restaurant.

able disturbance and consequently awaken any patients who happen to be there. There are no provisions for preparing food at the pavilion, and meals for the patients are brought from a nearby The nursing service consists of three policemen, two of whom are fortunately graduate nurses from the Buffalo State Hospital, the third being an inexperienced man. When women patients are received they are looked after by an inexperienced woman, who was formerly a police matron, who sleeps in the women's department, remaining there night and day while women patients are there.

The physician in charge of the pavilion is a man of experience in the State hospital service, and has made every possible effort within his power to improve the existing conditions without avail. All of the patients admitted to the pavilion are required to have their names entered upon the police blotter. The pavilion is destitute of any furnishings, the floors are bare and the general appearance quite forlorn. The location of this pavilion is a violation of the statute and it should be removed to a more suitable place.

Greene County. Here no provisions have been made except that a room has been set aside at the county house and adequate attendants employed.

Westchester County. At Mt. Vernon the detention rooms are under the police court and consist of two cells. They are dark and gloomy and the ventilation quite poor. They are so located that the men confined in the cell room beyond can see patients. who are detained in the cells. There are no toilet facilities and no matron on duty. It is said by the authorities that women patients are not cared for here, as they are taken care of in their homes. It is the plan of the municipality to provide in the new municipal building, which is in process of erection, better facilities for the care of the insane pending commitment. At present the facilities are very poor indeed and should not be continued.

At Dobbs Ferry detention quarters are provided in Buckley's Hotel of that village. The hotel is a frame building, the rooms are on the third floor at the end of a long corridor, the only exit being one wooden stairway, which is situated in the center at the front of the building. On the stairway are electric wires, which are all open wiring. On the same corridor on which the rooms are situated, a long distance from them, is a bath room with an attached toilet. This room is large and fairly equipped. The windows of the rooms for patients are not screened and they are very poorly ventilated and furnished. They are heated by gas stoves and considerable tubing is present in the rooms. There are

no fire escapes whatever, nor are there any fire extinguishers. The proprietor's son is engaged to look after male patients, while a nurse is employed to look after women patients. This place is not at all satisfactory and is entirely inadequate for the proper care of patients pending commitment. In addition to the fact that the rooms are in a dangerous location as regards fire, the hotel in which the rooms are located maintains a saloon which is right next to the entrance that patients are obliged to take to reach the stairway leading to the corridor on which the rooms are situated. It is also said that it is customary in this place to restrain patients by means of straps, consisting of a strap tied about each ankle, connected by a chain about ten inches in length.

Upon presentation to the Legislature of these shortcomings in local provision, the Commission secured the passage of chapter 306 of the Laws of 1914 (incorporated in the Insanity Law as section 20) which authorizes the enforcement of the Commission's requirements as to suitable care for the dependent insane during the time steps are being completed for their commitment to a State hospital. Under the new statute the Commission is given authority to enlarge its present inspectorial force and may also invoke the aid of the Supreme Court to compel county authorities to remedy existing deficiencies of this character. The full test of the new section is herein inserted:

§ 20. Powers of commission as to detention of insane or apparently insane persons prior to commitment. The commission is charged with the duty of seeing that the laws relating to the detention, care and treatment of insane or apparently insane persons who are under examination as to their sanity or who are detained or confined pending commitment and prior to their transfer to institutions for the insane, are executed. The commission shall:

1. Make recommendations to and advise with health officers and other officers having duties to perform in respect to the detention, care and treatment of such insane or apparently insane persons, as to the performance of such duties and as to the requirements of places in which such persons are to be detained, and relating generally to the protection and promotion of the physical and mental welfare of such persons.

2. Visit or cause to be visited and inspected buildings, rooms or other places permanently established in any city, village or town, as provided by law, for the detention or confinement of insane or apparently insane persons, pending an examination as to their sanity, and prior to their transfer to an institution for the insane.

3. Examine into the qualifications of persons employed as provided by law in the care of insane or apparently insane persons, pending their examination, commitment and transfer, and recommend the discharge, for reasons stated in writing, of persons so employed who are found by the commission to be incompetent. 4. Employ a medical inspector and such other persons as may be necessary to carry into effect the purposes of this section.

If upon an inspection, made as authorized by this section, it shall be ascertained that any building, room or place established and regularly used in any city, town or village for the detention and confinement of insane or apparently insane persons pending examination and commitment, and prior to transfer, does not conform to the requirements of law, or if the care and treatment of persons confined therein are inadequate, the commission shall make a recommendation in writing to the board or officer of the town, village or city whose duty it is to establish and maintain such building, room or place, describing the defect or failure and stating how the same shall be remedied. It shall be the duty of such board or officer to cause such defect or failure to be remedied so as to conform to such recommendations. If such defect or failure is not so remedied within a reasonable time, the commission may apply to a justice of the supreme court at special term in the judicial district in which such building, room or place is situated for an order directing that such defect or failure shall be remedied as provided therein. At least ten days' notice of such application shall be given to the board or officer to whom such recommendation was made. If upon a hearing of such application it shall be ascertained that the recommendation of the commission is reasonable and in accordance with law, and has not been complied with, an order shall be granted directing such board or officer to make such alterations and provide such changes in the building, room, place, or methods of care and treatment complained of in the application, and describing specifically the alterations and changes directed to be made by such order. For the purpose of carrying into effect the provisions of this section, each commissioner, and any duly authorized agent of the commission, shall have free access to the buildings, rooms and places provided for the detention or confinement of insane or apparently insane persons, pending an examination as to their sanity and prior to their transfer to an institution for the insane. All persons connected with any such building, room or place shall give such information, and afford such facilities for examination and visitation thereof as the commission may desire. If any health officer or superintendent of a state hospital has knowledge of any

violation of the law relating to the detention or confinement, care and treatment of an insane or apparently insane person on the part of a police officer, or any municipal officer, he shall report the same to the commission, who may take such action in respect thereto as it shall deem proper. Provided that nothing in this section shall apply to Pavilion F of the Albany Hospital, located in the city of Albany.

INVESTIGATION OF FOOD SUPPLIES

Acting on suggestions that good might result from an inspection of meat and eggs used in the State hospitals, the Commission, late in the summer of 1913, authorized the regular inspector of supplies to obtain the assistance of federal inspectors in making a special examination, particularly of these supplies. Two federal inspectors were detailed and, in company. with the Commission's inspector, made a partial examination in 1913, visiting the hospitals again early in 1914. Their reports were received by the Commission, the first on April 27, 1914, the second on May 4, 1914. The principal subjects dealt with were eggs and meat, although a few other supplies and sanitary conditions received some attention.

Startling general charges concerning eggs and meat found at some of the hospitals appeared in these reports, and information of their contents reached the newspapers before they were received by the Commission. Such exaggerated statements that rotten beef and rotten eggs were being fed to the inmates of the hospitals were published in numerous papers that it seemed to make an investigation by the Commission necessary.

It was unfortunate that the reports of the federal inspectors were not transmitted directly to the Commission by the United States Department of Agriculture at an earlier date so that the accuracy of the statements made by them could have been made the subject of an immediate investigation.

Additional reasons for an investigation arose soon after the 1st of April out of published criticisms of meat which was being delivered under a contract for Argentine beef, to be supplied during the months of April, May and June of this year.

Owing to the necessity of most urgent economy in the purchase of food supplies, and acting on the recommendation of the

Purchasing Committee, the Commission, during the early part of the year, contracted for Argentine instead of domestic beef for use in the State hospitals, a procedure which has been more than justified by the results obtained. When the first deliveries were made differences of opinion arose as to the quality of the meat. Numerous rejections were made by superintendents or stewards against the protest of the contractors. Federal inspectors and representatives of the State Department of Agriculture were called in by the hospital. Conflicts of opinion arose. The difficulties encountered at one time threatened to render it necessary to cancel the contracts. The rejections became known and formed the basis of newspaper reports that rotten beef was used in the hospitals.

The Commission determined to institute a most careful and thorough investigation of the condition of food supplies in the various institutions and the coöperation of the Attorney-General of the State and the Commissioner of Efficiency and Economy was invited.

Investigation and public hearings were held at the Utica State Hospital on May 26; at Central Islip June 4, 5 and 6; at Long Island State Hospital June 8; at Buffalo June 24; at Middletown June 30, July 1 and 2; at Binghamton July 10 and 11; and at Willard July 15 and 16, 1914.

The number of witnesses examined was:

All the hearings were public. The Attorney General, the Department of Efficiency and Economy and the hospital authorities were given the fullest latitude in introducing evidence and calling and questioning witnesses.

Every witness called or who offered to testify was examined. No witness was permitted to leave the stand until the Attorney