The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-07-29
CONDITIONS AT STATE HOS
PITAL,
Equipment Being Added to From
Time to Time-New verandas for
Patients from Fund Provided by
Northumberland Condition

Excellent.
The State Hospital for the Insane
at Waterbury is probably in the
best condition at present, of any
time during its history, this being
brought about by the expenditure
of money when needed by the state,
and the progressiveness and careful
study of those in charge at the in
stitution. While many phases Of the
work there are not yet brought up
to the standard that the officials
might desire, yet the general trend
of affairs is toward as near a per-
fectly appointed institution as can
be, and the efforts of all concerned
are being bent in that direction.
Just at present the Improvements
are taking the form of new veran-
das for the patients in the various
wards, two three-decker, two two
decker and two single story piazzas
being in the process of construction
understood that a few years ago
the inmates of the hospital had no
opportunity to get out Of doors ex-
cept in the small exercise yard, and
that only on pleasant days, it will
be seen that this new feature Is a
great step toward keeping the pa
tents healthy and in good spirits.
The verandas are of course grated
in on the front side, but this does
not obstruct the view or the circu-
lation of air.
At present there are 500 patients,
all told, in the hospital, of which a
few are tubercular and are segre-
gated in separate parts of the build
ing
The proper care of the inmates
makes it necessary to divide them
into wards, II for males and 8 for
females, graded according to the ma
ture Of the particular phase of in
sanity of each patient. Seventy at
tendants are kept busy in caring
for these patients, as both night and
day watches are necessary in many
wards The need Of new buildings
is felt very severely, as the present
quarters of the criminal ward are
badly crowded as are the quarters
occupied by the female tubercular
patients, and with new buildings for
these wards, there is now doubt but
that all the patients for the next
ten years could be taken care of
with greater ease than under the
present conditions
The patients are fed in IS dining
rooms distributed throughout the
various parts of the buildings, and
it may be readily imagined that a
considerable quantity of provisions
is consumed each week. Fifteen
barrels of -four, one whole beef, and
three or four pigs go to make up
the bill of fare for the inmates each
my Of employees are necessary to
provide for the wants Of the insti-
tuition. The provisions are kept in
refrigerators, one of which is kept
at the freezing point and the other
20 degrees below freezing, by
means of an artificial ice plant. In
these rooms the butter, eggs, milk,
meat of all kinds and other perish
able articles of food, the tempera-
ture being so low that the pipes
from the ice plant are covered with
white frost.
The bakery and kitchen are ex-
tremely interesting to the visitor. as
all the bread and pastry is made
on the spot, new mixer handling a
barrel of -four at one time having
been recently installed, In the kit
chen, five large steam kettles cook
the food for the inmates, with two
large boilers for coffee and tea.
The laundry work of the entire
institution is also carried on by in
mates, a special building having
been set apart for this department
and the sewing room, where the wo-
mems and mems clothing is made
A new drying room OF galvanized
steel has just been placed in the
| laundry, also new extractor
which takes the place of the ordin'
airy wringer,, extracting the water
from clothes by means Of centrifu'
gal force.
The engine room which furnishe;
the power for the lights and variou:
machinery through the buildings
contains three 150-horse power dy
namos, run by three large boilers
which, by the way, are fitted will
patent self-stoking device al
that is required being to shovel thu
coal into a hopper, from which |