Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1905-01-26
ovERCROWDINC AT STATE HOSPITAL
Lack of Suitable and Sufficient Sleeping Rooms fol
All Glasses of Women Patients.
Bed Rooms Improvised from Sitting Rooms. ---rlany
Patients Compelled to Sleep Together. ~
Imperative Need Of the Completion Of the New Ward
Building Begun in Ioo3

gun in 1908.
patients and including convalescents,
there should be about 16 patients.
At present there are about 21 beds on
the ward, the gain being made by
crowding beds into the two largest
rooms, one Of which was formerly
used as dining room. In Ward 2,
the sick, helpless, feeble and dement,
ed should be limited to 20. There
are over 80 patients in this ward.
Ward 3 contains the mildly disturbed
patients or talkative restless, laugh
ing class, and the beds are crowded
as closely together as they can possi-
bly, be placed. Ihere are only 81
beds in this ward and there are al
ways more patients than that, so
from ten to twelve patients sleep
"double" there.
In Ward the visitor sees and wit
aesses most curious spectacle, on
entering after patients have retired.
With the opening Of Che, door. or
before, the noise becomes perfect
bedlam. The patients are jesticulat.
ing, laughing, swearing, excitedly
talking altogether: and in this ward
there are SO patients of that charac-
ter, where there should not be more
than 20. There are only 80 beds 10
accommodate so patients on this ward.
The crowding OF so many disturbed
patients into a room, which is forced
upon the management, is something
that should be obviaued as soon as
possible. The air in this ward be-
comes foetid after few hours Of such
close confinement at night, and the
sounds from crowded sleeping rooms
resemble those IN circus menegerie
OF animals kept in close box cages.
Such overcrowding is a matter that
every humane member of the legis-
latuIe should consider fully in his
action in providing funds for this
state institution. 5s
r There are throughout the state
from Is to 100 won en- patients who
should be sent to the institution for
treatment and who cannot be
received until further room is pro-
vided. and whose relations are too
poor to pay for private treatment
elsewhere. During the last two years
only the most violent. dangerous and
helpless cases have been taken at the
hospital. The legislature should pro-
vide for the erection Of the new
building originally intended two
years ago, and its construction should
be completed as soon as possible.
It will be remembered that the
contractors price for the building
exceeded the appropriation made two
years ago, and to come within the
limils of the same one wing of the
proposed building was cut off, and the
basement only constructed for the
remainder of the proposed building.
The entire building should be erected
this year, especially as the need for
more room has increased in the last
two years.
The eighth biennial report of the
trustees for the period ending June
80. is now in the governors hands
and will shortly be laid before the
members of the legislature. The
trustees recommended that the sum
Of 100000 be appropriated for the
erection 0f necessary buildings at
the state hospital. In 1908. $4,000
were appropriated for additional
buildings, and the supreme court de-
clared the bonds on which the ap-.
preparation was based. to be uncon-
stiJutional, and nothing further has
been done. Superintendent M0ore's
report points out the necessity of max
Ing rhe new ward building fire proof
10 construction. He claims that it.
would be absolutely wrong to erect
any building not fire proof, il which
the insane are be quartered. The
insane are Of all dependent classeo,
the most helDless, and hardest to-
care for In event Of q fire, says the
superintendent. Concrete material,
iron pillars and other nom ombusti-
BILE material should be used&in every
additional building at the hospital
where patients reside. or course
this increases the cost Of construc-s
tion but thissls q humane and chari-
table precaution that other stat essy
uniformly provide In all mod
buildings sof this kind. The superin-s
tendent also points ont that the In
Intuition has grown In ninete teen years
from IS patients q go, yet5 Stlle per.