Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1902-05-08
STATE ASYLUM.
1t IL Imperative That More Room he
Secured for WOmen'n Quarters.


1t IL Imperative That More Room he
Secured for WOmen's Quarters.
A gentleman who recently visited the
North Dakota Hospital for Insane. at
Jamestown, was struck with the over
crowded conditions III the women's
ward, and in an interview in the Fargo
Forum, said:
THE State Hospital for Insane OF
North Dakota had on its rolls, April %,
1902, 448 patients, of whom 1874 were wo-
men. The three buildings occupied by
the 254 men are just about comfortably
full, while the two reserved for the wo-
men are crowded to a degree that is
prejudicial to the prospects for recovery
in many cases. and unpleasant, as re-
al health to all. 1t is much cheaper to
cure woman i'll the beginning Of an
attack of insanity, by supplementing
intelligent medical, treatment by COM
Portable and pleasant surroundings,
than to keep her for years all incurable
patient, in the opposite environment.
From a mere selfish, business stand
point, therefore, this state ought to pro-
vide quarters for the increasing num-
Der of insane women. dependent upon 1t
tive-that of Christian charity, the
erection of the buildings necessary for
the proper care of the insane women
of the state should be attended to at
the earliest possible period. Such
buildings should be sufficient to accom-
mediate the patients who will come in
during the next four years at the pres
ent rate of increase. as we'll as those
MI, IN hot
Much money is expended every year
that could be saved for other useful
purposes were a cold storage building
erected for the use of the institution.
such building would soon pay for it
self, and no better investment could be
made by the state than the erection of
such a structure. 1t is a matter of the
baldest business necessity, this ques-
ton of the erection of a plant in which
meat butter, eggs, fruit, ETC., could be
preserved for future use.
Great need exists for a separate build
ing where those who are sick or have
undergone surgical treatment may have
special care and attention apart from
the rest. No room is at the disposal of
the officers for an operating room. and
all surgical work is performed at great
disadvantage, accOfulnSly.
| All visitors who come to inspect the
hospital desiring to learn the character
| of the work now done there and the ia
cilities at hand for the performance of
the same, are welcome. and the exact
facts can be easily ascertained by them.
1t is early evident 10 even the casual
observer that 200 women are now oc-
crpying the space originally designed
for the accommola ton of but one-half
that number. Of the whole number Of
women only seven are sleeping i'll sim
| gle rooms, and in one dOrmitOry, 2OX24,
| thirteen women are sleeping. In an
other, 1Sx15 1-2 feet, seven inmates are
obliged to sleep, and there is yet an
other, 27x17 feet, which has nineteen
occupants at night. The most of these
women should, from the nature of their
| insanity, occupy separate rooms. Even
| under these conditions, it has not here
tofore been deemed best to refuse to ad-
nit the patients to the hospital, for
the counties have no accommodations
at all for them, and there are few fam
lilies in position to care for their Own
| Insane.
So, even in this C, DIVIDED condition
the chances are that they will recover
faster than if they We're in their own
homes or away from experienced care.
But the limit has been about reached,
+. and it will soon be necessary to refuse
admission to any more women. except
as vacancies are created among the
|