NAPA STATE HOSPITAL. NOTE: For statistical tables, see Appendix. REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. For the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1907. To the State Commission in Lunacy. The Board of Managers of the Napa State Hospital respectfully report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1907, as follows: The Board held its regular monthly meetings during the year, which were attended by every member. At all times the members of the Board have manifested a personal interest in all of the affairs of the hospital. The minutes of each meeting have been forwarded to your Honorable Commission monthly, and we respectfully refer to them at this time, and desire that the same constitute a part of this report. At the November meeting the Board appointed by Governor Pardee qualified and entered upon the performance of their duties, and continued to act until January, when Mr. F. W. Bush having resigned, his place was filled by Emmett Phillips, and since January, the Board as at present constituted have acted at each meeting, each member being present. Since the new Board took office, the Smith-Brown property, so called, has been paid for and the deed passed to the State. The property is a valuable asset of the State, and adds to, and materially aids, the income of the hospital, and makes a consequent reduction of expense to the State. In this connection, we might state that during the year, there was raised upon the property of this institution, products with the market value of $39,218.65, all of which was either used by it or sold for its benefit. In a statistical way, the per capita expense for maintenance per day here is reduced about one third, owing to the large production of our property. During the year a great deal of repairing, plumbing, painting, etc., has been done by the Board, all at the suggestion of the Superintendent, which has been in the nature more of a keeping up of the integrity of the buildings, rather than as betterments. A great deal of money is needed each year in the keeping up of our buildings to keep them in a condition of efficiency. The legislature of the State of California several years ago appropriated the sum of $40,000 for the purpose of building a dam in the hills about three miles back of the buildings, and upon State property, for the purpose of impounding water to furnish a water supply for the use of the hospital. Work was commenced upon this dam about August 6, 1906, under a contract which still remains in force. This contract will be completed within a few weeks, at which time a second appropriation by the legislature of 1907, amounting to the sum of $51,000, will become available. At that time, the Board expects to continue the work by day labor under its own superintendent and under its own supervision. We expect in this way to prosecute the work more vigorously and have the dam completed before the coming winter, so that the supply of water may become available during the winter. We also expect to save enough money out of the appropriation to materially assist in building such concrete reservoirs and pipe lines as may be necessary to land the water at the buildings. The Board desires at this time to express to you its entire satisfaction with the Superintendent of the Napa State Hospital, Dr. Elmer E. Stone, and seeing the institution as frequently as we do, and examining it in all its details at least once a month, we know that the work which he is doing would be difficult to surpass, but there are certain conditions over which he has no control, which are to be deplored, and in this way we mention, as a given instance, that we are now housing more patients than can be properly handled, with the result that some two hundred patients are compelled to sleep upon mattresses placed upon the floors. This is a condition which we can not help, nor can he, but perhaps your Commission can solve it somewhat by readjustment, or a request to the various judges of the State that patients be sent to other hospitals, unless they, too, are overcrowded. If all of the hospitals are overcrowded, then of course the only remedy is with the legislature. During the year there have been no appeals to the Board by the attendants or employees, they having no grievance of any sort, so far as we know. Apparently, they are satisfied with their work and with their superior officers. During the coming year there is considerable that we hope and expect to do. The legislature, as we have said, made an appropriation for the completion of the dam, and we expect to complete the work before the winter commences. We also expect to build a number of cottages for the housing of the chronic cases, and one or more cottages for hydrotherapeutic cases. We are awaiting the plans for both of these from the Department of Engineering. We also expect to do other repair work in the way of keeping the buildings in shape, and all of this work, with the exception of the dam. and hydrotherapeutic cottages, will be paid for out of the contingent fund. In this way there will be no expense, but a decided improvement and help to the State. In closing, we particularly refer to the minutes of the Board on file in your office, and to the Superintendent's annual report, which recommends itself, which has been carefully drawn and contains a great deal of statistical matter which is of decided value. Respectfully submitted. E. Z. HENNESSEY, Board of Managers. REPORT OF THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. For the Fiscal Year ending June 30, 1908. To the State Commission in Lunacy. The Board of Managers of the Napa State Hospital respectfully report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1908, as follows: Regular meetings of the Board have been held during the year, which have been generally attended by every member, and certain special meetings have also been held, as shown by the minutes of the Board which are on file in your office. The minutes of each meeting have been forwarded to your Honorable Commission monthly, and we respectfully refer to them at this time, and desire that the same constitute a part of this report. Attached to this report and made a part hereof is the annual report of Elmer E. Stone, Medical Superintendent, which in detail gives many matters of interest which will require careful investigation to determine exactly what is being done at the place. This report will show that on the farm connected with this institution there has been raised during the year products to the gross amount of $38,848.70, all of which has been either used by the institution or sold for its benefit. This amount, of course, very greatly reduces to the State the expense of the institu'tion and the per capita expense for caring for the patients. During the year we have done a great deal of repairing, plumbing, painting, etc., at the suggestion of the Superintendent, which has been in the nature more of a keeping up of the integrity of the buildings rather than as betterments. A great deal of money is needed each year upon the buildings in order to keep them in a sanitary condition. The legislature heretofore has made two special appropriations for the dam in the hills about, three miles back of the building and upon State property, for the purpose of impounding water for the use of the hospital. This work has been practically completed, and during the coming winter we expect water will be impounded. There still remains, however, to complete the water system, the building of a pipe line, for which a special appropriation hereinafter mentioned should be made. The Board is entirely satisfied with the work of the Superintendent, Dr. Elmer E. Stone, and can only reiterate what was said in our last annual report, that "seeing the institution as frequently as we do, and examining it in all its details at least once a month, we know that the work he is doing would be difficult to surpass, but there are certain conditions over which he has no control, which are to be deplored, and in this way we mention, as a given instance, that we are now housing more patients than can be properly handled, with the result that some two hundred patients are compelled to sleep upon mattresses placed upon the floors. This is a condition which we can not help, nor can he, but. perhaps your Commission can solve it somewhat by readjustment, or a request to the various judges of the State that patients be sent to other hospitals, unless they, too, are overcrowded. If all of the hospitals are overcrowded, then of course the only remedy is with the legislature." This condition has not been relieved, and there are some two hundred and fifty patients now sleeping on the floors. The number of patients is increasing every month, and some radical change in the way of either new buildings or a different method of commitment must be made or soon this hospital will be so badly overcrowded that the work will be seriously hampered and the patients will naturally suffer. We are now completing here a building for chronic cases which will in a way take care of about two hundred patients. Work has also been commenced on a receiving building, in which hydrotherapeutic treatment will be given, which will also help; but by the time these two buildings are finished and ready for occupancy, the main building, as well as the two will be crowded, if not overcrowded. Some remedy must be provided to take care of the rapidly increasing number of patients. If the method of commitment continues as it has, then the legislature must appropriate special money every year to erect buildings and properly house the number which come to institutions of this sort. The method of making appropriations for the support of patients is not in our judgment a fair and accurate one. The Board of Managersof an institution of this sort are men who have been picked because of their business ability or because of their interest in the work, and who have the best interests of the State as well as the best interests of the patients at heart. They make recommendations to the legislature of the amount of money needed for the ensuing two fiscal years to properly carry on the work. Our recommendations, and the recommendations of all other institutions, are made carefully in view of past experiences and a knowledge of what the future conditions will be. The legislature should be very careful in cutting these recommendations down, for if they are cut, then the money actually needed in the support of the patients is not available. The result is that in order to make "both ends meet," the contingent fund has to be drawn on, with the consequent result that the expenditures which should have been made out of the contingent fund are either hampered and reduced or become absolutely impossible. There is an obligation upon the State to take care of its patients properly, and as long as these institutions are to be run, the legislature should appropriate sufficient money to pay all the necessary cost of maintenance. The amounts may seem very large in the aggregate, but the per capita cost for the support of the patients is small. In closing, we particularly refer to the minutes of the Board on file in your office, to the Superintendent's annual report, which recommends itself, and which has been carefully drawn, and contains a great deal of statistical matter which is of decided value, and we particularly call your attention to that portion of his annual report under the heading "Requirements." The work of fixing up the main kitchen, which he recommends, we consider a work of urgent necessity and emergency, and shall endeavor to do that out of our contingent fund, as this work must be done prior to the meeting of the legislature in order that the sanitary condition of this institution may not be threatened with extreme danger. Respectfully submitted. E. Z. HENNESSEY RICHARD BELCHER, J. H. STEVES, Board of Managers. |