Nineteenth annual report of the medical superintendent / Nova Scotia Hospital for the Insane.

  • Nova Scotia Hospital for the Insane.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Nineteenth annual report of the medical superintendent / Nova Scotia Hospital for the Insane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/52 (page 19)
    COST OF MAINTENANCE OF PATIENTS. 10 of this class, without due allowance being made for the superior advantages of better food and clothing, better attendance, more comfortable quarters, and greater freedom. The privileges and comforts of a home-like hospital are not to be had nor expected for the mere cost of what will barely suffice to sustain life; nor are the patients to be debarred from such aids as are essential to their recovery, because the expense is considered unnecessary by those who are incompetent to judge. When it was asserted in the early history of this Hospital, that orders had been issued to reduce the diet scale, in order to lessen the expense, the assertion was believed by some, although untrue, and was severely commented on by the late Honorable Judge Johnstone at that time a member of the Legislature. “ If this ” said the honorable gentleman be called economy, cursed be such economy.” A reasonable view to take in considering the cost of maintaining patients in any hospital, is to compare the amount charged for such maintenance, with the expense that would have to be incurred were the friends or guardians of patients compelled in every case to support them at home. Of all that we have had under care, we do not know an instance where it was stated that they could have been provided for at home at a lower, or even at so low a rate, as it cost to support them here. The pages of a report do not afford a proper sphere for entering into lengthy details, but it may not be amiss to state in general terms, that your Superintendent is not aware of any institution affording equal advantages with this, at a lower maintenance rate. The cost in other Canadian Hospitals will be found less, it is true, because the number of attendants is proportionally smaller; or the diet scale is less ample; or provisions cost less; or fuel is cheaper; but on the other hand we claim to have all the advantages of first-class American State institutions, at a far lower cost than in any of these. Night Watching. Almost from the opening of the Hospital we have had a night watch on the men’s side, but in the women’s wards for several years past, occasional night duty by the attendants in rotation, was all that we could attain to. During the past summer a necessity arose for constant watching by night in the case of suicidal female patients, and this was persevered in steadily, in the way above described, until the opportunity arose to make a permanent appointment; by no means an easy matter when all things are considered. For some months past the senior attendant has undertaken the night duty, and is performing it very satisfactorily. We have now every ward visited on both sides of the house, every patient looked after, and a general oversight maintained. The security thus afforded is of very great moment, and it is a matter of too much importance to be omitted from this report.