Show INSANE ASYLUM REPORT statistics AND CONDITION OF THE institution following is the report of the superintendent of the insane asylum at provo which was rendered to the legislature jan 21 in compliance with the law I 1 have the honor herewith to submit to you toy iny fifth annual report iu det detail of the operations of the asylum for the fiscal year ending november 1889 appended to this report will be found tabulated statements of all matters pertaining to the movement of patients etc also reports of expenses receipts and disbursements bur of the administration ANNUAL hammary OF MOVEMENTS MOVEMENT OF PATIENTS females males male total number of patients dec 1 57 62 52 inn number admitted during the year vear ending nov 1889 92 79 number discharged recovered 10 12 22 number eloped 1 number died 13 18 6 19 total number died discharged eloped elodea 24 21 is 18 h total number ot of patients en remaining in asylum nov NOT HO 0 1809 68 61 in explanation of the above at the opening of the fiscal year december 1 1888 there were patients in the asylum 57 males and 62 52 females admitted luring during the year 62 35 males aud and 27 females total number under care and ana treatment for the year ending november 30 1889 92 males and 79 females dischar red 10 males and 12 females died 13 males and 6 females one eloped and not returned this man was wag a transients transi enta quaner naner by occupation and had no friends or relatives in the territory j he i e was so HO far recovered that I 1 contemplated discharging him its ih a short time he was allowed to work around outside for several months and finally taking advantage of the liberty recorded accorded eloped we have heard nothing of him since number in the asylum at this date a gain of permanent population for the year of twenty patients it will wil I 1 be meen from the above that sixty two patients were admitted this year as against thirty four for the year ending november also that twenty two had been discharged as against ten for the preceding year the deaths were nineteen for the year as against four for the year preceding A number of the deaths are of persons over sixty years of age one being sixty four four ranging from seventy to seventy four years one eighty four and one eighty six these cases being all senile cements dying from old age general debility and senile decay A number of cases were brought to the asylum in a dying condition only living a short time after admission thus our death rate is largely augmented by causes over which we have no control the percentage of discharges as against the number recovered during the year was 33 per cent this is not as large a percentage of discharges as is credi credited tad to the asylums where every facility fur for treatment is at the disposal of the management but it must be deemed a very favorable showing considering the disadvantages here labored under from lack of room to properly classify the cases tbt the steady increase of the permanent population tiju of the asylum suggests terribly forcibly the necessity of making provision for the future the population of the territory is rapidly increasing and with that increase will come a corresponding increase in the number of insane to be cared for in institutions provided by the commonwealth the number of patients in this institution today to is about one to 2000 of the population of the territory how many there may be throughout the territory over whom private care is exercised 1 have vo no means of ascertaining but taking the data that is obtainable from other sources there must be a large number the ratio of insane to population in california is as one to massachusetts one to new york one to eng lanias one in australia Austi australia alia one ode in thus it will be seen that should the number of insane to number of population in this territory anywhere the figures here given mere inere must be a large number of the unfortunate class within our borders who sooner or later will require the care of an asylum la in my report for the year 1887 1 I stated our needs fully and emphatically as was my duty permit me to refer again thereto and to earnestly reiterate the state statements menta therein contained since the report here mentioned was formulated our population has increased steadily and the limit of numbers that could be properly cared for in this inadequate building has long since been exceeded the following will inform you as to the condition of our wards ward A the female ward must furnish accommodation at the present timp time for sixty nine dine people six ty two patients and the female em aloyes of the asylum these are distributed as follows in the room formerly occupied by the medical superintendent as an office twelve beds on across corridor twelve beds one associate dormitory six beds in unfinished lavatory bath room and clothing room three beds the eighteen small rooms intended to accommodate one patient each are all occupied by not less than two patients in each and several by three with one exception a case wf we dare not trust in a room with another patient at night the male ward B has to furnish accommodation for seventy three persons sixty eight patients and five attendants these are distributed as follows during the day all are upon ward B at night twenty four of the quieter cases are taken up stairs to ward C to sleep they occupy the different rooms on that ward as an associate dormitory dormit tury ciry attendants sleep in the ward with them the balance of the patients are retained on ward B twelve sleeping in one associate dormitory and six in another of the eighteen small rooms ten are occupied by two patients each the others by one patient in each these cases are such that we dare not trust them together but are obliged to isolate them at night the above explains our condition as to room i and patients who are received n now ow must have beds made for them on cross corridors all of our alt sleeping rooms being fully occupied such crowding in a bom hospital pital for sane people would be considered dangerous from a sanitary point of view how much more dangerous it is with insane and irresponsible beings nut not only from sanitary reasons but from many other reasons which you will readily understand we are at the present time taking and must continue to take chances that could only be ju justified stifled by the fact that these poor unfortunates must be eared cared for and that we have not greater facilities to do other aan man we are doing trusting to providence and a constant vigilance that no calamity may occur the evils of this overcrowded over crowded condition are that it impairs the usefulness of the asylum handicaps good treatment interferes with the proper moral and hygienic treatment of the patients and lessens their chances for recovery it reacts upon their cal health as upon their mental progress no class of people are more readily influenced by their surroundings close contact with one another makes them uneasy irritable ri and is provocative of quarrels and violence especially is this the case where there are no facilities for proper classification during the first brat year as in former years our oar aim has been to keep patients inn employed at some form afla of labor or occupation so far as practicable this is done as a means of treatment rather than from any profit to be derived from their labor and to get patients inflicted with a mild form of insanity or those that are improving from off the crowded ward and give them the benefit of outdoor exercise and quiet from excitement cit and noise during the past year we have not cot been able to give our patients amusement in the way of music or concerts as we have no place available for that purpose this deprives us of a great help in diverting the mind and breaking the monotony of asylum life we have whenever the weather has been suitable taken out walking parties of all such parties as were able to go and could be trusted three or four times a week for the double purpose of giving them exercise in the air and of enabling us to more thoroughly T ventilate the building the question ot keeping the building in good sanitary condition is one of great importance and considerable difficulty is experienced owing to this overcrowded over crowded condition during the cummer months we can partially meet this need by constantly keeping the windows open day and night but as aa severe winter weather approaches to do this and at the same time heat the building and keep up a comfortable temperature is almost an impossibility it then almost comes yo to the question of which is the worse evil to freeze or to be poisoned by the breathing of so many persons only those who have the care of the insane can fully realize what is meant by the odor arising from the breath of a number of such unfortunate persons congregated in places not thoroughly ventilated we therefore keep open windows as much as possible although it gives rise to a good deal of complaint from the pat patients lerAs at times and also subjects them to the taking of colds colde coughs etc another trouble experienced is the constant use iise of closets intended to accommodate a given number of persons by double that number this gives rise to vile odors despite the constant flush flus ings bings and free use of deodorizing deodor izing materials we have spared no do effort however to keep every part of the building scrupulously clean and maintain a good sanitary condition and so far havo hava succeeded fairly well how long that can continue under existing circumstances cum curn stances remains to be seen our best efforts however how e ver will always be put forth to that end the general health of the inmates of the asylum for the past year is as good AS could reasonably be expected we have had bad no epidemic or di Beaser nor any accidents of any importance aside from those forms of bodily ailments incidental to mental and nervous diseases there have been a few cases of malarial and of ordinary sickness such as would occur amongst this number of diseased persons congregating in one building FINANCIAL FINAN CICAL STATEMENT I 1 here introduce a short summary of financial condition of care and treatment account to date for more explicit and detailed account see gee balance sheet and tabular reports appended RESOURCE a w drugs and fixtures on hand 78 75 merchandise groceries in 8 R A 98 merchandise dry goods boots shoes 8 B R B 1525 32 profit from tann farm products 1082 5 aft pipe and fittings on hand 83 fusion fuel on hand 87 paid out tor for improvements by or der of the board to be refunded 38 wheat on hand in fix ex mills 67 wheat on hand in tanners mill 30 CASH A mount amount in the hands of the treas after obar charging ing him with the a appropriation ria tion 0 of f march 8 igro 1888 su 02 amount owing I 1 n g f from r 0 m C counties 0 u nt ie s ana n d private patients 1471 63 66 65 balance total resources wa 60 CASH liabilities salary accounts for november 30 owing sundry BUD dry counties 1310 39 2298 2299 69 balance net resources jjr 81 the daily attendance of patients for the year ending november 1889 was the daily average cost per capita per diem as aa against 58 for 1888 As stated stame IN ia my last report this reduction is not due to any special eff effort ort to reduce the cost buttrom increase of numbers cared for without material increase in the working force of the asylum As will be seen the cost of care and treatment has decreased during the ahe past two years notwithstanding the fact that our expenses have been materially increased during that period by charging care and treatment with burial expenses peni ses coroners fees and clothing of indigent patients amounting to 2583 to march ath 1888 when the present law took effect thew charges were met by the counties whence the patients came our accommodations for em aloyes other than those employed upon the wards are inadequate and unsuitable not to say u able especially in the winter months in fact they have been and are a source of discontent and justly so the basement rooms were not intended for sleeping apartments but we have used them for that purpose for lack of better accommodations if that is to be continued these rooms should be plastered proper floors should be put into them and they should be comfortably fort ably fitted up the rooms formerly occupied by the medical superintendents superintend entIs office stewards steward 19 bedroom drug store re caption room etc on the first floor have been vacated to make more i sleeping room for patients increasing the number of beds by twenty four the office quarters and drug store are now dow located in the southwest corner of the basement the location is cramped for space and unpleasant for many reasons but the benefit to patients from more room on ward A more than coun ter balances the inconveniences to the office quarters WATER SUPPLY for the past two years we have been under the necessity of practicing a dangerous economy in the use of water in fact the supply is in adequate equate ai for the needs two reasons for this have been the greater amount required as the number of patients have increased and the general drouth lessening the flow from oak springs Thes lauts it is hoped will ue oe sup i plied co soon as your executive committee shall have completed the pumping plant now in course of construction st from the spring in the north pasture and will settle the question of water io in the future the requirements of water per capita in an asylum are greater thod than for any other institution where so many people are confined due to I 1 the filthy habits of many of our I 1 inmates 11 this pumping plant will also remove another source of great anxiety by providing protection in case of fire enabling us to keep up a constant stream of water from the hydrants and fire stands should there be need for it at present there is but twenty minutes supply at most from lack of reservoir or storage capacity an abundance of wat r is an absolute necessity to maintain good sanitation SEWERAGE the condition of sewerage remains the same as stated in my former rw re ports it is an evil and a constant menace to health in this connection I 1 can only reiterate what I 1 stated in reports before mentioned with this addition that as we are about to pump our water supply from the north pasture will be alsol absolutely necessary to carry the sewage away from its cresent outlet and it should be done at once if not the sewage matter will naturally drain to the lower point and contaminate ta the waters of the aprin sprin springs 9 3 rendering them entirely unfit for domestic purposes there is no fact better established than that the contamination tami nation of water ater used for domestic pup purposes coes with fecal matter will give rise to fatal epidemics of sickness of a typhoid character I 1 bring bibring this matter neatter to the attention of the board deeming it of the utmost importance to the health and well be ing of the asylum inmates BOILER HOUSE since my last report re port the old boiler has been thoroughly repaired and re fitted with foiw new tubes and replaced in the boiler house buse alongside the new boiler we have now ample means forthe generation of steam and no longer fear being left without heat light or power as was the case previous to this we have now one boiler always in reserve run them alternately and are able to make repairs at once whenever needed thus lengthening the period of usefulness of each the matter of coal bunkers remains as stated in former reports and coal is still hauled by car load lots at a time over all kinds of roads in the fall and spring when the roads are bad it costs twice as much to haul the coal as it would in good weather A considerable sum could be saved in drayage were bun bunkers keri provided in which to store a whole winters supply and hauled in the summer months ELECTRIC |