The Farmington times and herald. (Farmington, St. Francois Co., Mo.) 1902-1905, 1904-01-07
REPORT ON ALMSH0USE.
Board Of Visitors Appointed by Circuit
Court Makes Its First Report

Pennington Mo, December a. 1893.
To the Honorable County Court st.
Francois county, Mo
Gentlemen Your Board of Visitors,
appointed ut the last term Of the cir
| cult court OF St Francois county, beg
To submit Ia you the following report
| II has organized In accordance with
the legal provisions governing same. hav-
| Ing elected DR. J. l.. lIaw, president. and
Mrs. NJ. w. Hun, secretary.
| on Tuesday. December l5 1870, the en-
tire board, with the exception of Mrs.
Hun, visited the county aims house and
thoroughly inspected same.
| INMATES.
There were- sixteen inmates In this in
stituti0n. OF these only one was culorcd.
| There were four female patients and
twelve male patients. All of the patients
| are adults,
one white woman is insane and con-
| fined to her bed for the greater part Of
the time, She * wholly unable to at
tend to the simplest needs and receives
attention only twice Il week This is
given by the superintendent wife. and
under the circumstance. her numerous
| other duties, Is probably as good a.
might De expected. However. her cnndi-
tion is "A most pit!ublc one FOR the great
| er portion OF the time. lying In n bed
more or less filthy. Your board found
that she WIS treated in n more humane
manner than was formerly the case
She has been released from the rope
| anklet. chain and block. with which she
was formerly encumbercd aud IL no
longer fastened to the staple In the floor
The one cOlored patient a woman OF
some age. IL also confined to her bed
The principal attention that she re-
ceives is from a fcllow-inmatc. Mrs Nee
| house, whose room udjoins the one In
which she Is confined Her bedding Is
wholly insufficient both in the matter of
covering and mattress.
one aged man Is blind and for part
OF the time unable 10 help himself lie
too Is confined to his bed. His condition
seems Ia be- better In some respects than
those who have already been mentioned
one woman, younger inmate Is
idotic aud also three men Two of these
idiotic inmates are the children of one
of the inmates, who seems To have some
degree OF control over them This makes
a total Of five inmates who are insane
or idintic. two others who are confined
10 their beds for All or greater part
Of the time and dependent upon the at
tcntions Of others.
In the matter nf food all of the inmates
seemed to be well satisfied with what
WAS being provided ana well nourishcd
As a rule they were comfortably clothed.
The only exceptions to this were posi-
bly, the aged blind man aud several Of
the women These latter class should re-.
ccve IN" immediate attention of the
superintendent and your honorable
court.
BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT.
The buildings and equipment were
found tu he wholly Inadequate to the
uses to whir'. = ey were being put |hr
buildings ARE IN dilapidated state and
many repairs are needed. Flooring is
well worn and In many Of the rooms IS
filed with large uperturcs, The doors Of
many of the rooms do not fit closely
into the framework plustering ana
whitewash are badly needed, The copdi
tion Is such that the expense necessary
to put them In anything like u sutisfae.
tory condition In wholly inoommensurnto
WIN tHe NNlut VI INV
The equipment for tho ordinary needs
of such mn institution are also made.
quate Apparatus for the use OF the sup
erintendont for washing clothes II badly
needed. There In only II small cooking
stove for preparing the menls for the
sixteen inmates In nddltiOn to those for
the superintendent family. The sim.
plest and most obvious necessities for
sanitation arc wanting Small matters.
such ns soap, do not seem to be prOvid-
ed FOR washing and bathing purposes,
These ARE simple Inntters IN n sense, and
yet necessary TO the proper running ot
the institution. Along this limo your
board would suggest some simple rules
in the matter OF personal cleanliness and
facilities for patients to put those rules
into effect.
In the various rooms the bedsteads aro
Of wood old and dilapidnted, with but
few exceptions These, together with
the buildings. have become n breeding
place for vcrmn. The beds are Insult
iiclently supplied with mattresses. As u
rule. the stoves are long past the age OF
usefulness. Many OF them have become
u menace to the buildings from the LIN.
hilIty Of Goals falling upon the floors
and starting conflagration, and thus ro-
motely, 4 menace to the lives OF the
inmates.
GROUNDS.
Your board found the buildings admir-
ably situated upon sloping ledge OF
rock. thus afrordLng ample drainage.
There seemed to be nm absence. however,
OF necessary ouibuildings. Water supply
In also too far removed from the build
ings and the superintendent residence
For many purposes. the farm owned
by the county Is ideal It contains n
large extent OF river bottom land and
| alsb a smaller tract admirably suited for
agricultural purposes. For the purposes
to which this farm is put. however, there
are the following objections:
First. II IL located at too great dis
tance from the county seat. This neces-
states the hauling OF goods to and from
the farm for which no provision is made
It also prevents frequent visitations by
members OF your honorable court and
others who are interested In the welfare
i,,ft