The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1903-12-12
DOCTOR RUNGE ON THE
ASYLUM EXPENSES
To the Editor of The Republic.


st. Louis, Dec. 1o.-When your paper in
its issue Of November @ brought the state
ment that the accounts of the Insane
Asylum showed decrease of $1o.60i.4O in
the expenditures for the corresponding five
months of this over last year. supposed
it had crept In inadvertently and would
eventually right itself. As your last Sum
days issue reiterates the same alleged
facts and figures am led to believe that
the statement has struck root. and may
readily leave on the minds Of your read
ers. l. e.. my fellow-citizens, the impress
sion OF gross neglect on the part OF the
present asylum management. had never
any reason to complain of the attitude of
your paper toward this institution. which
dealing. hence hope You viii not deny me
the opportunity OF correcting the above
mentioned statement. -,
In a general way let me say that Of all
our accounts covered by the annual ap-
preparations. only that Of salaries is a
fixed entity, while the others naturally
fiuctuate In strict accordance with the
toward keeping within the limits of our
annual allowance. which Is scrutinized be.
fore its adoption by the Eff. financial a md
compiled from our books a comparative
itemized statement for each Of the five
months cited. and have submitted 1t to our
have accepted the same as fully explain
atory of the apparent discrepancies under
public discussion.
A comparison OF expenditures H IN IN one one
crest. The lions share Of the decrease In
expenditures for all five months, amount.
ing to $1,000. 40. falls to the month OF
October. being for that month, $6.3lS. ~.
In October. 1902. we paid over and above
the usual expenditures 8. 1913 81 for special
repairs and improvements; 81, 432. "a for pa
tents winter apparel f and nedding - ma
tents; s32i.1s for higher meat prices, max AK
ing q total Of S. 47O.4S. In November, ly5; w;
We paid out 5000 more for coal. and $1,000
more for patients apparel and bedding
than in November. 1902. Under direct su.
pervision Of the office Of the President OF
Public improvements special repairs and
Wl a amount %G to over $1,000
after the work Is done and the bills rem
dcred This. believe. will prove the
manifest unfairness OF comparing az ran
responding portion of another year.
The only proper way Of arriving at CON
elusive results is to be looked for In
after the financial records are fully COM
pleted. A fairly safe guide In gauging e1-
penditures Of a hospital for the insane IS
the average per capita cost OF malntalhi N.
affairs Of our local institution may Team
from its annual reports that this average
has been rather lower than 1t should be.
considering its circumscribed facilities ana
resources. a..
In the light Of my past experience It
would be absolutely preposterous to deny
that leaks had existed. particularly In our
meat supply. which could only be acs
counted for by pilferings on the part 81
some employees and outsiders the PACK
files of your paper will clearly prove the
fact that have been kept time and again
on an anxious seat on this very account.
I have played the role Of a detective-my
request for detailing one to the institut,on
having been ignored: l stopped outeolns
wagons inspecting even the garbage was
on. / stationed q policeman at QUIZ ga.ss
and the gate Of the Poorhouse. instructed
the late meat Inspector. a direct trusted
appointee of the Health Commissioner,
with mowers superseding mine. to watch
tho Leaving wagons. / ordered the gates
70 tho grounds closed before dark anu
opened after dark. In many otner ways
did try to get at the bottom OF the sus.
pected leaks, but all my enorts resuHeo
In catching the little stepson OF FORMER
lemons. which was followed by an imme,
diate dismissal Of the cook on general
urinciples." I faced the fact that petty
rrafters are very much akin to their con-
freres. the boodlers: 1t appears almost I'M
nossibie to get the law on them unless one
Of the gang" squeals, thus bringing his
pals into the open.
The present Investigation cannot probe
too deeply for my comfort, as the prevail.
ing uncertainty and anxiety in the face Of
an invisible enemy had proved at times
ai'ii''' EDWARD C. RUNGE. M. D.,
Sunerintendent st. Louis Insane Asylum.