Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1916-08-04
the unused appropriation.

promoted to the charge of the second
largest state institution by Governor
Lister. He has been connected with
the hospital as assistant superintend-
ent since 1908. The value of tha
states property here is $644,127.4S
3.s2S Patients in 23 Years.
Since the establishment of this in
stitution in 1891 up to September 30
1914. a period of 80 years. there have
been 3,S25 patients admitted of
which | ,030 recovered and were dis
charged, SAP were DISCHARGED who
had not recovered and SIS died. The
cost for the maintenance of the in
stitution during this period has been
1889, 055.0S. twenty-five persons
have been committed to the institu-
ton who have been found not to be
insane. According to the causes as
signed by the commitment court in
temperance has sent the largest num-
Der of any one cause. Deaths were
most frequent from tuberculosis, de-
mentia exhaustion, paralysis, paresis.
acute mania. pneumonia and organic
heart disease.
The farm and garden products
raised during the last biennum
amounted to $58,5S9.35.
On October /. 1892, the institution
had 149 patients; October /, 1894,
there were 1877; in 1896 it had 229;
in 1898, 267; in 1900 it had grown
to 316; 1902 found it with 366; in
1904 there were 1913; in 1906, 47O;
in 1908. 542; in 1910. 681; in 1912,
S26, and on October /, 1914. there
were 939.
In 1890 the general population Of
the state of Washington was 349,39O,
and the number of insane to each
100000 Of population was 97.6. In
1903 the general population was $751;
749 and the number of insane to each
100000 was 204.6. In 1910 the gen.
eral population was 1.141,990, and
the number of insane to each 100000
was ia. There was a decrease in
1910 compared with 1903. yet the in
crease in 20 years was 70 per cent.
The increase in insanity is not con-
fined to the state of Washington, but
is found in every state of the Union.
In the United States in 1880 there
were S1.6 insane persons to each
100000 of the general population.
In 1890 there were 1882, in 1908
there were 1862 and in 1910 there
were 2O3.8.
For more than q generation efforts
have been made to show this increase
was apparent and not real. 1t was at
first contended that statistics were de-
fective, and II a uniform plan was
adopted 1t would soon prove the ap-
parent increase was fallacy. In
spite Of the uniformity which was
adopted, and efforts Of carefulness.
the increase has gone on just the
same, 80 that in some of our Eastern
states the proportion Of insane to
each 100000 Of the general popula-
ton has reached 1926. and in England
1t is $40. Great care and uniformity
Of statistics having failed to explain
the steady increase, a new theory IL
advanced as an explanation Of the
apparent increase. 1t Is now claimed
that a proportionately greater num-
Der of senile cases are committed to
hospitals than formerly, and modern
methods Of treatment prolong the life
Of the chronic insane. thus increasing
the numbers cared for by the state,
but not actually increasing the num-
Der of the insane. 1t is unQuestion-
ably true that there Is a proportion
ately greater number Of senile cases
committed than formerly, but 1t
seems that the marked increase can
not be materially accounted for in
that way. To throw light on this mat
ter the ages of every patient commit
ted to this hospital during the past 20
years was ascertained. During the
first decade the average on commit
ment was 1901, and during the Sec
ond 41.13. a difference of 2.12 years.
This was approximately an increase
of only per cent in the ages Of the
second decade over the first, while
the increase in insanity was vastly
more, as shown above. The death
rate during the first decade was 4.83,
while in the second 1t was 6.27. an
increase of approximately 20 per cent.
The increase in the death rate could
partially be accounted for by the in
crease in the number of senile cases
committed, but not wholly. 1t GER
tainly does not tend to show that
modern methods of tratment mate
rally prolong the lives of the insane.
On the other hand it cannot be held
that modern methods of treatment