The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1912-10-20
WHEN THE MIND FAILS
AND DARKNESS COMES

The Florida hospital for the INDECENT
insane Is located near ChattaAoochee,
in the extreme western portion of
Gadsden county. The institution Is
situated on a high plateau, and Is sur
rounded by a picturesque and beau
tiful country. The dense woodland
and the imposing topography Of the
surrounding section, so unlike the
usual Florida landscape. affords q
restful change and pleasant surround
ings for those mentally afflicted. The
extremes of temperature are never
severe, and the salt-laden. ozone-satu-
rated atmosphere, with it's delightful
odor OF pine, is unsurpassed anywhere.
In 1884 the United States govern
ment established Fort Chattahoochee
as a frontier garrison and arsenal.
At the beginning of the civil war the
reservation was seized by the Confed-
crate government, and after the war
had ended. there being no special need
tor the place as a military post, 1t
was ceded to Florida, to be used for
educational purposes. During the re-
construction period, the original build
ings were used as a penitentiary, and
later, after the change from Repub-
Hcan to Democratic administration, 1t
was decided to establish hospital for
the insane. Prior to this time. Flor
ida was sending the insane of the
state to hospitals and asylums in Geor
gia and South Carolina. The Florida
hospital was opened in 1878 with
population Of about thirty people. two
OF w1om, one negro man and one
white woman, stiIl remain. These
people coming from period when
asylums were regarded as instruments
of torture, demonstrate by their long
asylum residence that conditions were
not so quickly fatal as has been Pic
tured, but that those who admins
tered to their wants probably did the
best they could and probably had but
little to do with
1870 Inmates
At present the Institution has q ca
pacity of about twelve hundred beds.
The population ts divided by color and
sex as follows: White women, 2S2;
white men, 33s; colored men, 2s5; col
ored women, 210; a total Of 1.1ao.
1t can be seen from the above table
that the popular idea of there being
more insane colored people than
whites is an erroneous impression.
During the year 1911 the hospital ad-
mitted four hundred and forty-thr
patients. One hundred and fourteen
Of these or a percentage Of slightly
above twenty five of admissions were
granted discharge. In addition to
these sixty patients were allowed to
go homo improved. for a visit, which
visits often are permanent ones, the
patient in this instance being auto
matical1y discharged after staying at
home for one year. These facts and
figures are given to show that insanity
IL not always a hopeless condition
On December l, the erection Of a
receiving hospital will be started.
This undertaking is, in the opinion Of
the writer. one Of the most epoch
making Innovations that has ever
been undertaken In the process Of de-
velopment OF the institution. The pro-
vision OF this receiving hospital will
enable those in charge Of the medical
work to give to the inmates who con-
tract Illness while In the hospital the
advantages Of well appointed build
Ing. special equipment, the service of
a trained nurse and specially pre-
pared diet The cases Of acute in
sanity coming into the hospital will
have special wards. wherein there will
De installed tho equipment Tor hydro
therapeutic treatment previously re-
ferred to. Thus restraint, both me-
chanical and medicinal. win be en-
tirely unnecessary and consequently
recoveries will often be FASTENED.
Various devices for administering
chemical and vapor baths will also be
installed. A modern operating room,
fully equipped with pressure. steam
necessary. paraphenaiia will be added
to the service OF this hospital.
The board OF commissioners OF state
institutions has in its earnest desire
to add in every way to the comfort
and welfare OF the patients and the
efficiency of the medical service of the
hospital. enlisted the voluntary service
OF several prominent medical men OF