The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1914-08-22
Increase In Number in State
Hospital Here.
Daily Average Of 1855 Inmates
in Last Year.
Or. BIDDLE'S ANNUAL REPORT
Nearly 100 Patients We're Dis
charged or Restored.

been built at Larned to aid in the care
OF the mentally sick, tho number Of pa
tients at the Topeka state hospital has
increased from a daily average Of L.
1890 in 1913 to 1,536.15 for the year end
ing July !. 1914. During the biennial
received. 15s were discharged as re-
stored. 1872 as improved. and from
among the more than $500 inmates
there were 274 deaths. The annual
death rate was 60 per cent
In his biennial report, Superintendent
interesting facts concerning conditions
at the Topeka state hospital and the
management OF the big institution. A
dozen tables show the work accom-
plished in every department. Work
in the hospital departments Is discussed
ana recommendations concerning tho
needs Of the institution In the matter OF
improvements il covered. Even the de-
tailed production Of the hospital farm
and the per capita cost Of caring for
hospital inmates finds a place in the
report, which IL perhaps one OF the
with the board OF control by a state
institution.
The report shows that more insanity
developed among men than among
women during the two years ending
July l. During the biennial. the hospi-
Az were men and 346 women. OF the
1853 discharged a. restored. 81 were men
and 81 women, while 102 Of the 182 pa
tients discharged as improved were
men and 80 women. OF the 27] deaths,
1876 were men and - women. The an
IL per cent. as against as among
women patients
Success Of New System.
In 1912 hydrotherapy was introduced
in the Topeka hospital. In the time the
new system has been in operation. H.
AT wet sheet packs. 165 hot blanket
packs, and 1892 prolonged baths have
been applied with surprising results.
From the patients receiving the treat
ment, I'll per cent. were discharged a.
restored, 10.1 per cent. as improved. s.
per cent. were paroled while 25.6 per
cent. remaining In the hospital are re-
corded as improved-a total Of 1914 per
cent. in which marked beneflt has re-
suited from interchangeable admins
tration. OF the remaining cases. per
cent. died. 9.S per cent. are unimproved
and 1919 are now undergoing treatment.
OF the SIS new cases in two years,
-, or So per cent OF the total number
admitted. showed forms Of alcoholic
disord ers. The diagnosis Of
Alcoholic psychosis In tho group Of
cases was based on findings generally
a. due to use Of alcohol in
its various forms and not upon the
alleged causes an reported in commit
ment papers. While 1t was not impos-
sible to obtain definite family history
In all Of these cases, records were So
cured in Is Of the Is cases, which
showed that in II instances the pa
family.
Iittlo Alcoholic Cause.
The record for alcoholic insanity,
based on actua. diagnosis in the moro
widely recognised hospitals. shows
with tho smallest percentage
Ing liquor. Records a. quoted in DIR.
report from IL state insane
hospitals show: Worcester. Mass. 90
per cent: Taunton, Mass, 11.6: Dan
vers. Mass, Ill: Staunton. Va. 14.8:
Peoria. Ill, 81: Mendota, Wis. II;
r. III: Long Island. N. r. Sc: Col
vando. N. r, 1874; Topeka, KAN. sd.
A total OF 119 cases, las per cent
Of those admitted, were suffering from
mania Oppressive insanity. OF this
~ per cent had near relatives
afflicted with nervous and mental dis
eases. OF those DISCHARGED during the
two years. 27.6 per cent were of the
group.
Involutional me1ancholia was dis
covered IN ~ CdSces VI 40 pcI CENT u
those admitted. Senile dementia was
for 112 cases. or II per
cent Of the insanity.
Mental Disorder.
Under dementia praecox are listed
245 cases, or 34.6 per cent of tho total
of new patients. OF the num-
Der 1873 were mon and liz women. OF
patients suffering from this form OF
mental disorder. 1875 per cent were
under 20 years old, 68.6 under 80
years, 23.6 PEI cent between 80 and 40
years and 81 per cent over 40 years
old.
only Is cases Of paranoia were ad-
mitted durinf the biennium as against
20 diagnosed the preceding biennium
and - in the two years ending July 1.
1910.
Dementia paralytica was responsible
cent OF the total. Thirteen cases were
due to organic dementia.
A total of %, 3.4 per cent Of total
cases, were classified under the head
Ing Of infection. In the history of "a
Of these cases. insanity was shown to
have exist3 in immediate families Of
Is Of the patients.
Twenty-seven cases have been listed
as unclassified, while mental defective
was found in IS cases. or
81 per cent of the total. Five patients
sent to the hospital were found not
insane and were returned to their
homes
Since the opening Of the Topeka hos
pital in 1879, a total of 8.57S patients
have been treated. OF this number
6,291 were men and 3,2S7 women.
The total number Of patients dis
as restored since the estab-
lishment Of the institution IL $50.
while 1850 have been discharged a..
improved. Tho total death list il
2,07O.
For the two years just ended, the
record shows 1 patient under Is years
admitted, FL between IL and 20, 1856
between 30 and so years. 1S5 between
80 and 20 years. 14S between 10 and
50 years, IFS between SO ana 50 years.
~ between so and 70 years. 50 be-
tween 10 and 80 years, IL between 80
and 30 years and two between 30 and