AMUSEMENT AND RECREATION OF PATIENTS The entertainments and amusements were of the usual character. There were during the winter a number of entertainments, concerts and plays by itinerant professionals, nearby amateur companies, and the hospital band and orchestra. The hospital did not have a regularly organized ball team, but there were a few games played on the hospital grounds during the summer. The annual Field Day was unusually enjoyable and was witnessed not only by a majority of the patients and nurses, but by some two thousand spectators from various parts of the hospital district. The militia company from Geneva added to the occasion by coming in full force with their own band, and giving an exhibition drill. There are now over 1,700 volumes in the patients' library, and the average number of books issued weekly is 185. NOTEWORTHY OCCURRENCES Escapes. Attempts to escape in institutions of this character are of frequent occurrence and owing to the amount of freedom and the privileges given to certain patients, escapes occasionally take place. Four men disappeared from the institution during the past year and have not as yet been located. The mental condition of all these patients was such as to render them capable of taking care of themselves, and they may keep out of difficulties for an indefinite time. Suicides. Three women patients committed suicide by strangulation. In two of these cases no suicidal tendencies had been previously manifested; in fact one of these women had apparently recovered to such an extent that arrangements had been made for her to return home. The third case was a patient who was received upon voluntary application and subsequently committed by a court order because of profound depression with suicidal tendencies, and despite the extra precautions which were taken she eluded the night nurse and strangulated herself with a bed sheet in the toilet room of the ward where she was. Accidents. Nothing occurred in the way of accidents out of the usual. The most serious injury was fracture of the hip which happened in the case of one patient at the women's infirmary, in the usual way by accidentally falling. CHANGES IN THE PERSONNEL OF THE MEDICAL STAFF J. Albert Pritchard, M. D., senior assistant physician, was transferred to a position in the same grade at St. Lawrence State Hospital, October 20, 1913. John F. McNeill, M. D., was appointed medical interne, November 17, 1913. Wirt C. Groom, M. D., was promoted from medical interne to assistant physician, March 18, 1914. Charles D. Squires, M. D., was appointed medical interne, June 10, 1914. Chester Waterman, M. D., senior assistant physician, resigned September 30, 1914, to enter upon private practice. SUMMARY OF THE FORTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE HUDSON RIVER STATE HOSPITAL The hospital was opened for patients in 1871. BOARD OF MANAGERS Frank B. Lown, President. . Sunny Fields, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Peter H. Troy, Secretary..114 Garden St., Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Miss Catherine A. Newbold.. North Road, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. Miss Myra Avery.. Horatio N. Bain. ..Moore's Mills, N. Y. Wappingers Falls, N. Y. .Staatsburg, N. Y. .Nelson House, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. in hospital during the year. 31,777.80 Value of farm products of year... Additional land purchased during the year.. Value of extraordinary improvements made.... 35,952.92 None 33,497.83 None MEDICAL SERVICE Number of physicians, including superintendent and internes, 17. Ratio of all physicians to patients, 1:184. Ratio of physicians to patients, excluding superintendent and internes, 1:209. Staff meetings: Number held each week, 2 to 4, depending on admission rate. Number held during year for study of pathological and laboratory material, 8. Officer conducting meeting, first assistant physician. Daily on wards, 3 times weekly in special treatment room. Scientific research: Alcoholic group in connection with State Hospital Commission. Effects of salvarsan on general paresis cases. Laboratory work: Autopsy percentage last year was 48.96 of the total 290 deaths. Active pulmonary tuberculosis in 25 per cent of autopsy cases and scars in 12 per cent. Over 2,500 clinical examinations were made in the laboratory and nearly 500 Wassermann reactions. Prevention and after-care work: At present no special field worker has been engaged. but we hope to have one during the coming year. Very efficient and active local committee on mental hygiene. Number of autopsies performed: Male, 84; female, 58; total, 142. Percentage ratio of autopsies to total deaths, 48.96. Total number of employees... Ratio of night nurses and ward at- Ratio of all nurses and ward attendants to patients. . . . Number of graduates of State hospital training schools employed... Number of graduates of training schools of general hospitals employed |