Amador ledger. (Jackson, Amador County, Calif.) 1875-19??, 1906-11-02


at Mendocino and that is when tn
institution was opened, Decem Der
1893, it was filled by patients beiu
sent from other institutions and. a
rule, the other institutions did no
send MendocIno those patients 1,
which they were themselves mos
sincerely attached. They did tn,
other thing. These influences hav,
given Mendocino as a whole. a more
disturbed and difficult class OF
patients to deal with than the Other
institutions have, with a correspond
Ing greater necessity for facilities for
classifying and b-classifying pa
tlents in doors and out. No such
facilities exist. They ought to.
Tent Life For The Tuberculosis.
Pressed upon hard for segregating
the tuberculose insane from other
classes of patients, and having no
other means at hand tor accomplish.
Ing that end, the superintendent. DR..
Il. W. King, erected a mum Der of
tents on an eligible plot of land
adjacent to the main building. At
hist patients aud attendants pro-
tested against being taken out of q q
wards, but when winter came thew
protested against being taken indoors
again. hut tent cloth soon rots in
that climate and so light wooden
structures were put up, experiment.
ally to supplement the tents. These
buildings arc is X 30 feet, one story,
built with 2x3 studding covered with
lap-rustic, all lumber surfaced on
10th sides. Windows under the ewes
have wire screens and board shutters
which may be let down above if the
wind comes in too strong. The roofs
are shingles and flours are tongued
and grooved. In this way Quiet
patients and patients who are sick
and require as much out-door life as
possible may he comfortably and
neatly housed at a cost of SIS per
patient and the housing will be fairly
permanent. This camp is in the
midst of majestic oaks, has ample
surrounded by high rabbit
tight wire fence which serves to keep
the patients within bounds and vet
affords them degree of liberty they
conld not enjoy in the main structure.
The colony system not only deserves
to be copied by other institutions,
but deserves q further extension at
Mendocino There should be more
such houses in the male colony, and
then that colony should be duplicated
on the female side, but somehow such
things move slowly. even at Mendo
cino, where the executive department
is we'll differed.
What it Costs.
The last regular session of the Iegis-
lature appropriated sl2a, ZOO for the
support of Mendoeino hospital for the
9th and 5Sth fiscal years, and sl06,
500 for salaries. This allows a maxi
mum payroll of 81. 452. per month. but
not quite so much has been used so
far, though it doubtless Will be used
before the 5Sth fiscal year closes.
The maximum monthly expenditure
for support is 30, 333 80. Almost
months support fund was saved dur
ing the fiscal year and credited on the
ooth. This also will be used before
the year ends. No institution likes
to see an unexpended salary OF sup
port balance covered back into the
state treasury unused.
1t is held to be establishing a bad
precedent. However, the finances of
Mendocino hospital are we'll managed.
The purchasing Is conscientlousIy and
done, and there Is little or
no waste.
Things Wanted.
Mendoclno hospital has the money
10 hand for the acute insane on the
female side. 1t will cost s35, 900 and
will fill long felt want. The build
ing should be now tar toward compile
ton instead of being an incorporeal
hereditament, and would have been if
the superintendent had been empow-
cred, by and with the advice and con-
sent OF the state lunacy commission,
to determine the plan and proceed
with the work. Every housewife
should be permitted to plan her own
kitchen. So also should every super
intendent be permitted to plan, III
general outline, the institution over
which he is to preside. He may make
mis- takes, but he stands better
chance OF knowing what he needs than
any one else, be he architect, builder,
or member of board of managers.
The coming Legislature should pro-
vide $40, 900 for a cottage for the acute
male cases. 1t will have to be larger
than for the females, because the male
population at Mendoeino outnum be1 S
the Iema4e TWO 10 one.
There is a 4J-acIe tract in the midst
of MendocIno's watershed in private
ownership which should be acquired
in order to give the institution full
control of its water supply and aug
ment that supply by the flow of a
large perennial spring. Mendocino
needs water for lrrigating its farm.
Water can he had only from wells
and the surface supply is Inadequate.