The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1908-12-29
GAINS YEARLY
in NEW JERSEY
Dr.. Evans Reports on the
Increase and Causes
Of Insanity.
NEW STATE HOSPITAL NEEDED

GERS of the New Jersey State HosplJal
for the Insane, at Morris Plains, pre-
sent some facts of public Importance,
This board is one Of the most dlstln-
guished in the state, consisting OF John
@. Eisele, president; James M. Buck
lev, editor of the Christian Advocate,
yice-president; John A. Mcbride,
David st. John, James g. Morgan,
Patrick j. Ryan, John T. ellison and
George w. Jagle. In this report they
saw that the institution contains l,943
patients, 993 Of them being men and
e5O women. There we're 495 admis-
sions during the year, 27l men and 224
women. This is the largest number
of patients admitted during any one
year since the opening Of the hospital.
The board suggests the advisabil1by
of making it one Of the duties OF the
state department Of charities and cor
rections to supervise, visit and report
upon the county hospitals for the in
sane. They suggest that an act OF the
legislature be passed relieving the
state hospital board OF this duty.
They say the hospital is now danger
onsly oyercrowded and suggest that
relief might be given if the institution
were relieved of the convict and Grim
inal insane, who are "a demoralizing
element in the hospital and an imposi-
tion upon those patients who are IN
fortunate but not guilty Of crime"
Accompanying the report OF the
managers is the annual report OF DR..
Britton ID. Evans, medical director
and practical head of the institution.
He saws that since this institution was
first opened, thirty-two years ago,
there have been admitted for care and
treatment 1858 persons, OF whom 2, l73
have been discharged recovered, show
ing that more than twenty-four per
cent. of all under treatment we're re-
stored to mental health. During the
last year 1922 per cent. of the pa
tients admitted are reported as having
recovered Hereditary faint IN twen-
ty-two per cent. of those admitted was
discovered.
DR.. Evans is convinced that with a
more complete history OF all these
cases a larger percentage OF hereditary
basis of insanity would be shown. The
occupation of insane patients previous
to admission is believed by alienists to
play an important part in the causa-
tion of insanity. OF the number ad
mitted during the last year 100 were
housemaids and servants, which is
thirty per cent. Of the total admis-
sions. "This," said DR.. Evans, " is
interesting, but not in harmony with
the contention of numerous statlstl-
clans. " Twenty-one per cent. OF those
admitted had some form of mental de-
preston, commonly classified as melan-
cholia % per cent! had mental exalta-
Stion, or mania, in some form, and "a
Der cent. mental deterioration, known
as dementia, and including paretic de-
mentia. Sixty-one cases were compli-
Gated by disease of the circulatory sys-
TEN.
In regard to the admission of con,
victs and criminals DR.. Evans says
"There are, at the close OF this hos
pital year, seventy-one convicts and
thirty-nine insane criminals in the
wards of the hospital. No citizen OF
the state wants his i'll relatives or
friends subjected to the assaults and
influence of convicts and criminals
OUher states provide for the segrega-
tion of this class, and it would be a
credit to New Jersey to follow their
good example. a separate building
should be constructed for this class,
and located in central part OF the
{ state. The taking away Of such pa
tients would to that extent relieve the
overcrowded condition and make room
for the admission Of an equal number
of non-criminal patients"
The report continues
81 deem it proper to again direct
your attention to the fact that no pro-
vision is made for the proper isolation
of our tubercular patients. The
crowded condition of our wards makes
satisfactory isolation impossible. /
advise the purchase or construction of
canvas tents in which such patients
may be kept and given all the advan-
tages of outdoor life, pure air and sun
shine, and the great danger Of general
ward contamination and Infection
would be minimized."
DR.. Eyans dwells upon the impera-
tive necessity of giving active support
to the warfare now being waged by
civilization against tuberculosis.
Speaking Of the treatment Of patients,
DR.. Evans report says:
1T has chiefly consisted Of assign
ing suitable employment to those capa-
Bile OF engaging in any form Of indus
try, supplying indoor and outdoor
amusements In such varieties as our
means would permit, prescribing nu-
tritious and properly selected diet,
the use Of hydro-therapy and electro
therapy and such drugs as have been
indicated in each particular case. The
work done in the newly equipped