The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-02-28

and Economy last summer
cns,gcd an expert hospital
,uusuitint. Miss VI. t.. Me
ci.munt 10 analyze the enormous ex-
,ordture, Of New lurk's fourteen
STAT hospitals, which shelter $4,000
ps,n, patients. Her report has been
.ompl,,,d and will soon he made pub
TaNpdycrS will appreciate her
,na.ys.~ Of conditions as she found
.1,m 10 ilosc asylums the more DO
.sisc the facts are inaccessible to the
average citizcn.
The curious New Yorker who So
,ts PERMISSION to inspect the great
Institution on Wards I.l,nd. for in
.,anc,. VII he Informed that we
ave no regular days Tor general wis.,
.o,s ~ influence uh:aiis a. en-
rance for HIM. he vii. l., shown
through TIE most attractive wards.
where flowers ana plant, abound.
where pianos and billiard tables ar
conspicuous. through dining rooms
where clean table cloths with holiday
nlpk MS emerging from the tumblcrs
make the Dom cheerful.
He will see neatly dressed women
t0n,entediy sewing whore quiet and
order and immaculate cleanliness pre-
vail. Nothing will suggest that any
where in the institution are many
hedriddcn who do not hear oven a
monograph FOR many weary days in
succession: nor need he know that
al wards do not have tablecloths and
that these cheerful napkins were
BROUGHT hN H. nurses-not for use,
solely for Cheeriness. His ner,e.
will bc spared a look at the disturbed
wards whore heavy broken enamel
ware plates and cups ar, as disturb
z 10 q sanitar.an as the patients
trc 10 tho laymtn.
HIS understanding guide instead will
AXE him along to tho shops. where
IS admiration n find play. There
No will find patients making a va
-ltty Of rAings from paper flowers
souvenir for your buttonhole,).
az rugs. hrooms. brushes. chairs and
.Irn.ture to shoes and clothing for
heir fellow patients. And when
finally he is told that all this costs
bout 81 a week a patient. against
- average Of S2.5t a day in general
hospitals. tn, inGuisitive citizen will
ispar; edited and admiring but still
sNortnt Of most Of the pertinent facts
N'r7 tho taxpayer and intelligent
zen should know.
These institutions for the insane are
ieclar 4 To- he in nowise comparable
n general hospitals. except possibly
r. the per capita cost of raw food.
r The general hospitals the patients
lro M and require attention. Never.
except possibly in large charity
.ospitils. ar ConNdleSCentS called
pom Ia work. In the State hospitals.
owcver. those physically III. senile
- plralytic make up "A very small
minority. The superintendent Of one
1oSp'tal. reviewing the statistics for
ne whole fourteen. writes thai more
nan % per cent. of those who are
h'gcd 10 spend their lives under IN
,.i'u,ional care r taught to do some
Seful work" Many are not only
.-f-supporting. but % pro-
ulcers for the State: and Miss Nc
'j'mont points out tina; If patient
'hor We're eliminated and paid labor
,Hhs'i,uted. the State hospitals would
ace a per capita cost such as the
rost eNtravagant general hospital
would squirm TO acknowl dge.
These fourteen institutions have
.os' the State owe $50. 600 600 to de
elop in addition 10 an annual main
.eHance charge which eats up one
Xth OF the total expenditure of the
Commonwealth: s7.727.3S4 in 1913. \
ord iSSu- of So. O0c 900 has been
,Icge>tod 10 meet needs for further
.yraGS,pn which are already VcUv
-eSs.Ug. The taXpay r who has al
-aady invested yer sl25. 600 600 by
~ large. therefore. in view Of the
a' that the mortality rate in State
'ospI'alS is ON the increase and the
"r nttSo 90 r~"COvcries on tie de-
ease yan ~pertinent.y ask uc hoSpi-
"a commissioners, superintendent.
,'evirds and medical STATS How :
'r money being spent
Considerable light may b. obtained
~ this point 10y following The trai,
- little laundry development at ono
STATE hospital a. it mc8ndcrS through
'" iunG,"s of annual reports, Al
.."nGN comparatively small sums are
"roiv'l. IL shows how. through lack
4 Comprehensive, planning. enormous
--i"Sttc amounts may driDhi" away
3D. patchwork construction without
iin9 shape N any permanent, solid
Hl'ucs.
l'ni Daring tho past year ron
f'l'h|o now machinery has been
40 u =" flo laundry. but We are still
.''''"n' DO dry % capacity and
So should also have a few more ma
'.n", IN allowance of $4,000 will
1ro'.de for what we need"
100. VIII" il is true that a good
'"f' ~ machinery was Installed i'm
=" laundry . ( " years ago. it il
"qNa',} true that the rdpN growth
'. Husuitd. has made our present
t..'.s entirely inadequate. We
sod several . " washing IN tchin"s
y 'A'lo.tur q new dry house. a
'1r md ouN irnn"r ana some
'r p.oCo~ In addition the wash
'"U 700" should be- cemented and
'oH"'.' grad i So t5at water from
10 machines would not always cover
''Hl us - now the case. \ new
''"r also needed N the sorting
''m : careful ostimat" shows that
Fl" Expenditure Of ahout $1,000 vii
T'g.,I,l to bring the capacity OF
itTlrr mp TO the present need
'''' nospitaI"
TIL work was actually under wa
"''N '." Glowing appeared:
.'u'. Money has been allowed foi
u |'N laundry equipment and WORK
'f ',r iWc mas been awarded. This
&c.. i..' our laundry IN a very fan