No. 54. IN SENATE, March 11, 1873. SIXTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE MANAGERS OF THE HUDSON RIVER STATE HOSPITAL. POUGHKEEPSIE, February 17, 1873. To the Hon. J. C. ROBINSON, President of the Senate: SIR.-Herewith is submitted the annual report of the Mana gers of the Hudson River State Hospital. Very respectfully yours, ABIAH W. PALMER. CORNELIUS R. AGNEW. AMASA J. PARKER. EDWARD L. BEADLE. JOSEPH HOWLAND. CHARLES WHEATON. ODELL S. HATHAWAY. FREDERICK D. LENTE. REPORT. In accordance with the "Act to organize and establish the Hudson River State Hospital," the managers thereof respectfully submit to the Legislature the following REPORT. The hospital was opened for the reception of patients on the 20th of October, 1871. From this date to November 30th, 1871, the end of the hospital year, seven patients were admitted. The The admissions for the year ending November 30th, 1872, have been 212 in number; 112 men and 100 women. whole number treated this year was 219. Ninety-three have been discharged, fifty-four men and thirtynine women, leaving 126 on our record at the end of the year.* The recoveries for the year have been forty-five; twenty-five men and twenty women. Eleven were discharged improved; twelve unimproved, and twenty-four died. The following brief statement gives the progress made during the past year in the work of construction: The mason, with the assistance of his apprentice, has set the water-table of section four, has completed the beam-filling of the first story, and covered all the walls for protection against the winter. He has turned the "ombra" first-floor arches of brick, resting on iron beams, and under them has constructed an ample temporary vegetable cellar. He has also put up in this section an extra chimney-breast. The pumping-house, at the river, has been lathed and plastered in both stories, and comfortable rooms have been prepared in the attic, and are *There are in the hospital at the present time (February 17th), 159 patients. now occupied by a family. A partition has been put up in the building heretofore used as an office, and it is now occupied by employes of the hospital. Some necessary repairs have been made to the tenements, on the grounds and to the green-house. An oven has been built in the basement of section one. In the stone-cutting shop have been prepared nearly all the dressed stone required for section four, and the ashlar for section five. There is also on hand most of the rubbed graywacke (uncut) for section five. From the quarry, during last winter and spring, a quantity of foundation stone more than sufficient for another section was got out. The carpenters, besides laying and bridging the first floor beams of section four, have prepared all the window-frames and door frames for this section. The wooden sash-frames and a large quantity of lumber for flooring and roofing have been milled. An ice-house has been built near the reservoir, large enough to supply the hospital needs of 600 patients. The fan-house, and fan-house corridor have been completed. A shed for the storage of 200 tons of coal has been put up near the pumping-house. Two shelter-houses have been erected, one for each exercise yard, and the yards have been separated by two lines of wooden fence. The temporary laundry-room in the boiler-house has been ceiled, and two ventilators have been inserted. The old gate-house at the entrance, which was much out of repair, has been put in good condition, and the stable roof, which leaked badly, has been newly shingled. Other work necessary to the preservation of tenement structures and outbuildings has been done. In addition to these operations, the carpenters have made all the dining-room tables used in the wards; also the bed-room tables, wardrobes, washstands, and wooden covered bedsteads, and have done, besides, much other work. In the machine shop for iron work, all the iron windowguards (225 in number) have been made for section four; also all the first story iron window-sashes (seventy-five), while those Between The iron for the second and third stories are under way. thirty and forty iron bedsteads have been made. railings of two stoops have been made in the shop, and have been put up; also all the iron window-guards and door-guards for the boiler-house, engine-room, gas-house, and pumping station. The shafting has been put up in the fan-house corridor and in the laundry. The steam-pumps at the river and the boiler-house have been supplied with new valves. The teamsters and laborers have been employed in hauling and in piling timber, lumber, brick, stone, coal, ice, and in filling up the settling of the pumping-pipe trenches. We cannot conclude this brief summary of operations without an expression of regret that the inadequacy of the appropriation of 1872 prevented the completion of section four. The fact cannot be too strongly emphasized, that, in a building so extensive as that which is entrusted to us, preparation for a season's work must be made the previous autumn and winter. It is essential to economy and success that the excavation be completed and the masonry begun in April, and that the long days and bright cool weather of May and June should see the brick-work well out of the way, so that the covering-in and slating may be done by the first of October. The building could then be finished by the middle of the following winter, and be ready for occupancy. But to do this is impossible if the ordering of material and the putting it in shape must await a late appropriation, say at the close of April or the beginning of May. The stone for foundation walls should be quarried in the winter, as should the mountain graywacke for windowheads. The latter is hauled over rough roads from quarries near the base of the Catskills; and its transportation, when snow is on the ground, is comparatively easy. If this stone is not ordered until spring, great difficulty and delay are experienced in filling the order. The Ohio stone used in windowsills, window-heads, belt-courses and cornice, cannot be delivered until navigation is resumed on the lakes and our canal is opened. Orders for this stone are rarely filled before June. Again, grant that our material for stone-work is on hand the |