Tenth annual report of the Trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Northampton : October, 1865.

  • State Lunatic Hospital (Northampton, Mass.)
Date:
1865
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Tenth annual report of the Trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Northampton : October, 1865. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    17/48 page 15
    Nor are they few. A record recently commenced, shows that during the last month, September, the number was upwards of five hundred. Comparatively few of these entered the halls occupied by the patients. We desire to treat those who are under our care as we, in their places, would like to be treated ; and certainly, under their circumstances, we should not want the halls to be open to the public. INTERNAL ECONOMY—DISTRIBUTION OP SUPPLIES. Having sufficient funds, it is no very difficult matter to pur¬ chase supplies for four hundred people ; but the problem of the distribution of them in such manner that there shall be the utmost possible minimum of waste, is somewhat difficult of solution. When visiting foreign hospitals, in the year 1849, I was much pleased with the perfection of the plan pursued at some of them, particularly that at Hanwell, near London, and that at Leubus, in the Prussian province of Silesia. The method recently introduced here is very similar. The materials for clothing and for bedding are deposited in the sewing-room, and the seamstress is responsible for them. She keeps an account with the hospital, charging her depart¬ ment with the goods received, and crediting those which are delivered. No garment or bedding is made, and no article, whether of cloth? thread, buttons, or anything else delivered for consumption, except upon the order of the Superintendent. When delivered it is charged to the person, the hall, or the department requiring it. The garments and bedding are deliv¬ ered to the dry goods store-room, and there credited to the sewing-room. The orders are preserved and, at certain periods, compared by the Superintendent and the Clerk, with the charges of the articles delivered. The dry goods store-room is under the sole care of the Clerk. Here are deposited clothing of all kinds, bedding, crockery and glass ware, brooms, pails, brushes, and other household uten¬ sils. A regular account of debt and credit is here, as in the sewing-room, kept with the hospital; and goods are delivered only upon an order. For all articles of cloth, earthen-ware, glass, tin, and some others, the order must be in writing and signed by the Superintendent. But a worn-out broom brought for deposit, is a sufficient order for a new broom; an old pail,
    digitised image 1
    digitised image 2
    digitised image 3