The Blackfoot optimist. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1907-1918, 1915-10-07
MEETING OF
ASYLUM BOARD

The regular meeting Of the board OF
directors of the Idaho State Insane asy
lum was held Tuesday, when the fol
lowing business was transacted:
Present: Geo. H. Fisher, chairman
S. l.. Reece, l.. E. Dillingham;, secretary
The board met pursuant to adjourn
ment, all members being present, where
upon the following proceedings were
had:
The orchard tracts, the gardens and
farm lands were all inspected very care
fully at this time and following the in.
spectiOn the board also visited the eel
lars and store houses and were indeed
gratified to find such an abundance of
provisions taken from the institution
grounds. In our inspection we find that
several acres belonging to the asylum
that have been heretofore outside of the
enclosure have been fenced and are be-
ing brought under cultivation.
Much time was spent in driving over
the large tract Of land lying to the east
and south of the improved grounds of
the asylum with a view Of fencing the
same and bringing as much as possible
Of this land under cultivation. Follow
ing this the board made thorough in
spection of the grounds and institution
proper finding everything in sanitary
and very orderly condition. The pa
tients all seemed to be thriving and
happy and well cared for. We were
struck by the fact that there was but
one bed patient throughout the several
wards and this with population of
around 2hn.
Our inspection also revealed the fact
that the barns, grounds and out-houses
were all in good shape and all the stock
doing nicely.
1t having appeared to the board that
great number of the inmates had the
necessary means with which to comply
with the statutes covering such eases
and it appearing that without legal as
sistance the management has been un-
able to take necessary steps to recover
from such parties, therefore, be it re-
solved, that, if upon advice from the
proper authorities, it can be legally
done, we authorize the superintendent
to employ John F. Nugent as attorney
for the institution to take the necessery
legal steps to collect from the estates
and guardians of all inmates with suf-
ficient resources to comply with the
statutes above referred to, sums suffi-
cient to pay for present and past main
tenance.
At this time the board inquired into
the number of patients being cared for
in the institution and upon learning
that approximately $50 inmates were
now being cared for and considering
the many duties devolved upon the
medical superintendent, and ALSO con-
sidering the fact that large percentage
Of the patients are of the female sex,
it was decided at this time to employ
an assistant physician and pathologist
and there being several applications on
file the one Of Miss A. M. Peterson was
considered favorable and the superin-
tendent instructed to employ her at
salary of $500 per month. This action
was taken after much investigation and
the methods pursued by other institu-
tions of theUnited States, believing that
better results would be obtained
throughout the female wards with
lady physician employed in the institu-
tion, and with the employment of the
assistant physician the superintendent
would be able to devote more of his
time to the many other duties as would
make permanent improvement in the
institution.