Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-11

DR.. BENJAMIN Blackford, superintend-
ent of tlae Western State Hospital OF
Sta,tnton. is in the city, having
come l1ere to- urge the needs OF
the hospitals of the State for additional
funds to meet pressing demands. DR..
BlaGkford has been in charge of the
Staunton asylum for years, and is one Of
the most successful superintendent in
the State.
In discussing the matter Of the needs
OF the hospitals and the demands being
made upon these institutions, Ur. Black
ford said:
Never before in the hist DRY Of the
hospitals has there been SUI IN a demand
for money Never day Misses that we
do not have an applicable, N for the adj
mission Of patient. The average for
the past several month S has been one
daily, and there are NO W at least a hun
dred applications pending. The unfortu-
mates viii have to remain in prison or in
the custody of frieUds until we can find
room for tl1em.
The hospital at f.staunton to-day has
Lose patients. the IL irgest number at any
one time OF which there is any record I
can recall. we are sorely in need OF
money we mu' st either have additions
built to the PR .scnt hospitals or new
hospital must &c built at once to relieve
the demands and afford treatment to the
persons VIZ arc now langulshlns IN
prisons and getting worse each day. If
they were % EHs1e hospitals and could have
immediate astchtion the chances are that
we coul I cure a great many of them.
me So ,nse conditions obtain in all the
other hospitals of the State.
NC t. only are we crowded to the limit,
but jwe find ourselves face to face with
a .cnditiotl of affairs that is unusual.
81 nee the last appropriation was made
- f,1l of. 1sl1v RI
SaEced very much, and the price of coal
( has advanced to more than twice what is
i usually the price when we obtain our
! s1rpIy for the year. This is the condition
that confronts us-not a theory. What
| arc we to do: We are exercising the
| greatest possible economy. The question
/ for she members OF the general assem-
! bly, is will they allow the unfortunateS
| NJ the State TO be turned out and allowed
/ 70 roam and starve along the highways?
The number Of patients, as I said be-
fore, at Stanton to-day IS 1.052. OF this
number there are a few more men than
| women. AS a matter Of course, there
are some few of the patients who will
never be discharged. the only. relief for
them being death. There are others who
are improving. and from time to time We
are disciarging patients.
SITUATION ALARMING.
| The situation is something alarming.
1t is an emergency, and we will be COM
PEELED to do one of two things We must
! have moro money to provide for the pa
TENTS we already have and decline to
take others, or we will be compelled to
use what money is in sight and then
| close up. The same thing, mind you, is
true of all the hospitals. I will not be-
lieve that the State will neglect the I'M
J fcrtunates or shut the doors against
those who are now awaiting treatment
at our hands"
bill for the relief of the State hos
pitfalls will i'll all likelihood be presented
i'll the senate within few days asking
| for an appropriation sufficient to provide
| for the insane Of the State. Just what
this amount will be is hard to estimate
at this time, but officers representing all
the hospitals will prepare the figures and
| forward them to some member of the
| senate within a few days.