Amador ledger., 1906-11-09

shop and laundry is permanent
character. Of the sos, 900 expend,
and to be expended in rehabiIitatit
work. at least S25, 600 will constitu
a permanent asset. Perhaps $40. o.
worth more will last long enough
make the rental value return the i,
vestment. Most of the lumber use
In temporary construction will hay
a value for use about the farm an
grounds. The attendants are MOI
comfortable than they were befor
the catastrophe, having neat an
comfortable pavilions set apart fror
their wards where their rest may b
unbroken. The lack of this has al
ways been hardship for the attend
ants at all of the institutions in Cali
fornia. The patients are beln,
housed in tWo large ''H" shaped, one
story paviIions made of rough lumbe
unfinished inside, but we'll Lighted
and heated with hot water. They ar,
over crowded and supplements
annexes will have to be provided
otherwise. bad weather will infiict
hardship upon patients and attend
ants. There we're, on October Is
enrolled at Agnew 500 men patients
and 323 women, but there we're sc
men and "A women out on parole. To
take care of these there are 1O5
officers and attendants, none toe
many. 1t has been hard Shedding for
them all, but less grum bling at wages
and hours has been heard from Agnew
than from some institutions that have
been pursuing the even tenor of their
ways. There has been something else
to think of,
Agnew's Finances.
The legislature of 1905 appropriated
1850, 600 to pay Agnew's salary roll
Tor the 9th and 18th fiscal years and
'182, 600 for the support fund. Ibis
meant s170, 500 per year for sustaining
about 11QO patients. To this should
% added about $50, 600 year received
rom paying patients which, however,
mainly went into permanent improve
nents in lieu OF asking the legislature
or building appropriations. An
Institution requires betterments all
he time. When it is finished it is
lead. Fortunately, there was about
40, 600 in the Agnew contingent fund
when the great catastrophe happened.
This ewas added to by the special
ession of the legislature to the ex-
ent of S25. 900 to make temporary
hift for winter. 1t has not all been
yet but will be before the
work Is finished. With
his the institution will get on tor a
year or two. but the state should
ose no time in rehabilitating Agnew
State Hospital.
AhO I1SdOW VI Gu0
The care of the insane naturally
divides itself into provision for the
acute and the melancholy; the dis
'urbed chronic who require, for their
OWN good and the public safety, to
be strictly guarded and snugly hous-
I'D; the quiet chronic who can be
allowed large liberty and be profitably
finally, the terminal
dement's who must be cared for like
infants until the grave happily closes
over them. 10 gather all of the acute
and melancholy of the state into one
institution will leave the medical and
official stats of the other institutions
as chronic as the chronic patients they
have in their custody. Besides, Cali
manificent distances and the
equally manlficent charges of sheriffs
for transporting patients, make the
of institutions as i'm.
possible as undesirable. Therefore,
each institution for the care of the
insane should be equipped with all
needed accommodation and appli.
ances for handling the acute and the
melancholy; roomy, airy barracks fol
the disturbed chronic, farm colonies
for the quiet and cheaply constructed
easily secured and disin.
tected, for the demented and untidy.
Room for Specialized Work.
Although all of the institutions
must do all of these things, yet il
does not follow that there can be nc
specialization of effort. Agnew is
near great center of population. II
we're better if it we're still nearer, but
it cam be made to serve the purpose
where it is. 1t must begin anew with
A clean slate. Let it therefore pre-
pare to take especial care of the
following additional classes:
1. Those manifesting mental symp-
IONS whose sanity is under suspicion,
but who may be suffering from de-
lirium. Such cases should be sent to
Agnew to be under expert observa-
lion until the fact is determined
the stigma of commitment for
insanity attaching to them meantime.
There are many such cases and a male
and a female cottage could be set
apart for such as these to mercIful
advantage.
2. The epileptic insane should not
De mixed up with other insane folks.
Witnessing seizures has a most un-
wholesome influence upon morbid