The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1900-08-07
MNNLEY AND BRYAN CARE OF THE INSANE
FEW TROUBLESOME PATIENTS AT
THE ASYLUM.
Seem to be Well Cared for and Con-
tented-Routlne At the Hospital
Number of Inmates.

When the grand jury takes up its
inquiry into the Insane Asylum and it's
management, under Judge Humphreys
charge, it will find here some of the
! facts concernin" the institution.
Since the overthrow of the Hawaiian
monarchy the management of the
Oahu Insane Asylum has been conduct
| ed upon plans modelled after those fol-
| lowed by the best institutions of the
kind in the States. At the present time
there are 129 patients in the institution
of which only 25 are women. Although
the men outnumber the women by 400
| per cent they do not cause propor-
| tionate amount of trouble, for, accord
| ing to the attendants at the institution,
the. patients are, with scarcely an ex-
ceptiOn, very docile and seldom much
care.
The asylum is situated partially on
land of the Bishop estate, near the Gov
ernment corral, in upper Palama. A
better or more pleasant spot could
scarcely have been selected, abutting as
do the grounds, on a small hill and
looking down the gentle slope clear to
Diamond Head to the sea. Although
| there has been about 100000 appropri-
| ated for the institution, for some rea-
| son the place has not been given the
necessary Improvements in the way of
| new quarters and in consequence it is
| full to it's capacity. In fact the man
| agement is only too willing to grant the
| request of some of the inmates to be
allowed to sleep out on the porches and
| front lawns. There are now five wards,
! four for men and one for the women.
The policy of the management seems
| to be to allow the inmates to follow
their inclinations in so far as they DO
not infringe upon any of the rules of
| good health or good order. On the land
| surrounding the grounds proper are
| taro patches and a small vegetable gar
! den. The patients can work in these If
| they desire, but as soon as they become
| tired, there is no attempt made to force
them to continue with this~work. For
| the most part, the patients are content
to lounge about on the spacious lawns
in front of the buildings. There, is no
| restraint placed upon their movements,
except that there is an unwritten law
l that none of them shall cross the path
| which separates the lawn where the
women stay from the balance of the
yard.
| Outside in the yard are noticed sew
eral rows of heavy, stiff-backed wooden
chairs. With the exception of hand
cuffs and feet manacles, these consti-
| tute the only form of restraint under
Il which prisoners are placed, as straight
/ Jackets are unknown in the institution
i Whenever prisoner becomes violent
and a piece of heavy wood put in front
of him. similar to that on a baby S
chair, and he is kept there until he gets
over his outbreak At present, the only
patient under restraint is Anton Peril
the strong man.
Inmates rise at a. m. and breakfast
/ half an hour later. Dinner is at noon
supper at 5 and taps from to p. IN
In the way of food for breakfast the in
mates receive tea, rice, bread, taro anC
fresh beef; dinner provides them with
soups, boiled beef tea, taro rice and
bread and for supper they are giveI
tea, bread meat balls, or hash, and
fruit. Poi is also provided three times
a day, and twice a week salmon Is
added to the bill of fare. 1t is served
raw or cooked according to the fancy
| of the inmate. The patients are re-
quired to take cold baths every Other
day and hot bath every Saturday.
Whether in anticipation of possible
: visit by the grand jury, or because it is
the regular accustomed thing, certain
= it is that yesterday when visit wa:
made to the asylum the buildings were
scrupulously clean and well cared for
/ DR.. Herbert, the superintendent, Wis
it's the place from once to three times
r day, the attendants say and his visit
consist of seeing every patient and pre-
scribing for their care when necessary
His visits are never at stated intervals
for he may go there as early as 10 il
the morning and as late as at night
He is, moreover, the assistant says, II
direct telephone communication witt
) the institution.
OF the inmates, the greatest numbe
are natives, there being 81; the Chimes
are close to this record with A, Will
the Japanese number 16 and the Portu
guese IS. There are also American
and I Germans in the institution. In tn
: care of these patients the watches ar
. divided into eight hours on and eigh
hours off. Six guards, under comman
of a captain, and two nurses, in charge
of a matron, look after the patients
Otto Winkler is the assistant superin
y tendent.