Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-02

tnIS klUus WOulQ De cared LOT III quar-
tiers apart from the main institution.
The fact that their room is in filthy
state every morning does not imply
that it is aintainsd in this condition.
1t is thoroughly cleaned and renovated
every day and the patients who occupy
it are under the care OF female at
tepdant during the day and are kept
in another part of the building. Mr..
Wilson stated that these two women
frequently destroy the bedding in
their room and litter their apartment
up in an understandable manner. This
room Is the only one in the entire in
stitution that in any way approach-
es an unsanitary condition and is in
one of the most remote parts of the
building.
Mr.. Kline says in his report that
"the stools in the insane ward are self
flushing. but that they do not operate
very we'll" Mr.. Wilson most emphati-
cally denies this statement and dem
onstrated the untruthfulness of the re-
port. He said that at the particular
time at which Mr.. Kline visited the
institution that there might possibly
have been a temporary deficiency in
the supply of water, a trou-
Bile which would have been
overcome long before this time
had it not been for series of acct
dents which has hindered the work on
the artesian well now being drilled Mt
the. farm. Mr.. Wilson said that there
has never been any complaint from any
other source except Mr.. Kline in re-
gard to this part of the asylum, and
that sewer gas is a thing they have
never been troubled with.
In the report of the member of the
board of control in regard to the sew
er, this statement is made: Sewer is
to small stream about 1000 feet away
and the attendant advised us
that the stream passed through
the pasture and the cows drank
from it. Mr.. Lowenberg, who
accompanied Mr.. Kline over the build
ing, says that he told the visitor moth
ing of the kind. The sewer opens
from the house about forty rods from
the building and then flows about for
ty-five rods through a field and hog
pasture before it gets to the COW pas
ture. The report would lead one to
think that the COWS made it a COM
mon practice to drink from this pol
luted stream, when, as a matter of fact,
two large tanks are provided, one of
which is always full of water, as a
source of supply for the cattle. In the
summer time Mr.. Wilson sees to it
that one of the men drive the cattle
to the tank at least once day, gen.
orally about the noon hour. If the cat,
tie made ~ a practice of drinking the
water the milk supply would surely be
polluted and typhoid fever would en-
sue. But one case of typhoid fever has
been known in the asylum in five years
and that was in very light form.
Along this line it mighu be well to
state that in the five years the insti-
tuition has been under the control of
Mr.. Wilson, but three deaths have
tahen place among the insane patients
contided to his keeping. One Of them
died from old age, one from erysipelas
and the other was suffering from pa
ralysis when brought to the asylum.
Some stress is laid upon the fact
that the nurses have no training other
than that received at the asylum. In
reply to this, Mr.. Wilson asks what
training does an attendant need to
care for incurable insane persons?
They have been adjudged incurably
insane by persons supposed to be COM
petent to pass upon their condition,
therefore medicine CANNOT do them any
good. When occasion arises that it is
necessary to give medicine, chest of
those things generally needed is pro-
vided and are administered in the same
manner as they would be in all house,
holds. The nurse should have patience
and frmness and those ab the asylum
have those qualifications, else they
would not be holding the position they.
occupy. Mr.. Wilson further says that
IN every case patient removed from
Mo. Pleasant to the county hospital is
in as good physical condition at
the present time as when received. The
majority OF the cases show marked im-
provement both in physical condition
and contentment. Their small lido
synocracies are humored when it will
do them no harm, whereas it might be
the case that they would not be so
treated in other places.
Judge Kline further says that each
bath room is well lighed but poorly
ventilated. The Courier representatives
were shown over each bath room and
saw in each a ventilator such as are
provided for the other rooms.
Judge Kline makes mention of the
S0ss ~ 0NSPinS tAC luudtcS, winch,
according to his own figures, are many
times less than at Mt. Pleasant. Those
given in that report show the cost to
be $32 per capita and say that it does
not include the salaries Of some of the
attendants. Mr.. Wilson says the fig
ures were taken from his books at
time when he paid his help out of his
own salary and that Mr.. Lowenberg
stated to Judge Kline at the time he
made the examination, that he knew.
practically nothing about them. I;
Twelve patients have been discharged
from the place i'll the last five years,
some of whom are working in this
city. Can a single discharge Of a Wa
pello county patient be chronicled
from Mt PLEASANT, Is.it operating in
this manner under the control 4se
board In view of the fact that the
patients are cared for as well if not
better under the present system than
has been the case at Mt. Pleasant,
leaving out the question of cost alto
gether, it would appear that point
has been strained in the recent. report
made by the Visiting member of the
Il avl III