The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-08-08

greenhouse to furnish flowers for the
wards, a blacksmith shop and build
ing which shelters carefully and
well-equipped fire department..
| A Nurses Home, rapidly approach
ing completion, will give aceommoda-
tion to about seventy nurses. This
building is built of brick, and situated
in front of the main hospital buildings.
The magnitude of the work and the
immense amount of detail connected
with it calls for thorough organiza-
ton in every department
At a. m. the rising whistle blows,
and 1.7O0 patients and their nurses
arise, and the hospital day is begun.
The feeble and untidy are washed and
dressed by the nurses the strong and
robust are educated and trained to
care for themselves the wards and
the rooms are flushed out with pure
air, and systematic house cleaning is
put in operation. The morning meal
is served ins forty-fve different dining
rooms to nearly 1000 persons at 7
O'Clock.
The daily rounds by the physicians
cover every part of the Institution in
which there are patients. The ply
sicians also give careful attention to
everything pertaining to the care and
treatment of the patients, such as the
minuti@ Of diet, exercise, baths and
medicines, and try to impress the
patients with the fact that they are
their friends as well as medical ad-
visers.
At 8 p. m. the day nurses, after six
teen hours of service, deliver their pa
tients over to the care of the night
nurses. under whose watchful care and
humane administrations they remain
till morning.
Where so great number of patients
are congregated, the usual percentage
of those who are homicidal, or suicidal,
er who suffer from pyromania, make
the danger of homicide, suicide. a
i fire or other accident source of never
ending anxiety to those in charge. No
where is eternal vigilance more neces-
sary or more to be insisted upon than
in a large hospital for the insane.
With the exception of the wards in
which are the patients who are sub
iect to violent outbreaks or are unable
to appreciate the nature Of their sur
roundings, one might readily believe
he were walking through the corridors
of one of the best hotels in New York,
and the patients, neatly clad and
walking leisurely about or sitting in
rocking or cosy arm chairs, were the
well-to-do guests, some reading or
playing on the pianos that are always
open for their use none giving any
indication of insanity until addressed.
Through the tunnel we went under
ground on the cable car, seated on
benches inside wire cage, to the new
building. There, indeed, is TO be found
the ideal arrangement for the care of
the more mentally helpless. Gathered
in large, square, bright, sunny rooms,
with abundant fresh air, the inmates
seemed perfectly contented.
The dormitories on the floor above
are Of the same roomy dimensions,
with the rows Of comfortable beds
forming pleasing sight. In the great
kitchen corps of cooks, under a re-
sponsible chef, were broiling great,
juicy steaks and chops of tempting
odor, while In another adjoining room
the tea was being prepared for the dis
tributing cans arranged in rows on the
stone floor. Then through the ma
chine shops, the same evidences of
watehful care everywhere apparent,
up on the long, narrow elevator on
which patients may be carried on
stretchers from one floor to another,
we went to the laboratories and drug
shop
Bowling alleys Of finest construction,
three in number, are in large, we'll
lighted basement room, and here and