Norwich bulletin., 1909-02-27


admirably set forth in the bienniai re-
port Of DIR. Fl. NJ. Pollock superinten-
dent Of the hospital, which has been
issued fer The two years ending Sept.
80. 1908
The report is accompanied by tables
and statistics which nave been care
fully kept and complied, showing on
whose authority patients were admit
ted, nativity Of patients and parents,
condition Of patients and their oSCu-
patton. degree of education, hereditary
tendencies and diagnosis of mental
condition length of residence az nos
pital add causes OF death There are
also tho superintendent's flllsncial
statemsnts, as wen aS those Of the
treasurer.
In the two years fEorn oct. !, 1905,
to Sept &c. 1903 there have been 9d-
mitted 42) patents, 24e being commit
ted from prostate courts. by superior
eouTSs, 6 by tbs governor ana 10 en-
tered voluntarily. There were 14s
traRsferted here from Middletown.
There bave BEEN 1s3 patients dis
charged, &c being normal, Is improved,
unimPreved. ana So died, were
transferred to otper hospitals and 5
were depertsG. The daily average in
1897 was 2eS and in 1905 3I3 BY the
tressurer's report the tetal disburse-
nents in 1891 was stsS Vd.S0, while IN
1908 it was &27s, 25A.s4
DR.. Poioeks Report.
DR.. Pollock says: The activity in
budding operations, the rapid increase
in the number OF eur patients. and
with the growth tn size and numbers
the necessity Of more perfect inter
nal organization have contributed to
make the past two years exceedingly
busy enes ara perhaps the most i'm
pSrtRHt since the establishment of the
hospital.
remained in the institution and six
teen were ont upon q trial visit at
the close Of the last period. To-day our
population IS 494 within the hospital,
and IS out on trial.
There have beep 573 under treat
mept during the period. 423 admitted
and l4s discharged OF those admit
ted $50 were cOmmitted by the judge
Of probate or other proper person, 100
received by transfer from ether in
stilutioRs and four We're returned
fraN q trial WHIT.
OF those discharged. A were i'm their
normal mental condition. q greatly
improved, seven practically stationary
and So have died. J Of those dlscharg-
ed were Though the agency Of the
comptroller deported as nop-residents.
90 OF those admitted and "a of those
Eliminating transfers and returns
from parole, we fnd that one in nine
Of our admissions and one in two and
eight tenths Of our deaths occurred
in patients over 70.
This proportion of these admitted
Zone in nine) IS the same in the last
as It was in the previous two years,
and is much higher than should APP
peaE.
The majority Of the seniie cases re-
ceived are thdee who are merely suf-
fering from the physiological changes
incident 10 old age ana cannot be ben
eated by treatment, white many Of
them are SO greatly eXhaasted by the
journey to the hespttai that they do
not rally and Death eccuEs within a
few days after s6H1issiep.
AS fsr as possible, we have given
the outdoor treatrnont to tubercular
oases yet thirteen q our deaths have
been occasionsd by this disease.
Our a&9sd hsspltal facilities have
rendered 1t possible to better classify
our cases and To give them a greater
degree o. individtIaI treatment. The
female patients haze been given such
special treatnen By our woman phys
1cian as appeared INDICATED.
Several major operations have been
E1rforNe6 by our surgical c5Rsultant
with exeelfsRt results. Gases requir-
ang treatment W diseases OF the eye
SAD ear have DseR referr6 TO speial- |
tsts ana DR.. Vernon Hiscox. cur hos
l,ha dshtist. has eeDttnued to visit |
tRe tnsututlSh each Week
We have had no SERIOUS accidents
and nc stl4sieeS, nor have any patients |
who escaped fFem the hospital failed |
70 be returned within two or three /
days.
4 review Of the treatment of pa |
40 I've
SHOW very material advance. over |
she preceding period. and the compile |
ten Of our miniStration building |
with its electrical treatment room, its |
splendid operating facilities and its |
psychopathic wards together with the /
other improvements that are being |
made or planned at the hospital. |
should insure at least like advance !
during the next period
Accumulation of the Insane in State
Hospitals.
In spite OF the large number OF
transfers made by the Connecticut |
hospital for the insane 70 this 'insti
tuition, MiddletgTn has gainea four in
population making a total gain in the
Two hospitals of 2sS patients. During
bhe period from 1909 to 1908, the year
n increase In the insane in state hos
B-l0; during the past two years the
yearly increase has Bsen 1874
The problem Of discovering some |
means to prevent this accumulation of
the insane in our hospitals is one
which should receive earnest consid-
Grafton.
- properly construct buildin~ for
Tn housing Of 1874 patients with their
complement Of attendants, will neces-
state an outlay in excess OF $1,000.
To care for this number Of patients
for one year will cost approximately
g24, 900.
When we remember that the num-
Der OF our insane under present con-
ditiOns viii be augmented each year
at least to the extent it has in the
past period, and when we consider
that the average expectancy Of the
insane individual who remains in an
institution is Ut least ten wears, our
former AguPes grow to an extent that
is truly appalling. The various ex-
trinsic sociological factors, such as
hereditary influence, the evils of in
temperance, the strenuous life, and
the growth in the number of our for
eign born. all, no doubt. potent causes
of insanity, should be dismissed from
our consideration as these conditions
are practically beyond eur control and
are not possible Of immediate change, |
and partial remedy, at least, for this
increase sought within the hospital
itself. The gain in the population Of
the hospitals ia caused by the accum-
tAation Of uncovered cases. Could
We, therefore. accomplish more speedy
cures, or even temporarily relieve an
Increased percentage of our patients.
the problem would be happily solved
A far greater number OF cures could
be made and the period of treatment
greatly reduced were our patients ad-