The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-11-27
NO MORE INSANE
TO BE TAKEN NOW
At MILLEDGEvILLE HAVEN.
CROWDED CONDITIONS WHICH En-
IST AT ASYLUM.

nv the Grand Jury-Brief Dcscrip-
ton of GeOrgia's Greatest Humane
tartan InstitutiOn-The Work of
the Day-Feeding the Inmates.
In view of the recommendation of
the last grand jury regarding the care
Of the insane confined in the Chatham
county JAIL and the comments on the
Fact that the Milledgeville authorities
have declined to receive patients in
many cases for months after their
cases have been passed upon by
iurv in the Court of Ordinary, some
little account of the conditions that
nrevail at Georgia's great humanita-
rian institution may not be out of
place.
So crowded are the authorities that
they can receive no patients in excess
of the number now confined there. In
forn7a ton to this effect was conveyed
70 the Chatham county officials in the
following resolutions passed by the
board of trustees:
.|Whereas, the cost of provisions
and supplies has advanced during the
present year, and
canita of the patients now in the SAN
itariun will exhaust the appropriation
made for the support of the institu-
ton for the current year,
"Resolved, That in the judgment of
this board it will be impossible to
maintain the institution with a
number of patients in excess of the
number now in the sanitarium, and
that the superintendent be authorized
70 decline to receive patients in ex-
cess of this number and that he ex-
ercise the discretion vested in him in
the selection of the class. of patients
to be received
These resolutions were passed by the
board of trustees, only after it was
found impossible to conduct the work
now going on under the present APP
nropriation if the number of patients
should be increased. Duplicate copies
of the resolutions were sent to the
ordinaries of all counties as official
notice of the action.
Something About sanitarium.
To the majority of the people the
Georgia State Sanitarium for the In
sane is an institution of which little
is known 1t is looked upon with
vague kind of horror, and the impress
sion generally prevails that it is only
a large Jail in which lunatics are kept
until death relieves them of their sur
ferings. In reality, it is one of the
greatest of the philanthropic work I'M
dertaken by the state.
The sanitarium, which is situated at
MiIledgeville, occupies a floor space of
sixteen acres. There are eleven large
buildings covering this area and each
of the buildings is Undivided into
wards There are in all seventy-two
wards in the buildings. all in direct
communication by telephone with the
office of the superintendent, DR.. T. o.
Powell.
Admitting New Patients.
System prevails everywhere, even to
the admitting of new patients, of whom
there are many each day. Each day
physician under the title of the
physicians charge, together with the
superintendent. receive each new pa
tient A brief examination is made,
the details of the case noted, and then
the patient is assigned to division.
Here he is taken in charge by a
division physician and again an ex-
animation of his condition made. The
details of his case are carefully noted,
his physical condition commented on,
and he is assigned to his proper ward.
Day after day this work goes on, I'M
der experienced physicians, and the
whole under the supervision of the
superintendent. The physician-in-
charge changes daily, but the super
vising officer, DR.. Powell, is always
at his post.
Each of the seventy-two wards has
at its head nurse and under her di-
rection are special corps of nurses.
Each ward has its separate office. it's
own medicine room. its own hospital
room, and all the other requirements
on fn olya
where skilled physicians seek to min
lster to a mind diseased"
The Routine of the Days.
The work at the institution is regu-
lar, routine duties coming each day at
stated hours. At O'Clock the rising
whistle blows and at once over 5000
patients, with their nurses and attend
ents, rise and the daily life of the great
institution begins.
Those who can care for themselves
are left to themselves, while the nurses
turn their attention to the helpless.
Inc imbecile, the idiot and all classes
of the mentally unbalanced, are wash
ed and dressed as carefully as are the
pay Patients in the large hospitals of
any city. At times the scene is ludic-
Ious, but back of the humorous side
rs always the pathetic, always the
thought that these unfortunates are as
uependent on their nurses as is the
newborn babe upon its mother.
=, ne patients are then sent out into
me railways and the grounds of the
institutions, while their rooms are
thrown wide open and thoroughly air.
ca: AS much attention is paid to the
Deu rooms of these unfortunates as
uIough they were owners of mansions,
anu every care is given them.
The Serving of the Meals.
AT o'clock the call sounds for
breakfast and the multitude of patients
are led. Thirty-nine dining rooms are
required for this, and many OF them
are exactly similar to those of modern
notels and restaurants. Others are
ntted out like the mess tents of SOL
ulers' where all the utensils are of
IN In these the more dangerous are
!su the tin utensil being used to avoid
tHe breaking that would follow IL
bias. ''0
or those whose physical condition is
s sS mat they cannot appear at the
"a ples Where the majority are fed,
~ kiast is served in their bedrooms.
- OF ms purpose small adjustable ia
DIes nave been provided, that project
acIoss the beds, thus making eating as
vohliortable as possible for the inva-
,ius. AS modern a service is supplied
ansse unfortunates as is given to the
Elk IN the city hospitals and nurses
are constantly in attendance to wait
on their every want.
IN every respect. except the charac-
yer o. the food served. the other two
Hlfbls or the daV arc like hraa lefaat Al