Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1915-05-21

cloths and much laundry
The kitchen is near by. and busy
hands prepare vegetables. many Of the
patients doing the work. The key
note of the whole institution is keep
busy. and work is found for 157 wo-
men and 176 men, IS per cent. of
whom are continually occupied
Once upon time. and that, too. mot
so long ago. most of US remember
that crazy people were put away"
locked up. and left to do nothing.
This was the treatment then Now it
is different Occupation is the treat
ment for the mind diseased, and il
works wonders.
These insane people do so much and
accomplish such good work with alb
normal minds, and lacking mentality.
we are inclined TO think some of US
outside hospital of this kind will be
called to account since we are blessed
with normal brains and normal men
tality.
The dormitories for both men and
women are spick and span. OF course
the women patients make their own
beds. and they are beautifully made.
We were told the men patients do
likewise Their beds were not made
quite so neatly. but it is astonishing
how well they do it, Row after row
\ of snowy white beds are the sleeping
quarters in an airy dormitory for the
patients.
The baths and toilets are nearby.
and cleanliness is a requisite of the
institution. Every patient who enters
is given a bath, is vaccinated. is given
anti-toxin as preventative oftyphoid
| and all precautions taken TO prevent
illness, of which there is very little in
| the hospital There are some 2S pro-
| fessional Attendants for the patients,
of whom IL are trained nurses, with
a superintendent, or Head Nurse. and
and there are fifteen male Attendants.
Instead of restraining the violent
| patients, or those more mentally dis
turbed than others,of whom there are
a few, the continuous bath is resorted
to at the Brownsville Hospital, and
this treatment is found efficacious
Canvass is stretched in a bathtub of
water. a rest for the head of the pa
tient placed therein and the patient
i eats, drinks and sleeps in this bath for
\ hours until the desired effect is ac-
complished. This continuous bath
treatment is far more humane than
the straight jacket and other violent
methods formerly used in treating the
more disturbed patients, and it
works wonders.
Al the Brownsville Hospital every
thing is utilized, all the scraps. rags.
etc, are sterilized in a huge steril-
izer, and woven into rugs or mats for
floor covering, or into rag carpets,
and the patients do this work
There is an educational ward, and
over this an angel in the form of a
sweet-faced. patient. painstaking wo-
man presides For what she has
done and is doing for this poor, de-
mented colored people. there must be
a crown awaiting her above in the
Mansions of Him who said "As much
as We have done it unto one of the
least of these, My brethren. you have
done it unto Me-"
This nurse teaches these demented
women to crochet. to knit, to en-
broider, to do work that is beauti-
fully done. even Irish point. and the
women who read this know what that
means She teaches them practical
things and one would scarcely be-
lieve work such as her patience with
these crazy people has accomplished
could be done, and is seldom attempt
ed by those who call themselves
sane" To appreciate this womans
work. is to see it. and to realize what
sacrifice it seems TO be to shut
ones self in like this for the benefit
of the poor, helpless, demented crea-
lures.
| The patients do their laundry work
and great washing machines occupy
part of the basement They are run
by electricity. furnished for the insti-
tuition by the W, p. A Electric Power
Plant. Ironing is done with electric
irons. the colored women patients be-
ing assigned ironing boards and do.
ing the work neatly and well. The
laundry. where the washing and iron.
ing is done, is bright and airy, COO
and comfortable.
How these abnormal minds car
grasp the idea Of washing and iron.
ing. as well as cooking and weaving
is astonishing, but there are more
astonishing things The crazy people
weave stockings. make shirts. and
overalls, dresses for women, aprons
undergarments, etc, etc.
There are many sewing machines
and the patients do the work. doing
il neatly and serviceably. One col
ored man we saw busy at machine
making jumpers and oyeralIs for the
men. OF course the work is all cut
out by the attendants and those IN
chrage Of the institution. and scis-