Annual Report of the Trustees of the Taunton State Hospital
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Public Document No. 22 Cfje Commotttoealtf) of 6@a$0acfm0ett0 ANNUAL REPORT Teustees of the Taunton State Hospital Year ending November 30, 1920 Department of Mental Diseases BOSTON WRIGHT & POTTER PRINTING CO., STATE PRINTERS 32 DERNE STREET Publication of this Document approved by the Supervisor of Administration. CONTENTS 7 Report of Trustees, . Report of Superintendent, 10 ' Report of Treasurer, . .25 Valuation, 31 Statistics, 35 OFFICERS TAUNTON STATE HOSPITAL. TRUSTEES. ARTHUR B. REED, Chairman, . Abington. CHARLES C. CAIN, Jr Taunton. SIMEON BORDEN, Esq., . Fall River. JULIUS BERKOWITZ, . * . New Bedford. ELIZABETH C. M. GIFFORD, Secretary, Boston. MARGARET C. SMITH, . Taunton. PHILIP E. BRADY, Esq., Attleboro. RESIDENT OFFICERS. ARTHUR V. GOSS, M.D., . Superintendent. HORACE G. RIPLEY, M.D., Assistant Superintendent. JOHN J. THOMPSON, M.D., Senior Assistant Physician. FANNIE C. HAINES, M.D., Senior Assistant Physician. ALMA E. FOWLER, M.D., Assistant Physician. Assistant Physician. Assistant Physician. Assistant Physician. Assistant Physician. LINDA A. J. RICHARDS, R.N., Superintendent of Nurses Emerita. ELLA S. AVERILL, R. N., . Superintendent of Nurses. JAMES C. FLYNN, . Engineer. STEPHEN F. TRACY, . Steward. WILLIAM C. HILTZ, . Fanner. TREASURER. FRANK W. BOYNTON, . Taunton. Office at Hospital. M Ci)e Commonwealth of Sia00acf)U0ett0 TRUSTEES' REPORT. To His Excellency the Governor and the Honorable Council. The trustees of the Taunton State Hospital present herewith their sixty-seventh annual report, together with the super- intendent's report, the treasurer's report and the annual statistics. After a great calamity it is usually noted that the full extent of the damage done is not apparent until some time has elapsed. The aftermath of the great war has emphasized this fact of common observation to a painful degree. In last year's report we noted the great difficulties under which this hospital, in common with the other State hospitals, was laboring. During the year past some of these difficulties, as far as our particular institution is concerned, were increased rather than otherwise. The labor shortage during the year was even more acute than during the previous year, affecting all de- partments, but especially the medical staff, the ward service and the farm service, naturally resulting in lessened efficiency and less satisfactory results. At the present time more labor is available, and our quota in the different departments is slowly filling up. Therefore we hope for and expect general improvement in the year to come. The social service work has been conducted during the year to our satisfaction by Miss Esther C. Cook. The great amount of work, however, that can and should be done in addition to that already accomplished calls for an increase in that depart- ment. Miss Cook has therefore been promoted to the position of head social service worker, Miss Mary H. Holland has been appointed assistant social service worker, and Miss Mabel A. 8 TAUNTON STATE HOSPITAL. [Dec. Paine, who has been actively employed in Red Cross work during the war, has been appointed student assistant social service worker. We now feel that we are equipped to render more extensive service in this important department. We are pleased to be able to note that our training school for nurses, though still working under great difficulties, made substantial improvement over the work of the year previous, and that Mrs. Ella S. Averill, who has been acting superin- tendent of nurses for nearly two years, fairly earned her pro- motion to the position of superintendent of nurses. During the perplexities and trials incident to the war and post-war periods the influence of our training school, although crippled, has been one of the strongest forces counteracting the de- generating tendencies of the prevailing conditions. We have also reason to believe that the training schools in the other State hospitals have been similarly helpful in their respective institutions. In former reports we have recorded the services rendered to our country during the war by those trained in our training schools. We therefore view with regret and apprehension contemplated changes in requirements that will hamper and perhaps destroy these schools. Not only the suffering inmates of the State hospitals, but the people at large need the services of the nurses trained in these schools as never before. Construction work on the new horse stable at the Simeon Borden, Sr., Colony has been practically completed, but con- siderable grading remains to be done. At the William C. Lovering Colony two substantial cement platforms for the reception of coal have been constructed, and two temporary shelters, one for pigs, the other for oxen, have been built, all by patients' labor. The work on the spur track, trestle and coal pocket has been actively pushed, and as it nears completion the necessity and importance of the other contemplated improvements, mentioned in our last report, become increasingly apparent, and we are most anxious for the same to be provided for as soon as feasible. We also believe that the contemplated new entrance through the old Hopewell Mill property will add materially to the comfort and convenience of the public and the hospital 1920.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 22. 9 as well, and we therefore hope that the necessary means to construct the dam and bridge may soon be available. The medical staff has suffered from resignations during the year more than any other department. The resignation of Dr. John F. O'Brien was accepted with much regret. During his service of eight years he had advanced from the position of interne to the position of senior assistant physician, rilling every position satisfactorily. He was always faithful, loyal and efficient. He bears with him to his new sphere of labor the good will and best wishes of every member of our Board. Drs. Joseph V. Chatigny and Beatrice A. Reed Chatigny also resigned to engage in private practice. Both were loyal and faithful officers. Parting with them with regret, we bid them "God speed," with our best wishes for their continued success. Two of the vacancies thus created have been tempo- rarily filled. ARTHUR B. REED, Chairman. MARGARET C. SMITH. PHILIP E. BRADY. JULIUS BERKOWITZ. ELIZABETH C, M. GIFFORD. SIMEON BORDEN. CHARLES C. CAIN, Jr. 10 TAUNTON STATE HOSPITAL. [Dec. SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. To the Trustees of the Taunton State Hospital. In compliance with the by-laws of your Board, I respectfully submit the sixty-seventh annual report of the superintendent for the year ending Nov. 30, 1920. On Oct. 1, 1920, patients in the hospital and in family care numbered 633 men and 668 women, total, 1,301, — 48 patients less than on the corresponding date the previous year. During the year, 232 men and 213 women, total, 445, were admitted, and 265 men and 239 women, total, 504, were discharged. Of those discharged, 37 men and 18 women, total, 55, were discharged as recovered, while 118 men and 101 women, total, 219, died. The daily average number of all patients actually in the institution during the year was 652.0601 men and 661.0655 women, total, 1,313.1256. Transfers by the Department of Mental Diseases were as follows: 1 to Grafton State Hospital, 36 to the Medfield State Hospital, 5 to the State Infirmary and 2 to the West- borough State Hospital. Three were sent to other States and 9 were deported. During the year we had 63 cases of tuberculosis, — 27 men and 36 women, with 25 deaths; 15 cases of erysipelas, — 14 men and 1 woman, with 2 deaths. One woman had scarlet fever and recovered. Five nurses had diphtheria and all recovered. During the summer typhoid fever broke out on West Godding No. 8, 10 cases in all, —-8 patients and 2 nurses. Of these, 1 patient died. The outbreak was traced to an attendant who had been engaged a short time before, who proved to be the carrier. Doubtless we would have had more cases had not all patients and employees been subjected to anti-typhoid vaccination. We had a few cases of influenza, most of them of the mild type without complications. Two cases of the more severe type died. — 1920. PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 22. 11 In family care we have 25 patients, 4 men and 21 women, — 4 less than last year. Forty-six patients had glasses fitted, of which number 12 were fitted by outside oculists. The dentist's report is as follows: Whole number of cases treated, 509; sets of teeth cleaned, 269; teeth extracted, 327; teeth filled, 71; teeth treated, 21; sets of false teeth made, 2; sets of false teeth repaired, 10. Three hundred and seventy-nine patients, 234 men and 145 women, — have had parole of the grounds. Twelve hundred and two patients, or 59.71 per cent of the whole number under treatment, engaged in some form of employment. The organized indoor industries for men have continued under the same management as for many years. The work accomplished in the shoe shop, superintended by Mr. Barr, is as follows : Shoe Shop. 2,583 yards toweling woven. Made. 12 TAUNTON STATE HOSPITAL. [Dec. steadily growing for years; and as the best and only way of showing what has been accomplished in one year, the following items are submitted, being the amount of work done from Nov. 30, 1919, to Nov. 30, 1920: — Broom Shop. Articles Made. Articles Made — Concluded. House brooms, 533 Shoe-blacking brushes, . 24 Barn brooms, 99 Shoe-blacking daubers, . 21 Whisk brooms, 50 Braid for making mats Door mats, 28 (yards), .... 1,400 Scrub brushes, 162 Brush backs bored, . 374 Horse brushes, 50 Floor brushes, 17 Articles Repaired. Dust brushes, 17 Old broom handles scraped Bath brushes, 59 and re-used. 400 Nail brushes, .