The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1906-06-12
INSANE ASYLUM MIDDLE.
OSition sOf Steward and MatrOn
Have Been Abolished
PATIENTS ABANDONED TO THEIR FATE
TWO PHYSICIANS MUST LOOK
AFTER BUSINESS AFFAIRS
AND 1000 INMATES.
PATIENTS ABANDONED TO THEIR FATE

Superintendent Van Zandt and his
assistant DR.. Shook, will have to per-
form duties at the Western Washing
ton hospital for the insane, for which
similar institutions of the same size
! in eastern states provide five physi-
clans, a steward and a matron, says
the Seattle Times.
In his frantic desire for economy at
the state institutions and to make good
a boast of expense reduction he made
several months ago, Governor Mead
has reduced the Steilacoom asylum
to the level of a penitentiary with
scarcely enough medical attention to
care for disease, and absolutely no
possibility for study of the insanity
cases. The stewards and matron's
duties will have to be performed by
the superintendent and his assistant
and none of the officials of the asylum
make any pretense of believing that
they can be given adequate atten-
lion.
y booklleeper at a salary of $75 sue
ceeds the steward with salary of $113
monthly. 1t is not pretended the book
keeper will attempt to look after the
work formerly handled by the steward.
He will be mare accountant and the
physicians will have to give time the
legislature anticipated would be de-
voted to the humane task of relieving
the mental distress of the inmates
Patients as Helpers.
Mt even the executive nor his
board of control nave attempted an ex-
PLANTATION of the manner in which the
superintendent will handle the duties
of the matron. In the past the matron
tendent in the women's wings; she has
been in charge of the female employees,
dry, sewing room, the distribution of
clothing and the care of patients
rooms. The governors order means
that the superintendent must shoulder
the responsibility of these duties in
addition to his own as general over
seer, physician, steward, bookkeeper.
reception committee for visitors and
general factotum.
There are nearly 1000 helpless insane
patients in the Steilacoom asylum.
Were Superintendent Van Zandt and
his assistant permitted to give their
entire attention to the patients it
would mean that each physician would
have to care for 500 unfortunates If
the physicians devoted their entire
attention to the work for twenty-four
hours day they would be compelled
to visit new patient every three
minutes. Giving twelve hours a day
to the task, the two physicians are
IdcllS tHe pIoDleln now OF attending
a patient every minute and a half. A
minutes delay in handling an accute
case means the sacrifice of attention
to some other unfortunate.
In eastern asylums of similar size
at least five physicians giving their
entire attention, serve the patients.
Even such a number means that dur
ing a working hour of shrdluetalu
ing a working day of twelve hours.
far more than business men, profess
siOnal men or common workmen de-
vote to their work a patient can have
but little more ;nan sixteen minutes
of the physicians time. But that
length ofsservice would enable the at
tending physicians to give study to
each patient and effect cures where
insanity had not progressed beyond the
point of recovery
The gubernatorial anxiety for an
economic showing means that DR.. Van
Zandt and his assistant must give I'D
time daily for the direction Of the ar
fairs heretofore handled by the matron
and steward. The matron was busy
all the time when on duty. The stew
ard was one of the hardest worked Of
ficials in the asylum. If nothing but
the most casual attempt to perform
their duties is made, hundreds of pa
tients must be ignored entirely by the
attending physicians And at the
sacrifice of these unfortunates the
executive will make the surface show
ing of a SIS monthly saving.
No Saving in Result,