State Charities Aid Association - Annual Report amount of food they were consuming. In the women's tuberculosis pavilion there are but thirteen patients. While last year the new cases of tuberculosis in the hospital were reduced from thirty to thirteen, this year they have had but one new case, which speaks volumes for both food and air. There are at present 100 nurses, 22 of these being graduate nurses, and there are 218 employees. About 46 per cent of the patients are doing good work. Great comfort is experienced in the enlarged storeroom and kitchen and the refrigerating plant, but there is great need of enlarging the bakery. Naturally 1,100 patients make greater demands for food than 350, the number for which it was built. We cannot too highly commend the chef, who, in cramped quarters, prepares bread, rolls, coffee cake and cookies, not to mention doughnuts, pies, dumplings and puddings. Four barrels of flour are made daily into bread, and one barrel into pies, cakes and cookies. For eleven years the same chef has served patients and officials alike with excellent food. It is well worth noting that the vegetable cook, besides doing his other work, in one day, canned 565 gallons of tomatoes with the assistance of 25 peelers, 15 of whom were patients. Early in the season 500 gallons of strawberries were canned, and 600 gallons of apples will soon be done. Already 145 gallons of catsup have been made, and 20 gallons more will soon be put up. All vegetables and fruits are grown on the place. The canning factory cans the corn for the Hospital, and is paid with corn instead of money, as a large supply of corn is raised. No butter is made, but the cows yield sufficient milk for every patient and employee to have a pint of milk daily, with 20 per cent to spare for cooking purposes. Recently, a little shop has been opened in one of the basements, where candy, tobacco, sandwiches, biscuits, grape juice, sarsaparilla, needles and thread can be purchased. This is for the convenience of both employees and patients. Besides the need of enlarging the bakery, there is need of more fire-escapes, and also of another small pavilion for the women tuberculosis patients, costing probably $1,500. Since their num State Charities Aid Association - Annual Report ber has so greatly decreased, a small, inexpensive building would be sufficient for these patients, and leave the larger building now in use for the old and feeble women. This building, being but one story high, is very desirable for them. Good order and good air prevail, and after a long day's inspection we have only praise for those in charge whose executive ability and good judgment have ensured such results for the State. MARY A. L. BOOKSTAVER, CONCLUSION In conclusion, the Board of Managers, in behalf of the State Charities Aid Association, desires to express to your Honorable Commission, and to the Managers and medical Superintendents of the State Hospitals, its sincere thanks for the kind response to requests for information, for the courtesy with which all suggestions have been considered, and for the readiness with which the co-operation of the Association has been welcomed in its endeavor to promote the welfare of the dependent insane of the State. For the Board of Managers. HOMER FOLKS, Secretary MARY VIDA CLARK Assistant Secretary. REVIEWS OF STATE HOSPITAL REPORTS SUMMARY OF THE SEVENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UTICA STATE HOSPITAL At the beginning of the fiscal year there were 742 male and 780 female patients in the hospital. During the year there were committed 142 male and 120 female first admissions, a total of 262, and 42 male and 45 female readmissions, a total of 87. There were four voluntary female first admissions and two male and one female voluntary readmissions. Five male and 5 female patients were received by transfer from other institutions for the insane. The total admissions for the year were 191 males and 175 females, a total of 366. The patient population at the close of the year was 764 males and 809 females, a total of 1,573. Of the admissions, 22 men and 2 women were cases of general paralysis and 39 men and 5 women were cases of alcoholic insanity. There were discharged during the year 45 males and 41 females, as recovered; 15 males and 6 females, as much improved; 26 males and 30 females, as improved; 17 males and 9 females, as unimproved and 2 males and 2 females, as not insane. The deaths numbered 118 of which 62 were men and 56 The most prominent single cause of death was endocarditis, it having caused the death of 16 men and 17 women. Two men and 9 women died of general paralysis. One male patient committed suicide by hanging himself with a sheet to a window guard. women. With the exception of mumps and measles the hospital has been free from contagious diseases. The customary dances, band concerts and ball games were held. The annual trip to the circus was enjoyed by 136 patients. The patients derived great pleasure from the moving picture and dramatic entertainments held during the year. The training school graduated a class of 20. Fourteen of the junior class passed the examination for promotion to the senior class. Summaries of Reports of State Hospitals - Utica The total expenditures of the institution for the maintenance of patients were $307,202.34, a per capita of $203.98. Twentysix thousand nine hundred fifty-seven dollars and forty-three cents was received from reimbursing patients and $8,637.32 was received from private patients, a total of $35,594.75. The estimated value of the farm and garden products was $25,984.34, and of the articles made or manufactured by the patients, $12,800. Pursuant to chapter 48 of the Laws of 1912, a new site for this hospital has been selected, known as the "Marcy site," lying about six miles west of Utica on the State highway connecting Utica and Rome. "This site has been pronounced ideal by all who have seen it. It slopes gently from the northwest to the southeast; the New York Central Railroad, through its Black River branch, passes through the northern border so close that the laying of a switch of a few hundred yards only will be needed to reach the hospital property. The buildings will naturally be located toward the back of the site at its highest part and the view from this point across the Mohawk Valley is most beautiful. All this together with its southern exposure makes it a most perfect location for a hospital." The various farms composing the site are being purchased and preliminary steps for the establishment of a water supply system have been taken. * A small fire caused by defective insulation of an electric light wire occurred on December 22, 1911. It was discovered by Miss Mary Breen, a nurse in one of the upper wards, who immediately. sent for assistance and then proceeded to put out the fire by turning on the water from the standpipe and directing the stream upon the blaze. She had the fire well under control when help arrived. The principal needs of the hospital are set forth as follows: Repairing in rear of hospital, mortuary and laboratory, verandas and sun parlors on infirmary, fence on hospital property, fence on Marcy site. Dr. William Hale a graduate in arts of Amherst College and in medicine of the Medical School of Queens College, Kingston, Canada, was appointed medical interne on July 1, 1912. SUMMARY OF THE FORTY-FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE WILLARD STATE HOSPITAL At the beginning of the year there were in the hospital 1,148 male and 1,239 female patients, a total of 2,387. Admissions occurred as follows: By commitment, first admissions, males 96, females 83, total 179; readmissions, males 24, females 26, total 50; voluntary, first admissions, males 2, females 2; readmissions, males 4, females 4. There were discharged, as recovered, males 82, females 46, total 78; as much improved, males 8, females 5, total 13; as improved, males 11, females 23, total 34; as unimproved, males 8, females 7, total 15; as not insane, males 2, females 2, total 4. Eighty-eight males and 65 females died. At the close of the year there were in the hospital 1,149 male and 1,232 female patients, a total of 2,381. Thirteen cases of general paralysis and 27 cases of alcoholic insanity were admitted during the year. Autopsies were performed in 82 cases, a percentage of 53.6 of the total number of deaths. In March, 1912, there occurred an epidemic of scarlet fever which continued until May. There were a total of fifteen cases, all of which recovered. During the winter and spring months there were ten cases of diphtheria. One young woman patient died of this disease. There were nine cases of typhoid fever, but no deaths occurred therefrom. Two railroad accidents occurred during the year, but no fatalities resulted. One male patient died as a result of injuries received at the hands of another patient while in the bathroom, a blow over the abdomen causing traumatic peritonitis. The patients who are able to work are employed in a large variety of occupations and a school for patients suffering from dementia praecox is conducted during the forenoon of each week day except Saturdays. The exercises consist of playing ball, dancing, marching, fancy needle work and reading. In the afternoon classes in sewing and embroidering are conducted. The annual field day was held on September 28th. In addition to the various races and contests, exhibits were made of the |