The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-28
Eliminate ALL POLITICS.

them fail. Some of them are not SlIteu
for that kind of work; they have no
adapta bility for that kind of work
/ % In what way is the work pecul-
lar and arduous? A. The long hours,
| the constant association with insane,
land with the many little perplexitiesand
annoyances incident to the care of the
/ insane. and the close confinement All
\ these things go to make the work an
unpleasant task in many ways Ihe
| requirements for an attendant would De
a person that is endowed with more
than an average amount of self-control
land even -temperednesS and good Judg-
ment in trying emergencies, people that
don't lose their heads industry not only
in taking care of the insane, but indus
try in keeping up the work that is
/ necessary on the ward. and in looking
after the patients; reliability and truth
fulness, so that when they make a
sta tement the patient viii think 1t Is
/ true at least, people who take pride in
that kind of work-take pride in having
their ward kept nice and their patients
kept neat and clean. All these things
make a combination that we do not find
in every one who applies for job"
1t is a recognized truth that very lit
tie of the proper material for the ar
duous and responsible position OF at
tendant in such institutions is available
to select from. and the nature OF the
work with its surroundings and as
sociations, is such that a few careless
or brutal and unfeeling attendants have
| a tendency to demoralize that branch OF
the service. and as there is a DISPOSE
tion among this branch of employees to
stand together and protect each other
from their superior officers the abuses
! that exist are very hard indeed to de-
/ tect and eradicate. It is just to the IN
stitution, however. that 1t should be
stated that instances of extreme cruelty
! are the exception and not the rule. 1t
I is also just, in our judgment, to the at
| tendants employed at this hospital, to
say that this committee is satisfied with
the majority of those employed as at
tendants in the institution are kind and
careful persons, who give their best
service and attention to the duties of
their position, and whose only fault or
shortcoming is their unwillingnesS to re-
quire of their associates and fellow-at-
tendants the same kind of service that
they themselves give. and to report Their
misconduct to their superior officers.
HOSPITAL AT OSAWATOMIE-
Concerning the affairs of the hospltaI
at OSawatOmie. this committee mas ex-
amined twenty witnesses, whose testl-
mony the committee has caused to be
typewriter, and a copy thereof is here
with transmitted and is made part of
this report.
The committee from a personal in
vestigation of the hospital at Osawato-
mie and from evidence taken, hnds that
the buildings and grounds are well kept.
are commOdious. and well adapted 10
the purposes for which established; that
the sanitary conditions are excellent,
and that patients are provided with
suitable food and clothing. and that all
the material surroundings of the patients
are clean and pleasant and conducive
to their mental improvement.
The rate of mortality among the pa
tients is about ten per cent, and Whlle
somewhat higher than at Topeka, is still
low for an institution of this character
The committee finds that the medical
treatment of the patients is well pro-
] i hot Ia fno1
/ the institution is doing efficient service
I The evidence shows that the average
number of patients confined in the hos
pital is about 1,170. In the management
! of these patients. two or three atetnd-
ants are employed upon each ward,
having from forty to sixty patinets un-
der their charge. Attendants go on
duty at ) o'clock in the morning and
are engaged in closely cOnf1ning and
nervous work until 8 o'clock in the
| evening One attendant is then re-
i quired to remain upon the ward, but IS
permitted to retire to his room. and the
other attendants are then at liberty un-
til 10 o'clock in the evening, when they
must retire to their rooms. The con-
fning nature of the work. its nervous
and arduous character. and the made
quate wages paid make it extremely
difficult to get a sufficient num-
ber of employees having the neces-
sary physical strength. intelligence,
tact and general efficiency requisite for
x.
culties with reference to attendants ex-
ist in the hospital at Ossawatomie that
prevail in the hospital at Topeka. Su-
perintendent Uhls, in his testimony.
cites some thirteen cases of extreme
cruelty which have occurred in the
four years he has been superintendent.
that have been reported to him, and
the testimony of other witnesses some-
what auSments this number. There
were reports of other cases of abuse
brought to the superintendent which he
deemed on investigation not to be sus
tanned by sufficient evidence to warrant
the dismissal of the attendants accused.
While violations of the rules of the
institution prohibiting harsh and cruel
treatment of patients under any cir
cumstances have been punished by dis
missal of attendants when discovered, it
may be presumed and it is the opinion
of the superintendent that there are
other instances of abuse which have
not been reported to him and have
escaped his attention. The committee
finds that these abuses inhere in the
system of employing poorly paid labor
The committee finds that the number
of night watches is entirely inadequate.
Under the present system the night
watch Is only able to make a visit to
each of the wards under his care once
an hour in the night. During the time
he is absent from any given ward, the
ward is locked 1t is true that the more
violent patients are locked in separate
rooms, but limited accommodations re-
quire a number of the milder patients
to sleep in one rom. Any one of these
usually harmless patients may become
disturbed at any time, and may inJure,
and in some instances have injured.
other patients roomiDg with them.
Evidence shows that the facilities for
caring for the bodies of patients who
die at this hospital have heretofore been
inadequate. and those entrusted with
the care of the bodies of deceased
patients have in instances been negli
gent in the proper care and preparation
of the bodies for burial
RECOMMENDATION
l. The committee recommends that
the service be so adjusted that no per-
son shall be required to work as at
tendant on the wards. in charge of in