The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-10-25

tons in other states and territories Of
the Union. The utensils are old and bad
ly worn, and for drinking cups the pa
tients use old tomato cans, there being
no other cups provided.
Ward number three has thirty-two
cells, occupied by thirty-three patients.
Here the floors are more or less rotten.
The cells have overhead ventilation, and
the solid doors are fitted with u small
grating.
Ward number four is women's ward,
and had normal accommodations for
nineteen patients, yet thirty-three women
are now housed there, many sleeping on
the floors of the cells, owing to the
scarcity of cots In this ward the yenti-
lation is better than in some others, the
! ceiling being of open work.
Ward number five is a private ward for
pay patients only and is not in use.
The bathing facilities for men are good.
The 'women's quarters are provided with
two tubs.
The draining system of the place IS to
! be condemned. Mauka of the main en-
! closure is an open ditch, which runs
close to the mems sleeping quarters. In
this ditch stands continually all the slop
from the kitchen and the wash houses,
and the stencil arising is most offensive
| What runs off empties into larger ditch
which receives also the Stops from the
poi house. The sewage from the mems
| closets empties into cesspools, but the
women's closet is built over a vault and
the building itself needs repairs. A SAN
itary system of sewage should be in
stalled and the health of the inmates be
saifcsrarded from the danger of the stag
nant bitches above described.
| The patients numbered on the day of
our visit, 1885, of whom lis were men, IS
iG nrlr I.I f1,
the inmates except for very few in
the taro and garden patches, and about
the kitchen and wards. Neither are
there any forms of amusement and
there is no music, nor are there any
appliances for physical exercise, nor are
outdoor games encouraged for either
sex.
We would recommend that for every
patient who is able TO work at all. some
employment, however light, be provided,
and that rational amusements and physi-
cal exercises be introduced as far as
practicable, SO as to mitigate as far as
possible the condition of the rTfortunate
Inmates. who are deserving CT the widest
sympathy of our citizens and of the con-
siderate care of the government of the
TERRITORY.
Finally, we would recommend to the
attention of the honorable court and tc
the IaW-Inahlng power OF the territory
the propriety of changing the method
now in vogue regarding commitments tc
the asylum.
A magistrate, on the certificate of q
single doctor of medicine, should not
commit any person TO the insane asylum
and in all cases the patient should bc
produced in court. And we would sug
gest that q commission of at least three
doctors, one of whom shall be special
list in nervous diseases. pass upon the
merits of every proposed commitment
before Judgment be rendered in the case
and We further suggest that from tim,
TO time, visiting commission of thre
well qualified physicians might well b.
iappointed to visit the asylum 70 ascertain
if all the inmates thereof Were properl.
treated and rightly detained therein
THE REFORM SCHOOL
This institution was visited by tn
grand jury next after the insane asylum
It seems to be kept as well as the pres
ent facilities and appropriations will PEI
nit. The great need of the institution i
occupation for the boys. At present Their
is nothing outside of the primary schoo