The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1912-10-08
CURE OF INSANE
MUCH HAMPERED
COngested Hospital Conditions
RHtard RecOVeries.

Ihat the percentage of cures af-
Iected in the state hospital for the in
sane at Greystone Park will be less
tnan III any year for the past TWEEN
" Is the opinion of Dr. Brittin d.
Evans, the medical director. DR.
Evans lays the blame for this to
the congested condition in which the
hospital is, it being impossible to
classify and separate the patients as
they should be On account of the
terrible crowding. The inmates are
herded together almost like cattle.
making 1t necessary to place patients,
who otherwise might have a good
cnance for recovery, with others
who are noisy and irritating, keeping
the patients that might be helped in
nervous condition and seriously re-
tarding their cure.
Ihe buildings, erected to accom-
modate 1,600 patients, have more than
2,300 crowded into them. Rooms sup
posed to accommodate two patients
nave three thrust in them while
rooms planned to house but one have
TWO. Not only are all the rooms and
uormitorles filled and oyer-flowing
Dut it has been found necessary to
nave 3S2 sleep on the floor of the
corridors. In the north side. devoted
10 the men, there are 254 patients
VINO sleep on springs laid upon the
Iloor at nightfall, while in the south
side, where the women patients are
located, l2S have to sleep upon the
floor
Wnat would happen in case of a
TIRE, when panic filled the hearts of
The patients with fear and thesmoke-
lllled corridors, blocked with these
temporary beds, would be filled with
patients in fear of their lives can
only be conjectured That there
would be terrible loss of life of
patients, nurses and officers of the
Institution can readily be seen.
For the past twelve years Dr. Evans
and the board of managers have di-
rected public attention to the need
OF relief. Governor Wilson has been
taken through the institution and
shown the pressing need for more
room, State Charities Commissioner
byers, has also been warned, and
countless committees of the legisla-
ture, all have been conducted through
The institution and the need Of re-
lief pressed upon them. But the
legislature has failed, year after
year, to make an appropriation for
new building, which, DR.. Evans be-
! lleVes, should be located in Mon
mouth county where the agricultural
advantages would permit large part
of the provender needed for feeding
The patients to be grown on the hos
| pltal grounds. The board of man
ayers nor the resident officers have
no way of providing for the over
flow or congestion nor have they,
under the law, the right to refuse
to admit any more patients. Friends
of the patients daily protest to the
hospital officers of the conditions un-
der which their relatives or friends
are compelled to live but there can
be nothing done to relieve the stress
except by an appropriation by the
legislature for another hospital build
ing. The congestion reduces the
possible recoveries to the amount OF
Ten per cent. or more, say the medi-
cal officers, who assert that a com
mission should be appointed by the
i next legislature with power to act in
the matter
For years the conditions under
which the nurses have had to live at
the hospital have been bad. Crowded
together, one shift occupyig beds
during the day, another shift in the
same beds at night, it has been inn
possible to keep up the full quota of
nurses required The women nurses
have home separate from the
main hospital building, which houses
many of them. A similar building
for male nurses is just nearing com
pletion. This building will accom-.
modate sixty of the 700 or more men
required for this kind of work in the
hospital
Another building nearing completion
Is the tuberculosis hospital situated
midway between the main and the
new hospital buildings This too, is
woeful1y inadequate to the needs of
the hospital. 1t has accommodations
for twenty patients while at the pres
ent time there are sixty-eight insane
who are sufferers with tuberculosis.
That the hospital authorities are
compelled to strain their wits to
meet conditions is shown by the fact
that the kitchen in the main build
ing was equipped TO feed 800 people
and at present it provides the food
for LOO