The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-06-21
THE aaie1ta HaiIu Eagle: Thursday yorrna aune

whose DUTY It is TO visit the sanitarium
quarteTy and report to the governor the
condition cfthe patients The present re-
port pays high tribute TO the efficiency
Of the management OF the sanitarium
under the superintendency of DR.. Thread
gill. declaring that the buildings. grounds.
water supply and various wards were
never in better condition than now and
the sanitary condition most excellent
The death rate OF the past six months is
commented upon and is ascribed to the
lack OF discrimination on the part of
county boards of the territory in sending
patients to the sanitarium who are al
ready at deaths door. The report is here
appended in full:
Guthrie. o. T.. June Is. 1900
To Hon. C. NJ. Barnes. Governor OF Ok
lahoma Territory. Guthrie, o. T.
Sir-In conformity to chapter Ill. article
2, section 10 statutes OF Oklahoma, 1893.
we. your committee, beg leave to report
as follows:
The third visitation to the asylum at
Norman. and the examination OF the in
sane there detained. was made February
10. q and q. 1900: the fourth visitation
was made May q. % and 80, following.
this con .pleting the number of visits in
dicated by the statutes for the year end
ing June I. 1900
An examination OF the building,
grounds. water supply and various wards
show that the same were never In better
condition than at the present time. The
sanitary condition Of ali was most ex-
cellent; the interior OF the building had
been thoroughly cleaned, whitewashed
and papered as the demand required. A
most excellent corps of attendants are
employ ed, and the wants OF the inmates
OF the asylum are carefully looked after.
Many of the attendants are experts in
the care OF the insane, having been long
employed in that service. We believe that
strict attention to the wants of the pa
tents is demanded by the superintendent
of the various ward employees. DR.. D. w.
Griffin, the medical attendant, seems to
thoroughly understand his business, al
though a young man, and is giving the
patients most excellent medical attention
in our opinion The health Of the patients
seem to be excellent: very little sickness
prevailing, and no sickness that could be
traced to inattention or unhygenic sur
roundings existing.
The death rate during the past six
months has been unusually large owing,
we believe, to the lack of discrimina-
ton and wisdom in sending patients that
were soon to die to the asylum by the
various county boards of the territory.
We found IN number OF instances that
patients had been sent 10 the asylum
that were at deaths door. when they
should have been detained under obser-
Iratf nv no rir -
short time and their true condition
would have been revealed.
The board recommended that In the case
of Mrs. Susie Love, from Oklahoma
county, and Mrs. Emma Taylor, from
Custer county, be dismissed from the
asylum as soon as proper homes could be
arranged to receive them. There are a
certain class of patients in the asylum
that do not strictly belong there; they
are people without homes or friends, and
until arrangements are made prior 10
their dismissal from the asylum for their
care, it would be innuman to discharge
them.
We also recommend the discharge of
F. H. Cook of Logan county, in short
time. subject to the decision of DR..
manager of the asylum.
AS mas been heretofore reported by this
board. we do believe that the insane of
Oklahoma are as well cared for as those
Of any state, and better than the insane
of many states, as shown by their re-
port.
We subscribe ourselves, respectfully
yours.
l. HAYNES BUXTON, NJ D.
C. F. MELRATH, B. D.
I. I III a TIT IL n