Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1906-01-02
THE BANGOR HOSPITAL.
The Report OF Superintendent Vaughan
for the Past Year.

| Or. l.. II. S.Vaughan. superintendent
Eof the Eastern Maine Insane hospital.
| has made the following report to the
board of trustees.
| l have the honor to submit for your
| consideration the superntendent's fifth
annual report. and appended thereto
| the report of the treasurer and stew
ard, giving in detail the operations OF
| the institution for the year entiing
| November 81. 1905. Reference to the ia
| bles Of medical Statistics will show an
increase i'll In" daily and monthly aver
age of patients. We have had larger
number of deaths than. in previous
| years, but most of them were patients
of advanced age. who We're old resi-
dents of the hospital or came here suf-
fering from some mental Affections of
which Senility was the principal basic
| factor. 1t is pleasing to state that our
| recoverieS have been as large as in for
| iner years. based on the number of adj
| missions. The question of recovery is
of course. in measure a matter of pro-
fessiOnal Judgment but have endeav-
ore5 to b" conservative in placing dis
charged patients in recovery list. A
| large humber Of recoveries are in some
| degree due to the number of patients
admitted who were suffering from the
excessive use Of narcotics. which was
the principal exciting cause of theii.
| mental arrangement
The excessive use of alcohol has been
the man cause of more cases Of mem
tai trouble than in previous years, and
| l have reason to believe: from the States
| mehtS Of patients and their friends, and
| from statistics OF other' Institutions of
| this character. that thst Ycute toXemia
from which they We're suffering at the
time of their admission. was due,to the
excessive use of alcd kolic SPIRITS which
had been adulterated with more mi
ii"us material. We have had fewer
cases than usually admitted aS results
of the use of morphine and Socain, but
l think that this is no Indication, of de-
crease in the use Of narcotic drugs. as
many patients are being sent out of our
| State for treatment for disease incurred
as the results Of habitual use uf these
drugs. The common sale of morphina
and 20 some extent cocaih. to habitual
users by the pharmacies in this State
has increased. believe, to an alarm
l ing extent within the past few years
! and this has unquestiona bly, been th,
cause or many cases OF moral deterOr-
alton resulting finally in mental dis
| eases. which has made it necessary to
| commit them to some institution for
treatment And l believe that some
| further restriction should be placed
upon the sale of narcotic drugs. not
| only for those who purchase them to-
day. but for the effect that il may have
upon future generations. as there is no
| doubt that the tendency of the ances-
tors leads to mental and moral weak
peSS. in the progeny; and while they
may not inherit directly the ancestors
HABITS for the use of these drugs or
stimulants, yet they do inherit a GER
| tain predispositio1 which renders them
| liable 10 fall victims to a banefu! habit
| from which otherwise they would have
been free.
We have had nOr suicides during the
year, and no untoward accidents of any
description. and have been free from
ny contagious or infectious diseases.
with the exception Of one case of scar
I Let. fever h
Al Of the hospital wards have been
| much '"ongested during the entire year
In order to keep The number of patients
in tie institution as near as POSSIBLE
within the safety limit, / have discharg-
ed as many chronic tractable patients
assrossible. though in many instances
I know that ii is a hardship both to the
patients and their friends; but it is evil
IDENTITY necessary to 90 this in or err that
we car receive acute cases many of
which are recoverable and also unmari-
ageable cases. which are in many in
stances menace to the community i'm
which they reside !.
The training school for nurses has
continued TO prove success and the
service rendered to our unfortunate
sick by the nurses and nurse pupils has
been of high order. Lectures. recita-
tons ana demonstra lions shave been
given Before the classes by the resi-
dent medical staff by the Medical staff
of tn" Eastern Maine General hospital.
ana by the head of the training school.
and the results of our work in this d.
rectinn are easily demonstrated and
have fully justified any additional ex-
lense that may have been incurred.
1t sh Duld be evident to Ill who have
mad experience in the treatment of tn.
nervous and insane that the employ
mcnt of The trained nurse is intiispens-
able to accomplish the results desired.
and that the instruction. the discipline.
an" the regime of the training schoo,
has proven itself invaluable in institu-
tinnal work of this character.
In respect to repairs and improve
ments would say that we have begun
G.ite extensive repairs in the plumbing
of the institution. which will. think. |
be compile ted in the course of n few
months. New sinks are also being in
stalled throughout the dining rooms OF
the hospital wards. which will be n
much appreciated convenience.
Double-windows have been placed on |
the dining rooms and bath rooms. of |
both wings. and the results thus, far
have been very satisfactory in raising
the temperature of these more exposed
places in our wards. Work in this d. !