Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-04-12
Scott County Contemplating a
New Departure In Matter
of Its Insane
WILL USE MERCY HOSPITAL
Large Number of Patients Now at Mt.
Pleasant May be Taken to Hospital
at Davenport Where They Will be
Treated-Great Saving in Trans
portation-The General News.

Special TO Thales-Republ!caR.
Davenport, April 12.-Scott county is
contemplating new departure in the
matter of caring for it's insane. A
proposition is before the board of sup
ervisors to keep all insane patients
from Scott county at Mercy hospital
hereafter
The matter has been placed before
the board for some time and the in
dividual members had had it under
consideration but the matter was not
discussed in Ct meeting until yesterday
afternoon.
At the present time there are ninety
patients at Mercy hospital and these
have been under the supervision of
DR.. j. H. Kulp, who has lent time and
trouble to the charge of the patients
without receiving any compensation.
At Mt Pleasant there are about 200
patients from Scott county and it
costs just as much to keep them there
as it does at Mercy hospital.
The facilities at Mercy hospital are
such, however, that many more could
be housed there, as we'll as to send
them to Mt. Pleasant, and the super
visors are contemplating placing them
at Mercy hospital and then paying DR..
Kulp a compensation for caring for
them.
DR.. Kulp has lent invaluable SER
vices to the city and county in the
years gone by and We're it not for the
fact that he has donated his services
cheerfully the care of the insane pa
tients would have cost the county
many thousands of dollars more than
it has.
The plan that the board is contem-
plating, however, is such that it will
cost the county no more and yet it
will renlunerate the physician and
give him an opportunity to devote
more time te, the study Of his patients.
Every person who is adjudged in
sane and ordered sent to Mt. Pleasant
by the commissioners of insanity costs
the county between $50 and $40 be-
fore the patient is in the hospital.
This includes of course transporta-
ton for the patient and one or two
attendants there and back, besides the
cost of board and lodging for the pa
tents and for the attendants while on
the way.
Should this same patient be sent to
Mercy hospital the cost would be not
more than the cost Of a carriage to
take them from the court house to
Mercy hospital.
Thus at least $50 for every patient
would be saved if they We're all kept
in Davenport and it is figured that
this amount will go long way towards
paying the physician for his services.
Not only this but if all those who
are mentally affected are in Daven-
port, their friends can be in closer
touch with them and their condition
can be noted much oftener than if
they are some hundreds of miles away
All of these consideration have APP
pealed to all those who understand
the situation and the board seems to
be strongly inclined to make the
change.
With a view to making some decis-
ion on the matter the board with
the commissioners of insanity and the
physician will pay a visit to Mt.
Pleasant presumably the latter part Of
next week or some time shortly after
ward, and it is possible that many of
the patients there viii be ordered
brought back to Davenport and placed
in Mercy hospital.