al
8 earthen. Saw the table for men p,
t tents, and it looked neat and inyitin,
Il | NM fnl,1a cloths fn,r man. rod Dan, q !