The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-10-13
HOSPITAL CANNOT
. PAY ITS EXPENSES
Central Insane Asylum Shows
Deficit for First Time in
It's History.
MUST REDUCE STANDARD.
DR.. Drewry Gives Statistics as to
Colored Hospital for
Fiscal Year.
M UsT REDUCE STANDARD

That the Central state Hospital, for
the colored insane at Petersburg, Is
in serious financial distress Is the
statement made in its annual report
for the year ending September ~,
1910. filed yesterday with the Governor.
The condition of affairs as reviewed
nv. the SUPERINTENDENT, DR. w. f.. Drew
ry, lacks little of being alarming.
In spite of the fact that an appeal
was made TO the Legislature at us
last session for increased fuhas TO
take care of the higher cost of living,
and to accommodate and maintain tne
larger number of patients, tnat pouy
did but little. For maintenance tnere
was appropriated only $500 more
than for the previous year, t.. ne me vea,
has been forty-seven more than for
Higher Prices.
Giving detailed account oil inc
high prices prevailing on almost every
thing used at the institution, pr.
Drewry shows that the amount on lne
present appropriation is totally lhaue
quate. In fact. for the first time. q, t M
year closes with a. deflcll Oh Si.,'o'i ~
Drewry, in which the hospital can llve
within the means provided Tor II Is 70
lower the standard OF living ioi ene
patients, which he regards as uhlor-
tunate.
Quoting pr. Isaac Ray, the superin-
tendent adds: 1.-THE insane within your
borders require your aid, you are
bound by the great law OF humanity
and by every sense oil Obligation, 70
give 1t, as cheaply as you can consist
entity with the perfect accomplishment
of the object but, cheap or dear, "
must be given to the utmost extent
which the progress of Improvement
has shown to be possible.
tt,r..G 'aVNt a a.
pital is the first OF the annual docu-
ments to reach the Governor. He at
once placed it in the hands of super
intendent of Public Printing Davis
Bottom, for publication.
Improvement Shown.
This, the fortietn annual report
shows, according to its Introduction by
DR.. Drewry, that great Improvement
has been made in the mode of CARING
for the insane especially within the
past decade. This, in his opinion.
should be an incentive to labor with
out ceasing for higher and better
things, till the highest standard has
been reached"
hospital had 1875 patients. There We're
admitted during the year 451, making a
total of 1,s26. This was so more than
the total Of last wear. The daily aver
previous year. During the year 1873
were discharged and 1875 died. On Oc
tober there were LAS patients, 6S4
men and 764 women Sixty OF those
received were former patients who
had returned.
All those consigned to the hospital
have been sent for promptly, and there
is none in the jails of the state.
OF the 1870 received since the be-
1875 have come back from
one TO six times. This is about 20 per
cent.
Old People Present.
Much of the insanity is caused by
senility, which is indicated by thu
more than sixty years old and 25 per
cent. are more than fifty.
OF the 1873 discharged during the
year. 119 had recovered, Sc had i'm
insane. One of these latter was con
Wet who had feigned insanity. four
We're idiots, who cannot be received
and the other three had recovered
before arrival at the hospital.
Pellagra existed in twenty-five cases
during the year. Twelve of these pa
uents died and the others recov-
cred TONES were largely used in the
treatment of this disease.
The institution is taxed beyond its
capacity. 1t has beer necessary To
use the new building for women pa
tents instead of for the treatment of
tuberculous patients. and the old
wooden parlors are still in use for
that purpose.
Gratitude is expressed to DIR. Stuart
Mcguire. of Richmond, and DR.. Frank
w. Haines, of Petersburg. for their
aid In major operations, and for their
suggestions in surgical cases
Twenty cases of typhoid were SUI
tered during the year. much space
being given to this. Minute eXamina-
lions We're made to discover the source.
Police Court Cases.
w. ii. DobDlnS, of the Fifth BAPTIST
church, colored, appeared in the Police
Court yesterday morning to answer to the