1923 Annual Report Narrative and Census

1923 Annual Report Narrative and Census

Annual report
Census

Asylum for Insane Indians, Annual Narrative Report and Census, submitted to The Commissioner of Indian Affairs, July 3, 1923

Harry R. Hummer; Hummer, Harry R.

State Archives of the South Dakota State Historical Society

Copy from The National Archives

7-3-1923

government records, public domain

NARRATIVE
1923
CANTON INSANE ASYLUM

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
UNITED STATES INDIAN FIELD SERVICE
Asylum for Insane Indians,
Canton, South Dakota
July 3, 1923.
The Commissioner of Indian Affairs,
Washington, D. C.

Sir;-
In conformity with instructions contained in Office circular dated April 11, 1923, I have the honor to submit the annual report for this Asylum for the fiscal year 1923.
We began the year with a population of 45 males and 45 females, total 90 patients. Eight males and eight females were admitted during the year, making a total population of 106. Of these, six males died and one escaped and eight females died, leaving 46 males and 45 females, a total of 91 patients here June 30, 1923. Quite a number of applications for the admission of insane Indians have necessarily been refused because of lack of accommodations. Approximately ten applications were made in the month of June 1923. We must either continue to refuse them admission, or overcrowd the present quarters, or else construct new buildings. Pleas for the last mentioned have been presented to your Office on numerous occasions in the past but up to the present time no new buildings have been erected. We still hope that the future may bring us an increase housing capacity.
A detailed report of health conditions will be found in the two semi-annual physician’s report already submitted. These disclose the fact that we continue to escape most of the infectious diseases prevalent in our locality from time to time, the reason for which is not particularly clear to us unless explainable because of the sanitary conditions which prevail here, together with our precautions against the introduction of infection.
Our dietary continues very satisfactory with the exception that we never have a sufficient quantity of milk. We have had much more milk than ever before, during this year, but it is still inadequate and we still hope that increasing our dairy herd will overcome this and enable us to make a portion of our butter and diminish the purchase of the grad of oleo furnished us.
Our water supply has been adequate throughout the year.
As usual, our sewer froze, necessitating digging up and opening in the Spring, much to the disgust of one of our neighbors.
The hydrotherapeutic apparatus is giving great satisfaction.
For recreation the patients have cards, checkers, base-ball, horse-shoes, swings, slide and giant stride. In addition, there is a combination pool and billiard table in the hospital basement which affords pleasure to several males. Occasional trips to the river and a swim in the Big Sioux river are enjoyed in season. During the colder weather, we have Sunday afternoon song service and moving picture entertainments weekly, which are greatly enjoyed.
The dairy herd development continues slowly, but we are quite hopeful for the future. The installation of mechanical milkers is under consideration.
We raise practically all of our pork and quite a little veal, but in order to do this, we are compelled to raise a quantity of stock that is out of all proportion to the amount of land we own. Hence we are compelled to purchase a large quantity of corn each year, in order to take care of them. This could be easily overcome by the purchase of additional land and there is no question that this land would pay for itself in a very short time. This would not require any addition to our force of employees and land prices are at probably the lowest ebb they will ever be in this locality. An earnest recommendation is therefore made that additional land be purchased at the earliest practicable moment, for the general trend seems to be decidedly upwards and we see no reason why this should not continue indefinitely. Our stock has done exceedingly well, in spite of the fact that there has been much hog cholera and influenza all about us. We consider that this is due to our sanitary measures, careful feeding and our pure water-supply.
Our buildings are in excellent condition with the one exception that they are again in need of outside painting. The interior has been given its annual coat of paint and the basements and out-buildings white-washed. The water tank and tower must be painted inside and outside at an early date for its preservation.
The employee situation is very satisfactory.
Another plea for the erection of an epileptic building, a chapel and amusement hall, a central heating and power plant and a deep (soft water) well is respectfully submitted.
Thanking your Office for past courtesies and hoping that my plea for expansion of this unit(/y) may not continue to go unheeded and that the beneficial results of this institution may extend to a much larger number of afflicted Indians, I am,
Very respectfully,
(signed)
H.R. Hummer, M.D.
Superintendent.
HRH*HRH

MALE CENSUS. JUNE 30, 1923.
Name. Tribe. Reservation. State.
1. Brown, John, Sioux. Santee. Nebraska
2. Carpenter, Joseph, Sioux. Cheyenne. S. Dakota
3. Catron, Kee, Navajo. Navajo. Arizona.
4. Charley, Creeping, Piute. Nevada. Nevada.
5. Clafflin, Peter, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
6. Davis, George, Creek. Muskogee. Oklahoma.
7. Dayea, Willie, Navajo. Navajo. Arizona.
8. Fairbanks, Richard, Chippewa. Leech Lake. Minnesota.
9. Floodwood, Thomas, Chippewa. Consol. Chipp. Minnesota.
10. Francisco, Chico, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
11. Frenier, Henry, Sioux. Cheyenne. S. Dakota.
12. Graves, Anson, Chippewa. Red Lake. Minnesota.
13. Gray Blanket, John, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
14. Harrison, Steve, Sac & Fox. Sac & Fox. Oklahoma.
15. Hawk, Charley, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
16. Hayes, Robert, Chippewa. Turtle Mt. N. Dakota.
17. Juan, Benito, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
18. Kentuck, Peter, Hoopa. Hoopa Valley. California.
19. Keosoht, Potawatomi. Potawatomi. Kansas.
20. Leve Leve, Earl, Walapai. Truxton Canon. Arizona.
21. Lucas, Anselmo, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
22. McCarter, Watt, Cherokee. Muskogee. Oklahoma.
23. McEwin, Joseph, Cherokee. Muskogee. Oklahoma.
24. Mahkimetass, Earl F., Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
25. Marlow, George, Sioux. Siseton. S. Dakota.
26. Mendoza, Juan, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
27. Mitchell, Willie, Potawatomi. Potawatomi. Kansas.
28. Moccasin Top, Oscar, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
29. Red Rock, Benjamin, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
30. Ree, Amos, Sioux. Yankton. S. Dakota.
31. Richards, Alfred, Chippewa. Turtle Mt. N. Dakota.
32. Romero, James, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
33. Root, Jack, Chippewa. La Pointe. Wisconsin.
34. Ruby, Thomas, Pima. Pima. Arizona.
35. Scott, Robert, Jr., Piute. Walker River. Nevada.
36. Smith, Matt, Chemehueve. Colorado River. Arizona.
37. Stands by him, Luke, Sioux. Rosebud. S. Dakota.
38. Sweet Medicine, Jacob, N. Cheyenne. Tongue River. Montana.
39. Thompson, Robert, Quapaw. Seneca. Oklahoma.
40. Turpin, Peter, Chippewa. White Earth, Minnesota.
41. Two Teeth, Sioux. Crow Creek. S. Dakota.
42. Wauketch, Edward, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
43. Wauketch, Seymour, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
44. Wolfe, Joe, Cherokee. Cherokee. N. Carolina.
45. Wolfe, Roy, Unknown. Tahlequah. Oklahoma.
46. Zimmerman, Alex, Sioux. Cheyenne. S. Dakota.

FEMALE CENSUS. JUNE 30, 1923.
Name. Tribe. Reservation. State.
1. Agusta, Joanna, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
2. Amour, Christine, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
3. Bite, Resa, Blackfeet. Blackfeet. Montana.
4. Blanchard, Maggie, Chippewa. Hayward. Wisconsin.
5. Caldwell, Agnes, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
6. Canoe, Kate, Winnebago. Grand Rapids. Wisconsin.
7. Chavez, Lillian, Pueblo. Laguna. N. Mexico.
8. Chico, Marie, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
9. Dauphinais, Madeline, Chippewa. Turtle Mt. N. Dakota
10. DeCoteau, Margaret, Sioux. Sisseton. S. Dakota
11. Drag Toes, Navajo. Navajo. Arizona.
12. Eldridge, Emily, Blackfeet. Blackfeet. Montana.
13. Ensign, Meda, Shoshone. Shoshone. Wyoming.
14. Espinoza, Frances, Unknown. Santa Fe. N. Mexico.
15. Espinoza, Juanita, Unknown. Santa Fe. N. Mexico.
16. Faribault, Elizabeth, Sioux. Sisseton. S. Dakota.
17. Fredericks, Pisquoponok, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
18. Gondosayquay, Chippewa. Leech Lake. Minnesota.
19. Houle, Cynia, Cree. Turtle Mt. N. Dakota.
20. Hurley, Nellie, Pima. Prima. Arizona.
21. Ignatio, Mary, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
22. Kalonuheskie, Edith, Cherokee. Cherokee. N. Carolina.
23. Kiger, No Walk, Piute. Nevada. Nevada.
24. La Lakes Leone, Klamath. Klamath. Oregon.
25. La Mere, Sadie, Winnebago. Winnebago. Nebraska.
26. Montriel, Adele, Chippewa. Turtle Mt. N. Dakota.
27. Moss, Amelia, Caddo. Kiowa. Oklahoma.
28. Nicholson, Maggie, Gros Ventres Ft. Belknap. Montana.
29. Ortez, Victoria M., Pueblo. Albuquerque. New Mexico.
30. Ozowshquah, Potawatomi. Potawatomi. Kansas.
31. Pancho, Marie, Papago. Sells. Arizona.
32. Porlier, Louisa, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
33. Red Owl, Lizzie, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
34. Sheayounena, Minnie, Hopi. Moqui. Arizona.
35. Smoke, Annie, Piute. Warm Springs. Oregon.
36. Spicer, Kittie, Wyandotte. Seneca. Oklahoma.
37. Sweet Grass Woman, Mandan. Ft. Berthold. N. Dakota.
38. Taylor, Lulu, Chippewa. Leech Lake. Minnesota.
39. Three Stars, Sophia, Sioux. Pine Ridge. S. Dakota.
40. Wahbesheshequay, Chippewa. Leech Lake. Minnesota.
41. Waite, Emily. Chickasaw. Muskogee. Oklahoma.
42. Wash, Rose, Arickara. Ft. Berthold. N. Dakota.
43. Wauketch, Mary, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
44. Wishecoby, Susan, Menominee. Keshena. Wisconsin.
45. Yazza, Zonna, Navajo. Navajo. Arizona.

Table 1. Population by Tribe.
Tribe. [obscured] June 30, 1923. Since opening.
1. Apache, 0 5
2. Arapaho, 0 2
3. Arickara, 1 3
4. Bannock, 0 3
5. Blackfeet, 2 8
6. Caddo, 1 3
7. Chemehueve, 1 1
8. Cherokee, 4 14
9. Cheyenne, 0 2
10. Chickasaw, 1 2
11. Chippewa, 13 37
12. Choctaw, 0 3
13. Comanche, 0 1
14. Cree, 1 1
15. Creek, 1 4
16. Crow, 0 2
17. Flathead, 0 4
18. Gros Ventres, 1 4
19. Hoopa, 1 1
20. Hopi, 1 1
21. Kickapoo, 0 1
22. Klamath, 1 3
23. Makah, 0 2
24. Mandan, 1 1
25. Menominee, 10 20
26. Mesa Grande, 0 1
27. Madoo, 0 1
28. Moqui, 0 1
29. Navajo, 4 15
30. Northern Cheyenne, 1 1
31. Osage, 0 5
32. Papago, 8 12
33. Pawnee, 0 1
34. Piegan, 0 2
35. Pima, 1 4
36. Piute, 4 7
37. Potawatomi, 3 5
38. Puyallup, 0 1
39. Pueblo, 1 7
40. Quapaw, 1 1
41. Sac and Fox, 1 2
42. Seminole, 0 2
43. Shawnee, 0 1
44. Sioux, 16 62
45. Shoshone, 1 2
46. Umatilla, 0 1
47. Ute, 0 5
48. Unknown, 6 15
49. Walapai, 1 1
50. Winnebago, 2 9
51. Wyandotte, 1 1
Totals, 91 293

Table 2. Population by Sex.
Sex. Here 6/30/23. Since Opening.
Male, 46 163.
Female, 45 129.
Totals, 91 292

Table 3. Population by degree of Indian Blood.
Degree. Here 6/30/23. Since opening.
Full, 63 188
Half or over, 20 62
less than [unreadable] 3 8
Unknown, 5 34
Totals, 91 292

Table 4. Number of admissions divided into yearly periods.
Fiscal year. Number. Fiscal year. Number.
1903, 15. 1904, 11.
1905, 24. 1906, 22.
1907, 19. 1908, 13.
1909, 9. 1910, 9.
1911, 4. 1912, 3.
1913, 7. 1914, 5.
1915, 4. 1916, 13.
1917, 20. 1918, 29.
1919, 22. 1920, 10.
1921, 21. 1922, 16.
1923, 16.
Total, 292

Table 5. Number of discharges divided into yearly periods.
Fiscal Year. Deaths. Recoveries. Imp. or unimp. Escapes.
1903, 1 0 0 0
1904, 1 0 0 0
1905, 5 2 1 0
1906, 6 1 1 0
1907, 4 4 2 1
1908, 5 4 2 1
1909, 7 4 2 0
1910, 6 1 0 0
1911, 6 0 1 0
1912, 5 1 1 1
1913, 5 1 2 0
1914, 6 1 0 0
1915, 6 0 0 0
1916, 5 1 1 0
1917, 5 2 0 1
1918, 9 3 2 1
1919, 11 3 0 2 (ret.)
1920, 10 2 2 1
1921, 12 2 1 0
1922, 8 4 3 0
1923, 10 0 0 3 (2 ret.)
Totals, 137, 35 21 11

Table 6. Cases of death since opening.
Diseases of respiratory system: 70.
Tuberculosis, pulmonary, 49.
Tuberculosis, laryngeal, 1.
Pneumonia, croupous, 9.
Pneumonia, catarrhal, 3.
Pneumonia, tubercular, 2.
Pneumonia, hypostatic, 3.
Bronchitis, capillary, 1.
Pulmonary hemorrhage, 2.
Diseases of circulatory system: 6.
Failure of compensation, 3.
Heart failure, 2.
Pericarditis, 1.
Diseases of digestive system: 9.
Entero-colitis, 1.
Gangrenous colitis, 1.
Cirrhosis of liver, 1.
Ulcerative biliary calculi, 1.
Starvation and constipation, 1.
Intestinal hemorrhage, 1.
Intestinal obstruction, 1.
Carcinoma of liver, 1.
Carcinoma of stomach, 1.
Diseases of osseous system: 1.
Tuberculosis of the bones, 1.
Diseases of nervous system: 31.
Status epilepticus, 3.
Epileptic convulsions, 13.
Exhaustion following convulsions, 4.
General paralysis of the insane, 4.
Meningitis, 2.
Bulbar paralysis, 2.
Cerebral hemorrhage, 3.
Diseases of genito-urinary system: 4.
Nephritis, followed by uremia, 4.
Miscellaneous diseases: 16.
Syphilis, 3.
Senile debility, 7.
Senility and fractured femur, 1.
Double mastoid disease, 1.
Peritonitis, 2.
Anasarca and jaundice, 1.
Glandular tuberculosis, 1.
Grand Total, 137.

Table 7. Forms of mental disease.
Form of mental disease. Here 6/30/23. Since opening.
The epilepsies, 20 62.
Dementia praecox, 29 48.
Imbecility, 18 51.
Manic-depressive psychosis, 7 51.
Intoxication psychoses, 2 14.
Senile psychoses, 7 25.
Infection-exhaustion psychoses, 0 2.
Arterio-sclerotic dementia, 1 5.
Hysteria, 0 1.
Paranoia, 1 1.
Idiocy, 4 10.
Paranoid State, 0 2.
Paresis, 0 4.
Cretinism, sporadic, 0 1.
Dementia, traumatic, 0 1.
Dementia, organic, 0 3.
Neurasthenia, 0 1.
Unclassified, 2 10.
Totals, 91 292.

Table 8. Age of patients.
Age. Here 6/30/23. since op. Age. 6/30/23. Opening.
Under 10, 4 9 50 - 59, 9 20
10 – 19, 10 40 60 – 69, 3 15
20 – 29, 29 85 70 – 79, 5 15
30 – 39, 16 62 Unknown, 2 8
40 – 49, 13 36 80 & Over, 0 4
91. 292.

Table 9. Marital condition of patients in Asylum 6/30/23.
Single, 50. Married, 25
Widowed, 5. Unknown, 11
91.

Table 10. States from which patients were admitted.
Arizona, 35. Nevada, 7
California, 3. New Mexico, 16.
Colorado, 4. North Dakota, 24.
Dist. Columbia, 3. Oklahoma, 39.
Idaho, 3. Oregon, 6.
Kansas, 7. South Dakota, 54.
Minnesota, 23. Washington, 3.
Montana, 20. Wisconsin, 26.
Nebraska, 12. Wyoming, 3.
North Carolina, 3 Canton Asylum, 1.
292.