Seventeenth annual report of the managers of the Buffalo State Asylum for Insane for the year 1887.

  • Buffalo State Hospital
Date:
1888
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Seventeenth annual report of the managers of the Buffalo State Asylum for Insane for the year 1887. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    of two stories, arranged with day rooms, dining and service rooms on the first floor, and sleeping apartments above. These generally consist of large associate dormitories, with a small number of single rooms for such patients as may suddenly become disturbed or violent. In a few instances, seaside and country residences have been prepared as homes for the convalescent, and for such as may be benefited by the change of air and removal from the asylum and its associations. Farm houses already existing on asylum sites have been utilized for patients of the agricultural class, whose surroundings are thus made to approxi¬ mate their former condition. The limit of variety as well as of sim¬ plicity and economy in asylum construction was reached when tents were occupied by patients during the summer months while waiting for the completion of permanent buildings. They served a good pur¬ pose, and were said to be satisfactory for the temporary use of the patients assigned to them. As showing the probable direction of changes it is proposed by one of the State asylums to erect a series of buildings as a colony some miles from the hospital proper, where patients can be employed in culti¬ vating land purchased for the purpose. The profits of labor thus employed in raising farm products, it is believed, will materially reduce ! the per-capita cost of maintenance, and at the same time improve the health and increase the happiness of such patients as can be trusted with the enlarged freedom. Another proposed change is to attach to the present asylums for the acute insane, buildings erected at less cost and scattered about the grounds, for the chronic insane, thus bringing the two classes under the same management. When a case becomes chronic, it is to be trans¬ ferred from the hospital proper to one of the cottages, wFere 023portu- jj nity for occupation in agricidtural or mechanical pursuits is jmovided. These changes in the construction and arrangements have been followed by others in the modes of heating and ventilation, which accomplish the with greater perfection and economy. Boilers adapted to extremely low steam pressure are taking the places of the former high pressure boilers, and direct radiation is now il employed in various a2)artments Avith the advantage of increased com¬ fort and more ready control. The large blower fans which force air I through conduits and basement passages have in many places been superseded by natural A^entilation through windows and ojAen fire¬ places, or by suction fans, which give a more direct and jAOsitiA^e current in the exit flues from the wards. By the use of these the Avhole volume of air in the building can be changed as often as three times an hour; even in those having an air sj^ace of 4,000 cubic feet j^er jAatient. Elec- [Senate, No. 10.] 3 0 .■1: i y