Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-01-06

that Tor many years IL was eio oiii! iii
stitution in the State for the care of tho
mentally afflicted. The 10Th report for
the year ending Dec. 80, 1916. from Supt.
Forrest C. Tyson and is full of valuable
information. Abstracts from it follow:
Movement of Population .-
At the beginning of the year there
were present in the hospital. 544 men and
Ala women, a total of 10lS patients. Ad-
missions for the year was 1867, 22 men
and 1s5 women, being less by one patient
than last year.
The total number of cases treated for
the year was 1885, an increase of 50. over
last year. The daily average number OF
patients was 1915, an increase of % over
last year. The actual increase in the
number of patients during the past two
years was IS patients, which exceeds the
estimated increase made in 1914 by three
patients.
Admissions
The different admissions include 1856
men and 1873 women committed by the
municipal authorities, a total of 2S9 pa
tients, which exceeds the previous year
by three patients. One female defective
was received by transfer from the Schcoi
for Feeble Minded. Eleven patients were
returned from parole and 81 we're non1l-
nally admitted from parole for discharge:
Seven men and one woman We're commit
ted by order of court and admitted Tor
observation and treatment. The lncreas-
ing tendency of the supreme court ana
other Judges to determine more accurate
lv the mental status Of cases brought be-
fore them is very commendable. Greater
consideration is being shown mentally
delinquent offenders of the law each year,
and doubtless this desirable practice Will
be extended to greater variety of cases
in the future.
OF those admitted, go patients or $50
were committed to q hospital for the in
sane for the first time, gain of go over
last year Two hundred and tifty-one pa
tients or $50, were committed to this
hospital for the first time, a gain of $50
over last year.
Discharges and Deaths
The total number of patients dismissed
from the hospital was S17 ,309 men and 10y
women, leaving under treatment at the
closing of the year, zoos patients, 537 men
and All women, the total number remain
ing being eight patients less than last
year
One hundred and ffty-five patients were
discharged under the following condl-
| tons: Fifty-fiye recovered; SO, capable
of self-support; 81, improved; II, unim-
proved; seven. not insane. One patient
was out by escape and 40 men and 40
women patients were out on parole
There were al deaths, II men and 20
women during the year, which IS 10.llfo
| of the whole number treated. This num-
| Der of deaths exceeds last year by 10 pa
tients. The greater number of deaths
this year is due to the fact that mucn
! larger number of cases was treated and
a greater number of cases in the senile
period was admitted.
Recoveries
Sixty-nine patients were discharged as
recovered, which is 24Te of the whole
number of commitments and 449o OF the
whole number of discharged. Forty-two
patients or 1920 of those first admitted
to any hospital, recovered.
Criminal Insane
I Twenty-Five patients were In the crlmi-
nal insane department at the beginning
of the year. One patient was committed
directly to this department by the Su-
preme court, and five were admitted
| from the State Prison at Thomaston dur
ing the wear. Three patients were re-
turned to the prison, and one having re-
| covered, was discharged, leaving under
treatment, "a patients. No serious acci-
! dents occurred. One patient escaped but
was returned the next day.
General Health of Inmates
The general health of the patients was
| interfered with by the appearance OF a
! mild epidemic of measles in the spring.
| Each case was promptly isolated ana the
! methods of disinfection Instituted limited
! the number of cases to four women pa
| tents and five nurses. Infectious diar-
rhpa prevailed during the summer among
| the female patients. Several severe and
numerous accidents occurred.
The Medical Service
/ The medical service, owing to the in
creased number OF patients. has been I'M
usually active. Nnety-five staff meetings
We're held, at which 1888 cases were pre-
scented for diagnosis. treatment and dis
charge The treatment had been consid-
erably interfered with on account of the
| over-crowded condition of the wards, in
| ADEQUATE facilities and the lack of suff-
cient help at times: uncertainty of the
hot water supply, preventing the proper
! application of hydrotherapy by means OF
/ the continuous flowing baths and douches.
Dental Work
| The dental work for the patients has
been done by DR. l.. l.. Deliver of Au-
gusta, who has visited the hospital every
two weeks and devoted a whole day in
examining. filling and cleaning the teeth
| of all who required treatment.
Training School for Nurses
| The training school for nurses has con-
tinued to be successful under the direc-
| ton OF Miss Pauline Doe as principal.
Twenty-Five graduates have successfully
! completed the prescribed two-years'
| course since the school was established
| in 1909.
! The difficulty in obtaining a sufficient
| number of we'll qualified nurses and at
tendants, especially during the summer
months, is becoming increasingly moro
serious each year. 1t is practically i'm
possible to give the patients suitable care
| and attention with half Of the required
| number of attendants. Individual atten-