Thirty-seventh annual report of the trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester. October, 1869.

  • State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester.
Date:
1870
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirty-seventh annual report of the trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester. October, 1869. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Commontocaltl) of iRassadjitsctts. TRUSTEES’ REPORT. To His Excellency the Governor, and the Honorable Council of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Trustees of the Worcester Lunatic Hospital respectfully submit their Thirty-Seventh Annual Report. The Trustees refer to the reports of the Superintendent and Treasurer of the hospital for its present condition and prospects. The finances of the institution have steadily improved since the close of the war, and are in a satisfactory condition. , Prices of all articles of consumption still remain high, and the cost of the support of patients cannot reasonably be expected to be much less than at present, until prices are lower. If the price of coal had remained the same as it was during the previous year, and no more had been expended for improvements and repairs, the weekly cost of each patient would have been $8.67 per week. It has been $4.02 per week. The result of the financial management for the year is a balance in the treasury of $18,872.69. The report of the Superintendent shows that the number of patients admitted during the year ending October 1, 1869, was 887, and that the number admitted during the year ending October 1, 1868, was 296. It further shows that the number of deaths during the past year has been somewhat larger than usual, although there has been but little sickness in the hospital during the year. The increase in the number of deaths has been among those advanced in life, twelve of whom had reached their seventieth year, and several others had passed their sixty-fifth year. Among patients who have been insane less than one year, the proportion of recoveries has been 72 per cent., and among those who have been insane more than one year it has been 28 per cent. After deducting the deaths, the proportion