The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1920-11-14
HOSPITALS FOR
INSANE HIT BY
HELP SHORTAGE
Small Pay for Attendants
Causes Many Vacancies
in State Institutions.
PATIENTS LACK CARE
Overcrowding Is Another
Serious Condition Facing
the Commission.
GOVERNOR TAKES ACTION
Slight Relief Results From
Last Appropriation--More
Money Needed.
PATIENTS LACK CARE
GOVERNOR TAKES ACTION

Money Needed.
SpecsoI Despatch 60 THE NEw YoEK HnALD.
ALBANY. Nov 13-The thirteen State
hospitals for the insane. particularly
those In the metropolitan district, are
still lamentably suffering from short
age OF help The s1.120.006 appro-
priated at the last session OF the Leg
isiature to Increase the salaries OF
hospital employees aided considerably
in the upstate institutions. but Of
icials of the State Hospital Commits
sion say there has been little Improve
ment in the four hospitals In and
about New York city-Central Islip.
Kings Park. Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The difficulty Is principally in get
ting women attendants The result Is
that attendants are often obliged to
care for twenty-five and even fifty
patients each. where they should be
required to look after only eight or
twelve. Under these conditions it is
impossible to give patients the needed
exercise and care.
Reports received by the State Hos
pital Commission this month show that
in 291 places for women attendants at
Kings Park Hospital there are 1873 va
cancies; of 223 places at Central Islip
there are So vacancies. and 1874 va
cancies In 3s5 places at Manhattan.
The shortage at the Brooklyn Hos
pitai Is about in the same proportion.
Hospital officials are finding II much
easier to get men employees. At Kings
Park out of 21l places for men attend
ants there are only vacancies: at Cen
trail lsltp, 81 vacancies out OF SIS places.
and at Manhattan. 20 vacancies out OF
25A places.
Hospitals Overcrowded.
Another cause for depiorable condi-
tions In the State hospitals Is the over
crow ding. recent report shows that
ut Central Islip there were 0,61S
patients, while the capacity Is only 400.
This ratio OF overcrow ding is about the
same IN all the hospitals. 1t has neces-
STATED the placing OF beds practically
In contact In many OF the wards OF tne
big New York institutions.
To correct this situation the Legisla-
.ure. In the s16,926.672 appropriated for
State institutions for the insane In
ciuded 100000 for new construction
The bulk OF II will go FOR the new nos
pital at Marcy, near Utica, which VIII
take care Of 5000 patients. and for ad-
HnQnifal to
for 1000. Smaller additions are peing
made to the other hospitals. but officials
mere say they will not be sufficient to
entirely overcome present overcrowding'
let alone the normal increase OF sVV IN
aana patients year. The present popu-
iatIon OF the States insane Institutions
Is $3.50, including 2.761 on parole.
Gov. Smith. who recently called atten-
tion 10 the deplorable conditions IN the
states insane hospitals. declared that
no had In mind at that time the failure
Of the State TO appropriate e'0's'
money for Its insane.
.Srhe small salaries is the cause OF the
shortage of help In the State tnstitu-
lions" he said. sand without adequate
and intelligent help the State cannot 90
this lob as II should be done rms II no
question for economy II s2O'Voo,Vou
were needed this ar for the state
hospitals for the insane Il Is mistake
TO be s4.000.000 short III the stats
can't do the Job right II should turn
the care OF the insane back 10 the coun-
sles the same as before 1893.
Governor Says Pay II Too Small
The salary increases given hospital
.ronloyers by the last Legislature placed
che maximum for attendants at $40
month. Gov Smith declared this is not
ruficient for the men and women work.
lnr in the metropolitan district hospf-
tals He Attri buted much OF the present
trouble at the Bedford Refo matory TO
the small pay. saying that II was I'M
possible either TO get sufficient OF com
petent help for the salaries allowed oy
the state.
GOV. Smith said that his attention was
nrst called to the conditions In tho State
hospitals for the insane about year
ago by a woman official of the United
states Government. who visited him at
the Fillmore Hotel after insrecting the
Brooklyn Hosptal She tod him that
the women patients were covered with
vermfn that the failure 70 change the
ned linen caused bed sores. and that
ihare were not nearly erorgh attend
ants The Governor sent his legal ad-
wiser. Jamea Parsons. 10 soc the
doctor IN charge. and he confirmed all
that the wornnn Government ofnc'ai re-
ported To doctor said Il WIS inpossi-
BILE 70 get help. not only hec1nsa ~ The
smell paw IN, because o. the miserable
living conditions for TIE stt"ndants
ITO Cova~,,N~ eN~- ~ai'~A ~ mr.
Hermann M Birgs, state Commissioner
Of Heath. and Dr Pearcc Bailey. chair
man OF the Commission % M"ntal De-
fectives 10 investigate all the State hos
pitfalls II was on their report that he
sent his message % the last Legla'atiire
ASKING FOR more pay for state hospital
employees In the message the Governor
said.
The State has assumed the sacred
Obligation OF taking care Of the unror-
tunate men and women IN our HOSPITALS
tcr the insane, end II rhovld bc ard must
be done right To simply house them
and thereafter DO nothing 10 bring abou'
conditions @ improve their we'll being
would mean that we were not discharg-
ins that obligation IN good faith.
Living Conditions Criticized.
~ am sending you with this message
a copy OF the report made 70 me by Drs.
Biggs and Bailey, together With letters
from the superintendcnts OF some Of the
state hospitals You will find by read
ing them that the trouble lies. first, In