The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1900-05-03
NEW RULES FOR COUNTY ASYLUMS.

pie of the county are disposed to think
all others are equally well governed.
AS matter Of fact, Wisconsins system
of caring for this class of unfortunates
in institutions generally separate from
the poorhouses is recognized as one of the
best in the country. But some of the
county boards, in the effort to save ex-
pense, have permitted their institutions
to deteriorate and the patients to be
without proper attendance. The state
Board of Control has adopted new rules
governing the management OF the county
asylum, which are thought sufficient to
prevent any further laxness.
President w. P. Lyon vi the State
Board says that the new rules are the
result of long and careful investiga-
ton of the management of county asy-
lums which in number of instances, was
not found what it should be. The rela-
tives of the 3, 800 inmates of county insane
asylums and the public generally will
be interested in the proposed reforms. If
the county authorities ignore the new
rules, Judge Lyon said, the State Board
would enforce them. The board has
authority to withhold state aid from
asylums governed by refractory officials
The circular containing the new and
revised rules will be sent out in a few
days to the authorities in the various
counties. The rules provide:
1. Asylum physicians should not be
selected and contracts for the medical
care of the insane awarded upon CON-
petitive bids The trustees should ap-
point some competent physician and fix
his salary. The selection should be
made with the care and consideration
that might reasonably be expected in
the selection of family physician. The
asylum physician should visit the asylum
at least twice week. At each visit he
is expected in addition to attending to
the sick inmates to examine the sanitary
condition of the asylum and grounds
and the condition of the patients, their
health, diet, clothing and cleanliness,
the work required of them and any other
condition affecting their welfare and
comfort, He will advise and direct the
superintendent as to which of the pa
tients should be required to labor and
the kinds and amount of work each
working patient is able to perform. AT
each visit to the asylum the physician
shall enter i'll book, furnished by the
superintendent, the date of his visit, the
name, age and malady of each patient
treated by him, the treatment prescrib-
ed, and the name of each patient he has
advised the superintendent should not
be required to labor. At least once in
each month the physician shall also
enter in said book statements of the
sanitary condition of the institution, and
the general condition of the patients in
respect to the matters herein mentioned.
He is invited to enter therein any sug
gestions he may think proper to make
for the improvement of the institution
and the promotion of the welfare of the
inmates.
,. Each county asylum shall have
upon its staff of employees a female
night attendant who shall be constantly
on duty during each night in the apart
ments occupied by the female inmates.
Such attendant shall make daily re-
port to the superintendent.
3. The trustees of each county asy
lum are required to employ, and keep on
duty a competent night Waterman at
their institution through each night dur
ing the whole year,
4. Regulations are made for ascer
tanning the amounts chargeable for
clothing furnished by the trustees of
any county asylum to the inmates there
of, portion whose maintenance is
chargeable to counties other than that
in which such asylum is situated or
wholly to the state, pursuant section
604f, r. S.
). If the county asylum or the county
poor house are under the same manage
ment the salaries and wages of all off
GERS and employees whose duties are
common in both institutions should be
apportioned to such institutions on the
basis of the average population Of each.
The monthly report of wages and
salaries should be made aud the per
capita cost of maintenance in the an
nual report should be computed, on this
basis. There shall also be kept an ac-
count of all the products of the asylum
farm used or consumed in the asylum, or
disposed of and the proceeds so used.
The fair market value thereof or the
money received for the same and so
used in each year, shall be deducted
from the annual interest at per cent
on The cost of the asylum plant and
equipment if there be a poorhouse under
the same management. The balance
represents the net annual interest on
the investment at per cent This bal
ance should be included in the current
expense account of the asylum upon
which the per capita cost of mainten-
ance is computed.
g. Section sol, r. s., provides that
every female over 10 years of age com
mitted to any hospital or asylum for
the insane shall be accompanied by a
competent female. This board has been
astonished to learn that this most salu-
tary law, demanded by common de-
cency for the protection of helpless in
sane women from possible outrage or
neglect, has recently been disregarded
in two instances, in each of which an
insane woman was brought to the hos
pital, in one case by a sheriff alone, and
in the other by the sheriff and male
assistant only