Amador ledger., 1906-11-16

between medical schools IN CaIlforni
as to treating the insane and it is nc
my purpose to raise such an issue.
The Cost of Maintenance.
The last legislature appropriate
sl23, 600 to pay the salaries for tn
9th and 5Sth fiscal years and $3.50. 90
for the general support. This give
SLID. 800 per year for current expenses
The daily per capita cost of keepin.
patients runs from 43 to "a cents
Some commodities are less abundant
and more costly in southern Califor
MIA than in northern, which accounts
for somewhat higher average pei
capita cost than at Stockton, for in.
stance, where the cost of living is
comparatively low. Also the larger
population at Stockton and Napa
hospitals make lower per capita
cost of maintenance possible.
DIR. A. T. Williamson, the sIperin-
tendent, is good executive, a good
physician and good man and citizen.
he knows the right thing when he
sees it and wants lt-wants it right
OH II possible. If, under his ad
mlnlstration, this hospital does not
become model inside and out. it
VIII be because the state treasury
runs dry or because he is not given
free hand. He carries in his mind g
eye picture of this hospital as it
Will be when Its patient population
shall reach 1000 instead OF S75, and
that picture is already fairly COM
plete as to details and policies.
The Farm as Farm.
A hospital farm should undertake
to produce nothing for the general
market. That the farm a Patton doas
This Is not through the fault of the
present management Alfalfa, siIage.
vegetables and enough fruits for home
consumption should about comprise
the range of products. The Southern
California Hospital farm has under.
taken intensive agriculture. The
acreage is about as follows: Reser-
volrs and foothills GO acres, alfalfa 40
acres, kitchen garden 80. dairy garden
~, declduous fruits 80, citrus fruits
80, barley and rye 100. The remain
ing acreage is taken up with institu,
ton grounds, yards, etc.
Besidesswhat deciduous fruits were
eaten during the fruit season and put
up or cured for winter use, 1000
worth was sold, and the orange crop
this year brought in SIS, al. 80, an ex
ceptlonally good return. These
orchards are cared for without extra
hired help, and patients do all the
orange picking. 1t may be noted to
their credit that while the ordinary
packing-loose loss of oranges through
decay is per cent largely through
careless handling in picking) that
from the hospital this year was one
fourth of one per cent. However.
picking is about the only orchard
work that patients can be trusted to
do. Straight farm and garden work
is better for them, and in the long
run, better for the institution too
A Model Cottage.
The newer idea in hospital treat
ment for the insane is we'll exemplified
in the new cottage for oonvalescent
women built at Patton under the
supervision of DIR. Williamson.
This cottage is brick, one story
with a basement and finished in
bungalow style. 1t is in shape
cross with two dormitories each
having eight beds two rooms having
three beds each and % single rooms
for patients. This gives a capacity of
Al patients. There are in addition
three rooms tor nurses, one large
living room with several nice coy
corners convenient for gossiping-the
bane of hospital life on the women's
side, and big, cool dining room,
pantries, etc., down in the basement.
All surrounded by nice grove and
garden. 1t is an ideal home for those
whose hurt minds are on the mend,
or would be if enough Of occupation
could be found to eliminate the
harassing habit of detailing what
everybody else has said about her.
If this were done as thoroughly out
side of institutional life as inside
there wouldn't be two friends in the
whole world. Here is hoping that
Southern California Hospital will
soon have near reproduction of this
model cottage for its convaIescent
men. This one cost SIG, 400 and the
furnishings 81, 400, or S427 per patient.
Things Wanted.
lnasmuch as the Southern Califor-
MIA State Hospital enjoys contingent
income from paying patients of about
81, 900 per MONTH 1t can, in course
of time, do quite a little building
without appealing to the legislature,
but that source of capitalization does
not suffice for all requirements. If
the promptings of human sympathy
are to have their proper influence
there are some good things that need
to be pushed along.
A first consideration should be for
the welfare of acute cases that cures
may speedily be effected and the
fflIctpd re turned RI coojot1 obIo 70