Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1907-03-15
W. S. HOSPITAL REPORT.

W. S. HOSPITAL kEPUht.
The 18th annual report of the West
ern State Hospital. situated in this
city, is before US, and shows nealtny |
condition of affairs and many subjects
for congratulatjon. There a'e. bur-
dreds of persons within th2ss walls
who have found there an asylum inceed,
o place where their bodily CONT r's
may be looked after and are locked
after, as they could be- nowhere else,
save In such an institution, and whose
friends should be thankful that they
are 80 happily situated, and so well
provided for.
The hospital contained on Sept. 80,
1906, the end Of the fiscal year. 1890
patients-an increase over the CORES
bonding day Of the previous year OF 70.
There were admitted during the year
25S, and discharged 1926, and during
the year 1O7 have died. OF these the
report says: ~ were over 80 years of
age; 4 between so and 80; q between 70
and so, and 20 between so and 10. max
ing a total of AZ oyer go years of age"
The sanitary condition of the hospi-
tai is good, and no contagious disease
beyond one case of typhoid fever Oc-
Cured during the year. Only one sui
eide occurred, and this was in the case
Of a furIoughed patient at her home IN
Petersburg, who stuck pair OF scis
sors in her head and broke off the
point She was not operated on there
for its removal, and shortly after she
reached this hospital and the piece
rem owed inflammation set In causing
death.
The financial report shows bal
ance of 81, 1923 % on hand, which is
narrow surplus for so large sn instltu
ton, since it is always unwise for the
Legislature to compel the management
to struggle along on barely enough
money to meet the most economical
administration.
There was a surplus at the end of
the fiscal year of 1905 of $1S,256.27-
$4,000 of which by the efforts OF the
Board had been raised from collsc-
tions of over due accounts. Such
sums will now be no more or will
amount to little, owing to recent leg
islation. The other 900 was from
the appropriation for that year, but
WAS practically spent on hospital i'm
provements at the making Of said re
port Of 1905.
The per capita for the year ending
Sept. 80, 1905, Is figured at 800 So, the
lowest In the history of the institution.
Whilst we cannot agree that the mode
of figuring out this small per capita is
exactly fair to previous years or preyi
GUS managemssts, we do believe that
even a per capita of $12305, which
seems to be about the apparent pei
capita, is just as low as the occupants
of that hospital can be we'll supported,
and the management, We believe, usu-
ally commits an error in efforts to re
duce the per capita too low. Ii TO,
the next year, it should not fall so low
too much explaining might be neces
sary. The best and safest thing In the
management of a public institution ii
do the best possible and let the fig
ures show accordingly charging every
thing reasonable to the per capita
The Legislature Is very apt to grow
more and more stingy on a small Pc
capita.
Much commendable effort on the
part of the superintendent is visabl'
in his medical, surgical and scientific
departments, and under his charge {
new morgue has been built.
He recommends competitive exami
atoms for assistant physicians, ant
will start training school for nurses
He reports the removal Of all physi
cal restraints, and the unlocking o
patients doors at night. He also re-
ports segregation of eplleptlcs from
other patients.
He recommends strongly the cOloni
cation of cOnsumptives.
He again, but we fear with the sam
results of formerly, calls attention t.
the Improvements needed. This seem
such hopeless task. Year in and yea
out has the Legislature been impor
tuned to supply means for intercom
municating telephones, for an infirm
airy. for better kitchen, for employee
quarters, for associate dining roOms
and some places where industrial avo
cations may be carried on, and chape
and public hall placed elsewhere thai
where it is, saturated by the fumes o
the kitchen. All these have long bee
needed, indeed begged for, but the
have been denied.
Modern plumbing. began some tim
ago and was last year completed in
portion of the hospital The residu
needs it as the report shows, and tn
money should be supplied. Probabl.
future Legislatures may be more libeI
al, and these necessities be made pos
sible, but the hospital, considering
its opportunities, has done splendid
work, and without any intention t.
draw invidious comparisons, it ma,
be safely said that it will compar
favorably with any of it's size in tn
South, and is nearly double in siz
that of the other two white hospital
in the State.
The hospital has passed through un
usual vicisitudes during the fiscal yea
OF this report. On Dec. 10. 1905, owe
two months after the year began tn
superintendent, DR.. Ben. Blackford
died. DR.. Geo. s. WOlker. first assis