The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1950-04-07
A Report On Warm Springs
BY REV. DANIEL S. McCORKLE, Secretary,
Montana Welfare Association, Conrad

awakened public which demands to know facts rather
than rumors 1t seemed advisable to obtain informa-
tlon at first hand, and visit therefore was made
the institution March 22nd to 25th.
Further information must be had before anyone
can know what the immediate future holds in store
for Warm Springs. report will be given later to
what actually happens. 1t is reasonable to suppose
that close attention will be given and serious effort
made by the Governor Attorney General and Secre-
tary of State to discharge their duties faithfully
Commissioners for the Insane. 1t is up to them to
avoid or rectfy and make that conditions
continue to improve.
Food of the right sort and in sufficient quantity
is prime requirement for the recovery of patients
Governor Bonner remarked last winter that it was his
purpose to that every patient got plenty of whole
milk Not only has that purpose been carried out, but
all patients are now getting abundance of whole
some food in satisfying variety, tempting in flavor
and served hot The Improvement to food is
index as to what has been going throughout the
tire institution.
Superintendent G. H. Freeman had been ably as
sisted by business manager Ted R. Schoenborn These
two men had been using the generous appropri-
atoms of recent legislatures to excellent advantage
The total result is that conditions in all respects have
been favorable for patients the present
moment
Nursing and Medical Care Greatly Improved
Nursing and medical have been vastly inn
proved There under Dr. Freeman not two
doctors but six, and it expected that there will
be eight. Dr. B. L. Pampel used to say that in the
year he made superintendent, there was but one
trained nurse the entire institution lie immediate
ly made an effort to build up an adequate corps OF
nurses, but found himself always being baffled by
limited appropriations. During World War II, the
Federal government began to supply forty to fifty
nurses-in-traning and has continued this practice to
the present time. Besides the fifty training
under Federal auspices Warm Springs has now its
corps of fourteen trained nurses.
Cures are being effected so rapidly that the total
number of patients at Warm Springs is slightly less
than it years ago. Prior to that time, the
number of patients had been increasing steadily But
there is decrease, even though more persons
than now being admitted because age has
rendered them senie. Also, even though voluntary
commitments (hat is, persons who of their own
free will to the asylum to take treatments have in
creased amazingly. 1t is made easy, of course, for
those who cured to leave the asylum After they
get well, many persons aided by the State De-
partment of Rehabilitation to return to normal life,
and others paroed to their families and friends
AS one who has made repeated visits to the asylum
in the past nine years. the writer of this article
testify that the number of persons mentally disturbed
noisy or violent is unbeievaby reduced This is not
wishful thinking. Forcibe restraint is not required
now for than about thirty, whereas formerly it
was necessary for hundred or more. A like de-
crease has taken place in the number of those who
extremely depressed. Acute melanchoa and manlacal
frenzies are rarely to be Instead, more and
more of the patients behave like normal people The
fact is that sanity is becoming the dominant MOOD
they act like well people because they being men
tally healed.
Attendants Are Kind To Patients
Three major factors aiding recovery, and a
fourth factor has Importance All patients getting
the food they need and plenty of it. Modern methods
of treatment being used skfuly, for instance,
where the electric shock and similar techniques are
used to persons in the most numerous group
of mental sufferers Attendants almost without ex-
ception are kind and considerable, and using
ational as we'll as occupational therapy, and social
activities Besides with the erection of the new dorml
tories there begins to be living room, and in the
restaurants and everywhere else the envr
onment is being made cheerful and pleasant.
We have remarked upon the gratifying changes
for the better which have been going on throughout
the institution. Nowhere is the change more striking
than among the patients of Cottage O. For
merly the of this cottage most untidy as
well as mentally inadequate and wretched 1t has been
possible to observe the faithful work of few highly
intelligent attendants who, within the course of
very years, have built up habits of behavior among
these patients until they do not to be the same
people There still sixtyseven patients for one
bathtub but the place is not filthy and far more sanl
tary rules prevail. When the new dormitory for
women with it's two hundred beds is opened for use
this spring, everyone hopes that overcrowding will
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