A1915

From the Physician's Report
WAUPACA COUNTY ASYLUM FOR CHRONIC INSANE

Transcribed by Paula Vaughan June 2003

To The Honorable Board of Trustees of Waupaca County Asylum for the Chronic Insane:

GENTLEMAN: It is with the greatest of pleasure that I report the present sanitary and hygienic condition of the institution as excellent. The general health of the inmates at this time is good and has been good throughout the year with the exception of a short time last autumn when an epidemic of dysentery prevailed that carried off a few of the debilitated patients.

Surgical work has been less than usual, there having been practically nothing with the exception of a broken arm which occurred as a result of a fall.
There were but ten deaths through the year as follows:

<
Name	Age	Cause of Death
Carl Schroeder	75	Uremia
Helen Buchanan	63	Dysentery
L. J. Snow	64	Dysentery
Anna Krieger	65	Dysentery
Mary Nelson	79	Exhaustion of Dementia
Hans P. Peterson	65	Suicide by drowning
Otillia Raasch	61	Uremia
Agnes Paulfrey	60	Exhaustion of Dementia
Vincenz Weber	86	Hypostatic Pneumonia
Bartelemo Coderino	41	Purelent Bronchitis

In the general management of the institution I have nothing to criticize but all to commend. Superintendent Hayward has always been alert to make any change that would improve the welfare and comfort of the patients as well as conserve the public interests in a wise and economical management of the business.

As matron, Mrs. Hayward has the affection and esteem of all the patients and is very constant in her devotion to the duties of her position. She has shown unusual ability in looking after the details of management and has maintained the interior in a neat and sanitary conditions. The diet and clothing of the patients has received her marked attention and has been handled with the best of judgment.
Neither Superintendent nor Matron has ever lost sight of the fact that the welfare and contentment of the patient is the first and greatest ideal to be realized in an institution of this kind and have never relaxed their effort to achieve it.
In making my visits to the institution it lies within my province to inspect and criticize, advise and direct in all matters pertaining to the health of the patients and the general sanitation of the premises. In this I have always had the heartiest co-operation of the officers and while many times the duties may seem to have been performed in a perfunctory manner, it was because I found things already to my liking.
New paint throughout the interior and new steel ceilings have been the most marked improvement from the sanitary view point and in fact the most needed as was mentioned in my report of last year.
I should be pleased to see a more adequate fire protection and would respectfully call your attention to calamities which occur all too often in public institutions due to the lack of proper preventive and protective measures. Let us not be derelict in this one important measure.
Further than this I have no recommendations to make.

Respectfully submitted,
E. H. JONES, Physician

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