East Texas Hospital for the Insane.

W. J. JOHNSON, M. D., SUPERINTENDENT.

This Hospital is located at Rusk, Cherokee County. The buildings and grounds of the Institution are one mile northwest of the main part of the town, at the foot of a beautiful range of hills, for which this part of the State is noted. It is reached by the Cotton Belt, the T. & N. O. and the Texas State railroads.

Number of patients treated during the year ending August 31,

1920 ...

Average daily population.

..1088

555

RESIDENT OFFICERS.

East Texas Hospital for the Insane.

REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT.

RUSK, TEXAS, October 28, 1920.

To his Excellency, W. P. Hobby, Governor, Austin, Texas.

DEAR SIR: In accordance with the laws of the State, I herewith submit my annual report as Superintendent for the East Texas Hospital for the Insane for the year ending August 31, 1920, same being the first annual report.

This Institution was opened for the admission of patients September 1, 1919, and since that time there have been admitted 1088 patients, 633 males and 455 females, a total of 1088. During the year, 92 males and 60 females, a total of 152, were discharged. There were 214 deaths and 104 remaining on furlough, leaving 611 in the Institution at the beginning of the year, September 1, 1920. The daily average population for the year was 555.

The death rate is unusually high, which was due to an epidemic of influenza in the winter of 1919 and 1920, and due also to the fact that the various State institutions have been badly crowded for several years, and could not admit these patients; consequently they were forced to remain in the jails and on poor farms, where it was impossible to give them proper attention; and, when this asylum was opened, all counties emptied their jails and poor farms, and as a result a great number of the admissions were feeble and helpless, and also weak and emaciated from their confinement in the jails. One negro woman was admitted who had been in jail twelve years, and one white woman had been on the poor. farm twenty-five years. This condition should not exist, and while there is now but very few, if any, confined in the jails, yet this asylum is now practically full, as are other asylums of the State; and, unless the Wichita Falls asylum is soon opened, these unfortunates will begin to accumulate in the jails again.

The general health of the patients has been fairly good. We had no epidemic of any kind, except influenza. We only had two cases of typhoid fever during the year.

The question of help has been a serious problem, as the Legislature fixed the salaries of the employes of this Institution at a lower price than other institutions; and as a result we have been seriously handicapped in securing and keeping competent help.

We are badly in need of many improvements in order to care for the patients as they should be cared for. We have only one building to care for patients. We should have a hospital for men and women in order that the sick patients could be taken off of the wards. We should have buildings for tuberculous patients, so that we would not be forced to keep them on the wards with other patients; we should have buildings for the old and feeble patients, as we have a number who are feeble and get around with difficulty, and, when forced to stay on the wards with violent patients, are likely to be hurt. We need more living quarters for employes. Porches should be built on the east and west sides of the building so that patients could, at all times,

be taken out of the wards every day, thereby giving better air in the wards.

We have only two boilers in our powerhouse, and, as it takes both of them during the winter, we need one additional boiler to use in case of an emergency and in order to properly take care of the others. Our water supply has been very bad. It was first intended to use water from an artificial lake, but this water is unfit to drink; and as the Texas Steel Company owns one-half of the water right, when they are operating their plant they are situated so they take all the water. The local board, last year, ordered a well dug, and purchased a tank to increase the water supply. This well has been dug and the tank is now being erected, and we hope this will better our condition in this regard. The plumbing system is poorly arranged, and will, in a short time, have to undergo extensive repairs. Provision should be made to increase the bathing facilities for the patients.

We are using the bakery that was built many years ago; it is not satisfactory, and a new bakery should be added.

The report of the Storekeeper and Accountant, attached hereto, shows the per capita cost for the year to have been $286.43. The report of the Storekeeper and Accountant shows the value of farm and garden. products to amount to $11,728.02.

We wish to thank the members of the Board of Managers and the Board of Control for their willingness to counsel and assist us, and for the many courtesies they have shown us. I wish also to express my thanks to my associates in the work, including every employe, who has rendered faithful service.

Assuring you of our best efforts to have this Institution efficiently and economically administered, I am,

Anderson.

Angelina.

Atascosa.

Austin.

Bell.

Bexar

Bowie.

Brazos.

Brazoria.

Brown.

Yours very truly,

W. J. JOHNSON, M. D.,
Superintendent.

STATISTICAL TABLES.

TABLE NO. 1.

Residence of Those Admitted During the Year Ending August 31, 1920.

Burleson.

Bosque.
Baylor.
Burnet
Caldwell.
Calhoun.
Camp.
Cass.

Cherokee.

Childress.
Collin.