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Show Dr. Dunn Replies To Open Letter Of Mental Society ".'jiki.is isnue with the Utah Society So-ciety for Mental Hygiene with respect re-spect to the needs of the Utah State hoflpital. Dr. Frederick Dunn, superintendent of the hospital, hits adilrtSxsed a communication to the members of the state legislature in reply to an open letter addressed to thos bodies by the society. The letter of tho society among other things states that in the opinion of its members a new receiving re-ceiving and hospital .building at the Utah State hospital is not so urgent at this time as the need of additional staff physicians. Stair Knows Nwd In reply Dr. Dunn says: "Frr your information may I state that at a meetinff held February 4, 1931, at this hospital by the members mem-bers of the state board of insanity, the consulting staff of the hospital, hos-pital, which consists of 18 eminent emin-ent members and specialist of the medical profession, and the resident resi-dent staff, the urgent needs of the hospital were fully and freely discussed. dis-cussed. After thorough and careful care-ful consideration a definite program pro-gram was decided upon and unanimously unan-imously adopted by all present. '"The need for the receiving and hospital building headed the list. It was recognieed by all as being the most important need and major ma-jor project of the hospital at the present time. "The ineeUng also discussed the ad visibility of having an enlarged medical staff. After full and free discussion of this matter it was ;aiso unanimously voted that at the completion of the new receiving and hospital building, fully equipped equip-ped in every respect, with all modern facilities for the diagnosis, care and treatment of the insane, then the medical staff would be enlarged. "To fully prove the above statement, state-ment, statistical tables, carefully prepared from the hospital records by the resident staff, were presented present-ed at the meeting. These tables clearly showed that - the present population of the hospital largely consisted of patients who axe suffering suf-fering from chronic forms of insanity, in-sanity, and that the hospital was so overcrowded that' acute cases usually sought care and treatment elsewhere owing to lack of room at the hospital lack of modern facilities facil-ities for treatment,, and most of all -the dislike and aversion and being placed in contact with patients having chronio , nervous mental ailments. ' "It the state of Utah desires to operate a hospital rather than an infirmary or an asylum It must now provide' a modern receiving and hospital building , fully equipped." "May I also state that any information infor-mation ' regarding the needs or management of this hospital : will 1 be cheerfully furnished by !any of the members of the state board of insanity, or by the superintendent.! These men should know, and I' be- 1 lieve do' kiiow, the facts pertaining to the institution and its needs by reason of their personal .contact with its affairs. . ... .;' . - " 1 -WI do not feel that any persorj or. group (of ' persons ' who have mot-Verted mot-Verted the', .hospital ,and 'informed : themselves . by : personal ; observations observa-tions and .contact- are . in a position to-enllghten you as ' to the proper needs and , requirements . ' of '.the : hospital, J , '. ' - ; ; j' ,:!'With the approval of 'the .governing .gov-erning body , of this Institution, I i appeal to you in the name of sui- I fering humanity- to provide at 'this time the receiving 'and .hospital building"' |
