The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1919-02-28

cause of any wrong-doing on thei
lpart, but rather thru unfortunat
circumstances, and they should hav
the most kindly treatment and con
federation. This can only be main
tanned in an institution with |
strongly established governing pol
licy, and with a superintendent WHIT
has sufficient executive ability Il
execute that policy. :.
The committee learned during il.
stay at Blackfoot, of many cases o.
neglect, cruelty and inhuman treat
ment that patients had been subject
ed TO. This should be made absolute
ly impossible. The committee were
unable to find that any systematic
treatment was given The individual
patient. This is decidedly wrong
for there are undoubtedly many
cases of various kinds of insanity
that respond to treatment, from
which the patient might recover.
There is in the present institution
no adequate means of separating
or dividing the various classes OF
insanity. The inmates are roughly
divided into trusty or untrusty or
runaway. This division applies to
both men and women. The latter
class or the untrusty, includes those
of the more seriously afflicted, and
they are again divided into the tidy
and untidy. 1t should be possible
to divide the various classes, of pa
tients so that they could be special
ly treated. This can be- done to
some extent under the present con-
ditions, but more buildings will be
necessary before such division can
be completed.
The committe reports that the out
side buildings are and departments
are in the same general rundown
condition, and lack the same gener-
al supervision that the sanitarium
requires. Barns are poorly arrang-
ed; the stock is dirty and poorly
kept especially the mich cows; the
hogs are in filthy, unsanitary pens;
and the method of feeding both cat
tie and hogs is wasteful and unsani-
tary. Too much young stock is kept
for the place as there is no pasture
and it all has to be fed.
The institution has a farm of
some nineteen hundred acres of very
valuable farm land that under prop
er management could be made to
reduce revenue that would 20 long
ways toward keeping up the expens-
eS of the institution.
We y recommend ECO the appropriation
Of $125,0OO for the erection of suit
able quarters for the feeble minded
psychopathic hospital and the clear
ing and leveling of the remaining
portion of the farm land that can
be ,profitably farmed. We recor,
mend the construction of a buildin3
'Or feeble minded in Blackfoot for
he reason that the farm can use the
'eeble minded male patients to very
food advantage in doing the general
arm work. They will be able to
more than operate it themselves this
way, while if the feeble minded men
re all taken from this institution it
will mean that the management will
ave to hire additional labor to run
he farm.
We would not recommend at this
ime an appropriation'for the general
emodelling of the present buildings
because it would be impossibie to re-
model them until part Of the patients
claimed there now are moved. This
mot be done until the building for
he feeble minded is completed.
We further recommend the ap-
ointment of complete new board
t directors who will take sufficient
interest in the institutin to see that
IS affairs are properly managed.
We recommend that medical
IAN, an expert on insanity, be ap-
ointed as the medical adviser and
superintendent of the institution,
INT to obtain the services of first
nd that salary be provided suffic-
lass alienist.
We further recommend that an ex-
ert farm manager be employed I'M
er the direction of the Board, and
lven sufficient authority to develop
ne farm along modern and scientif-
lines. The medical supervisor
hould not be in charge of the farm.
We further recommend that some
dequate fire protection be installed
5 soon as possible.
In connection with this, we rec
mmend that no appropriation be
wen the Idaho State Sanitarium at
ampa for new buildings or i'm Ii
rovements; that that institution be III
for the present at least. .
a home for those female patients \
lat can be taken from the asylum :
Blackfoot. The committee inves- y
gated the institution at Nampa. and =
'und that the solid conditions sur .
'unding the buildings are very A
Dor. Practically nothing can be t
AIDE to grow, not even grass will e
'ow for the lawn, Therefore it is h
If judgment that it would be poo1. q
onomy to add to this institution s.
this time. Ample accommodations :,
N be made at the asylum at Black =
OF for the cases of INSANITY and =
eble mindedness which would giye .
EN- the benefit of being close to a =
oductive farm and would lessen
e cost of medical supervision and
US make 1t possible to employ more
ficient medical experts. s.
Respectfully submitted. d
igned) JOHN D. ROBERTSON
CHART &c CTNnr,V I1O