The Farmington times. (Farmington, St. Francois County, Mo.) 1905-1926, 1918-08-09
State Hospital No. 4

l would like to say a few words in
regard to State Hospital No. 4. I
have mother there, and visit her Of
ten, so have all opportunity to OBJ
serve good many things. OF course
it isn't good form, or very charitable
either, to visit people and then go
away and tell everything you can
about them, but must tell enough to
clear some peoples minds of some
erroneous ideas concerning the Hos
pital.
First, DR.. Eaton, the Supcrintend-
ent, has been always kind, courteous
and sympathetic. Not perfunctorily
so, but in a way that you instructive
ly feel that it is real with him, and not
put on as veneer. If he has 10 re-
fuse a request, he takes the trouble
to explain why, and doesn't leave you
fused just to show his authority.
1t is said these positions are given
through political influence. That
may be, but DR.. Eaton must have
folded his political papers and put
them in a pocket which his good wife
had forgotten to mend, because l see
no sign of politics. He seems To have
enough duties there to keep him busy
The patients are always clean and
comfortably dressed. In a conversa-
ton with one who will soon be we'll
enough to leave the institution, she
told me she was never treated any
better anywhere than there.
The patients are not dumped in and
the door locked on them and left,
never to see anything of the outer
world again. Insofar as they are
able to appreciate, entertainment is
provided for them. "Movie" shows
and preaching services by the differ
ent ministers of the town. In the
early spring DR.. Eaton told me that
as soon as the weather permitted he
was going to insist on everyone be-
ing in attendance that could.
They are allowed the freedom of
the lawn, under the care of the at
tendants. Beautiful beds of flowers
are artistically grouped about the
lawn and urns of flowers line its drive
ways. Then there is the fish pool. To
my mind there is nothing more sooth-
ing to a set of jangling nerves than
lily swimming around, coming to the
surface now and then to snatch an
unfortunate worm that has dropped
from the tree branches overhead.
In leaving my mother in the at
tendant's care / remarked, 81 know
you will be good to her."
The reply came quickly, ave have to
be-, indicating plainly that the man.
agement would be ION the spot" if
they didn't care for their patients in
humane way.
An institution controlled by human
beings can't be perfect, so there are
occasional lapses into british treat |
ment by The attendants, but DR.. Eaton |
has proved himself equal to the occa-
sion every time. There may be abus-
es that he doesn't always discover,
but sooner or later they will be dis
covered and the perpetrators will go
the way of the former.
A few words in regard to the pre-
vention of mental diseases and Pm
through. The questions on the adj
mission papers are eloquent in reveal |
ing the reasons why many people |
lose their reason-"Has the patient or |
his parents been heavy drinkcrs?"
Habits of Life?" Besides the men
tai wrecks caused by drinking and
other excuses, there arc those who
are habitual worriers at their best. |
Then there are those who arc in a |
state of health that to stop worrying |
is impossible until their health inn
proves, and just here is where an I'M
kind word or mistreatmcnt of any
kind is likely to upset their mental
equilibrium entirely. So, for this and
many other reasons we should al
ways be careful what we say or do.
But if people just won't stop the
causes an institution for the insane
is the usual ending and patients are
not always fortunate enough to get
the care of man like DR.. Eaton.
F. E. B.