. The institutional care of the insane in the United States and Canada . mployed, though a medical student actedas apothecary with some duties on the wards. The first assistantphysician. Dr. Thomas G. Lee, of Hartford, Conn., afterwardssuperintendent, was appointed in May, 1834, at a salary of $ April, 1854, it was decided that an additional physician wasneeded, and Dr. Ranney, of Butler Hospital, was engaged at asalary of $600. A third assistant was appointed in 1887, andjunior assistant physicians have been employed since 1897. Medi-cal students acted as apothecaries until 1880 and as
. The institutional care of the insane in the United States and Canada . mployed, though a medical student actedas apothecary with some duties on the wards. The first assistantphysician. Dr. Thomas G. Lee, of Hartford, Conn., afterwardssuperintendent, was appointed in May, 1834, at a salary of $ April, 1854, it was decided that an additional physician wasneeded, and Dr. Ranney, of Butler Hospital, was engaged at asalary of $600. A third assistant was appointed in 1887, andjunior assistant physicians have been employed since 1897. Medi-cal students acted as apothecaries until 1880 and as internes withmore important medical duties, but without money compensation,from 1880 to 1897. In those early days the superintendents and assistant physiciansdevoted themselves to a greater extent to the entertainment oftheir patients than they do at present. They ate with them, drovewith them, worked and played with them; they rarely absentedthemselves from the asylum. No vacations were given till 1873,when it was voted that each member of the staff should be allowed. McLEAN HOSPITAL 607 two weeks during the year. Previous to this, upon very rareoccasions, leave of absence for a week or two was asked andgranted. The Visiting Committee of the trustees also took aserious view of their duties and made it a point to see personallyeach patient in the asylum once a week, checking his name off aprepared list. The nurses of that time were for the greater part school teach-ers. In 1843, with 150 patients, 25 nurses were considered avery liberal number of attendants. In his report for 1848 Dr. Bell mentions the fact, not generallyrecognized at that time but since become of national importance,that other countries were sending over their vagrants, paupersand insane and casting them upon our shores to rid themselvesof their care. By 1847 the asylum was full, with 173 patients, and only two-thirds of all who applied could be admitted. In his report for1848 Dr. Bell states that there are 18
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectpsychiatrichospitals
