Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-07-23
IN CITY
kEoKuk COUNTY OFFICERS IN.
sPEcTING POOR FARM TODAY
BOARD OF INSANITY MAKES REPORT

Visiting Officers to Investigate Water
Power Plant at County institution
recommendations of Commissioners
of Insanity.
From Tuesdays Daily.
Four of Keokuk county's officials in
company with John McElroy, chair
man of the Wapello county board Of
supervisors drove to the county farm
Tuesday afternoon to inspect the water
plant at that place with view to in
stalling a like plant in the Keokuk
the institution and will profit by any
features at the county farm that may
be used to advantage in their home in
Phelps of Sigourney county auditor; |
G. S. Mahanay Of North English and
Robert Adams of Sigourney, mem
James Walry, steward Of the Keokuk
Walry accompanied the party.
their report to the board of supervis-I
ors last evening which contains the
recommendations mentioned in thel
Courier early last week. No action has
been taken on the recommends
is stated that body looks with favor
on the improvements mentioned in the
report.
A Model Institution.
The visit of the Keokuk county Off
Gals is flattering to the Wapello coun-
ty board of supervisors and to Super
intendent Wilson of the county hospi-
| tai, as it demonstrates that the neigh
boring counties approve of the method
of caring for the county charges here.
| If the improvements contemplated now
are made at the county hospital the
| officials state it will make of it mod
| ell institution and one that will not be
surpassed by any farm in the state.
The Boards recommendations.
The following are the recommends
tons made by the commissioners of
| insanity:
Ottumwa, Ia, July 49, 1903.
| To the Board of Supervisors of Wapello
| County, Iowa:
The undersigned. the Commissioners of
| Insanity of Wapello County Iowa, report
that they visited The County Asylum on
4 the 18th instant. for the purpose of OBJ
/ serving the condition of the building and
its accommodations, and OF examining as
! to the care and condition of our county
| insane.
We are pleased to report that we find
\ the County Asylum well managed: clean
and in sanitary condition. The patients
are generally in good, physical condition,
we'll fed and clothed, and generally con
:, tented or as much so as patients con
: fined are likely to be-
: In view of the fact that we are able
4 TO provide for our patients at the County
: ASYLUM for about one-third of the cost
!; of patients at the Hospital for the Insane
at Mt Pleasant, we deem 1t wise, when
/, patients have been cared for and treated
at that Hospital, until it is there definitely
: ascertained that they cannot he cured
2 lor further beneh.ed, to have them return
q ed to our County Asylum. In addition to
( the above it sometimes occurs that 1t be-
4 comes necessary to confine or restrain
/ idiotic or constitutionally weak minded
: persons, whom no medical treatment can
benefit, and they may be as well cared
for at our County Asylum as elsewhere
e There is also another class suffering from
+ some temporary insanity plainly attrib
2 utable to causes growing out of evil in
n dulgencies, from which if they shall BIZ
: for time restrained, restoration will b'
y certain. All of whom may be cared fol
at the County Asylum.
Wapello county is caring for about ont
hundred insane patients fifty-three o.
4 whom are at At. Pleasant. Each patien
S at that Hospital costs twelve dollars pc
, month; or Il total annually of S7,6320O
q The cost of each person at the Count!
! Farm is, as we have 1t from reliab
,.ttr afn,, a IInr A
per annum, In addition to the supple
produced on the farm. 1t will be seel
! from this statement that very grea
v saving to the tax payer is made over wlla
!, it would be, We're all the insane cared TO
!, at the Hospital at Mt Pleasant.
l. The limit for the accommodation of TIL
insane at the County Asylum. however
l. has nearly been reached. Fifty is abou
r all that can be comfortably accommodate
!. there in the present building: and but fe'
can be sent there without another built
! ing be provided. We are advised tia
y other patients at the Hospital might !
l. properly returned here If we had the az
I commodations for them; but this cannc
If be done under the present conditions.
We are further of the opinion that
the County could furnish work for a nun
Der of these patients, such as they Al
perfectly able and competent to do,
would be better for the patient; impro
4 ing his physical condition. and as resu
1t would tend to his mental improvement
1t would be a diversion tending to secu
lie mental equilibrium. Not only Won
at this work, intelligently supervised, be be
IN eiicial to the patient, but the patient
In that extent would contribute to his su
le port and thus lessen the expense of Il
n. institution few or these patients
n some work now; but for the reason tn
o. the farm consists of only 900 acres, it
of Impossible to furnish employment to &
ne who could work.
he In our Judgment it would be prude
n as we'll as humane poncy for the Coun
ed to enlarge the farm till this labor may
he utilized, and with proper management Il
MS expense of the care of those who becor
he public charges might be largely decrease
ms If not entirely eliminated.
Respectfully submitted
IN W. A. Work, President,
,rt A. o. Williams, NJ. D.,
~ II. w. Michael Clerk,
nd Insane Commissioners
NJ ---~-------------