The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1900-02-02
Especial to the Chronicle. }

6n0 members Oh The Legislature GulS
session was the ninety-four page re-
port of the managers and officers of
the New Jersey State Hospital at
Morris Plains for last year. 1t is the
twenty fourth annual report. 1t is not
only admirably arranged, but it is the
only report that has up to date half
tone pictures of the exterior and in
terror views of the various buildings
of this great State institution. One
of the most important pictures is a
view of the centre building while
draped in mourning for the death of
Vice President Garret A. Hobart.
The other pictures are good bird s
eye view of the main building; the
newly completed male wing; the
Training School at lecture; the Train
ing School assembled; the ward for
women; the hospital chapel; the dairy
barn and the green house.
The direct report of the Board of
Managers to the Governor:
From the opening of the institution
August 18th, 1876, to October 31st.
1899, 5, 443 patients have been ad
mitted, and it is noteworthy as being
somewhat unusual that the number of
males has exceeded that of females
by 201. Of the whole number, 1,175
have been restored to their reason
1916 have died in the institution; 440
have been discharged improved and
96S unimproved. The number of un-
recovered escapes has not averaged
one per annum.
1t is important to a proper estimate
of the work of the institution to note
that forty per cent. of the admissions
either die or are discharged within
two years, cured or improved.
: This year the total number adj
mitted being 272, and the number dis
charged restored being 6S, shows more
than twenty five per cent, which is
ne-eighth more than the average.dur-
ing the whole history of the Hospital;
a remarkable fact when it is consider
ed that two of those admitted were
over 80 years of age, IL between 70
and 80; 25 between 60 and 10.
OF the 272 admitted, only 75 be-
longed to families in which there had
been other cases of insanity. In 1875
hereditary taint was positively denied,
duu LII No GllC h1bbOlJ OOu1l
not be obtained. 109 of these patients
were born in New Jersey 80 in New
York; in Pennsylvania; in Massa-
chusetts; 2 in Connecticut; 2 in Vir-
ginia, and one each in Alabama, Illi-
nois, Maine, Minnesota, Missouri,
Montana, Ohio and Rhode Island.
More than half the whole number
were of foreign birth Germany leads
the list with 81 Ireland comes next
with IS; England has IL; Italy and
Scotland each 2 Holland, 6; Switzer-
land, s. Sweden, d Poland, Hungary,
and Austria, each; Belgium, Cana
da, Denmark, Finland, France and
Norway, l each.
In addition to insanity, 105 of the
272 cases admitted were suffering from
some serious physical ailment which
in many instances presaged speedy
death. The eath-rate, though not
large, is between one and two per
cent. larger than last year, as re-
suit of an epidemic of dysentery. The
Medical Director attributes it to the
drouth and inadequate reservoirs,
which necessitated in the dry weather
the pumping of water from the stream
which feeds the ice-pond
The Hospital now contains above
five hundred more patients than it
was built to accommodate, and all the
evil effects of over crowding to which
attention has been directed in former
reports are intensified The only sui
eide during the past year was direct
result of this over -crowding
1t was expected that before the close
of this year the north wing of the new
building for male chronics. could he
utilized; but i'll this the manages have
been disappointed, for while it could
be made ready in a comparatively
short time, it has been found imprac-
ticable to attempt to occupy it until
the female department is completed.
There are now 106 epileptics in this
institution, an increase of ten over the
number of last year. 1t was hoped
that before the expiration of the year,
the New Jersey Village for Epileptics
would have been able to relieve this
institution at this point in some degree.
That there should be 63 convicts and
80 criminals in the Hospital, whose
society has been forced upon those
patients who have committed no
crime, is q most unsavory fact. These
Sc patients with a criminal record,
with nearly as many in the institution
at Trenton, imperatively call for the
erection of building within easy ac-
cess of the State Prison.
A number of nurses graduated from
our efficient training school, which is
now in its sixth year, went into the
service of the Government.
The insane population of the hos
pital is |, 302-658 men and GA women,
a gain Of Sc. The number of deaths
(101) which is 66. per cent. of the
number under treatment.
Medical Director Britton D. Evans,
in his special report discussing the
"over-crowded condition Of the hos
pital, " says:
In my last report, called attention
to the over crowded condition of the
Hospital and confidently expected chat
before the close of another year we
would be- able to utilize the north
wing Of the new building for male
patients, thereby relieving the con-