Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1919-02-19
'SlN|TAR|uM NOT
FAVORED; ASYLUM
IS CONDEMNED
State Affairs Committee Of
Legislature Finds Former
Surrounded by Poor Condi-
tions.
WOULD CUT OFF FUNDS
3lackfoot Management Severe
" Condemned-New Board
of Directors and Superinten-
dent Urged.

OF D1reCCOrS ana SuperlnLen-
dent Urged.
That no appropriation be given the
Idaho state sanitarium for the feeble
minded for new buildings or improve
ments, and that the entire board Of
directors of the Black foot asylum and
present superintendent be changed, as
well as feeble minded institution be
established in connection with it and
other changes be made, are the out
standing features of a joint report of
the state affairs committee filed with
the house and senate today.
PRAISE ST. ANTHONY.
The report first takes up the Idaho
industrial Training school at ST. An
thony. The management and conduct
of that institution is highly praised
The general appearance of the inmates
is held to be good, they are well fed
and the food given them is clean and
wholesome. 1t is recommended that the
girls be segregated from the boys and
that $4,000 be appropriated for girls
quarters. Further development of the
parole work is advocated with the as
sistance of home finding societies.
CONDITIONS DEPLoRABLE.
Taking UP the asylum at Blackfoot.
the report states the conditions to be
keep, supplies, general management
and equipment. The buildings were
found to be poorly lighted and VEN
- i ia
from patients falling on the cement
floor in the lower dining room. The
vegetable preparing room is con-
demned, Conditions in the wards are
reported overcrowded and deplorable.
The practice of one patient caring for
another is condemned.
Continuing, the report says:
IF anything, the women's wards
were in worse condition than were
Nhe mems. There appears to be no
adequate fire protection, system of fire
alarms or any fire drill. Night
watches are on duty, but a fire might
easily get quite a Roadway before be-
ing discovered At night the patients
are locked in their rooms, that Is the
doors are closed, and as there is a
knob only on the outside of the door,
the patients are helpless in opening
them. The doors can be opened only
from the outside of the room, and
must be opened individually. This is
very serious condition, and should be
remedied Immediately, for very serious
consequences might come in case of a
fire. The old building standing back
from the main building has been con-
demned, SO the committee was in
formed, yet it is now furnishing living
quarters for some rs of the male pa
tients, 80 or so of whom are confined
TO their wards, except at such time as
they are taken out for exercise. If
the building has been condemned, it
should be vacated
ovER-cRoWDED.
1.-The institution is altogether over
taxed with inmates. There are many
feeble minded; men, women and chill
dren, without relatives or friends who
apparently have been committed sim
ply because Of their i'll and feeble con
dition. Many of the inmates, possibly
40 or more, are from other states
They have been brought here and left
In the various counties, later being
picked up by officers and committed
to the asylum. The feeble minded
should be placed in a separate build
Ing under the same management and
supervision as the insane asylum. The
various counties should provide homes
Tor their own i'll and feeble and not
commit them to this institution. Oui
laws should not permit commitment
Into this institution of inmates OF
states, unless some provision is made
tor their support and treatment.
THE records of the different in.
mates of the institution have beer
very poorly kept, in fact all of the
records of the institution are poorl!
kept. They are incomplete and Yer,
inadequate. New and complete rec
prds should be installed, giving in de-
tails the history Of each individual cas-,
from the time the patient is committed
10 the institution until cured and dis
charged. In all cases a record shout,
be kept of the individual treatmcn
the patient receives, and in case 0
heath the record should state tn
cause OF the death and the disposal o
the body.
NO ESTABLISHED POLICY.
There appears to be no establishes
policy governing the institution. At
PENDANTS are instructed to use thel
pwn Judgment in dealing with refrac
tory cases. This is decidedly wrong
Aereriallv an when we take into con