Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-23

charge last March we had 1868 pa
tients. We now have s3S. We GER
tainiy DO give systematic and indl-
viduai treatment and get results. FOL
the last three weeks we have had
classes in physical culture conducted
BY a returned soldier who has been IN
charge of insane soldiers Our pa
tfents are greatly interested and bene-
fitted thereby. This Is small part OF
work that could be done to great ad-
vantage in a well equipped psyche
pathic hospital such as nave asked
this legislature for.
Criticism of the buildings Is well
taken. but it should be remembered
that this is one of the oldest fnstitu-
tons in the state and was not planned
by an architect. Our only means OF
ventilation Is the open window Bur
in spite OF these conditions | am
pleased to report that we have not
had one case of Influenza on our
wards, while other institutions have
been decimated thereby. The build
ing is as well lighted as possible as
we have no shades at any of the
windows. We have often been told by
people who make business of visit
ing such institutions that the scrupu-
lous cleanliness Of our wards COM
pares most favorably with like insti-
tutions elsewhere.
I'VE have standpipe and hose at
tached on each ward and chemical
fire apparatus on each floor. Three
whistles Is the fire alarm. A fire
drill among insane patients Is not of
much value, but frequently all that
are able are marched down the fire
escapes.
EXPLAINS FIRE PRECAUTIONS.
eat night the patients are locked in
their rooms or at least their doors are
closed with no knob on the inside the
committee says. These doors are not
locked, and can be opened as rapidly
as the attendant can get to them.
There are II such doors on each ward
and they can all be opened in less
than two minutes. In case of fire. one
or more rooms at time should be
opened and the patients, varying from
two to ten in each room, cared for. #
all were turned loose at once we would
have a panic stricken mob.
"All four walls of each rooms are
brick. There never has been fire
In the main building. 1t is heated by
steam from an outside plant, and the
only chance for fire is from the cleo
trio wiring. II patients were not shut
in their rooms at night they would be
wandering all over the wards and no
one would get chance to Sleep. I
do not know of an asylum where the
patients can open their own doors
when they please. Such condition
would make chaos all night. The one
best treatment for distressed minds Is
sleep. Heaven bless the man who first
invented sleep. We go to bed at s
o'clock and sleep until the whistle
blows at $3.50.
"The old building. as the committee
says, has beer condemned for years,
but it has been impossible to get an
appropriation to replace it. I am ask
ing for one again this year. The doors
of exit of this building, and all other
buildings, are never locked. This old
building is heated by stoves surround
ed by gratings to protect epileptics
and others from burns and to prevent
meddling with fire as many insans
are prone TO DO. &
HAVE RIGID POLICY.
The reason we have so many ga :
tients that are citizens of other states
is because the courts send them to us
instead of back to where they belong.
In many cases this is impossible as
they are simply transients with no es-
tablished legal residence. Some of our
records are unavoidably incomplete, as
no one knows about the patient, and
sometimes doctors slight their work
Our only records are those they send
US, and what we can learn later by
correspondence. In our biennial re-
port have urged more care in this
particular. In case Of death, we al
ways wire the parties named in the
records, If there are any, and follow
1t up with a letter giving full par
ticulars of the last sickness and dis
position of the remains.
mo established policy governing the
institution, states the committee again.
I am sure do not need to deny that
statement. We have a very definite
and well known policy. Everyone IL
supposed to know his duty and to do
it. Anyone who does not will be dis
charged. Our employees well know that
any failure to do. their duty will let
them out. There are quite stringent
state laws regarding abuse, unkind
treatment or even neglect Of insane
patients. All are misdemeanors In
law I have sworn out two warrants
to let the courts Investigate such
charges. Three times the coroner has
been called In to investigate sudden
deaths, two accidental and ona of a