September 8 1933 Patient Survey and Memorandum
Dublin Core
Title
September 8 1933 Patient Survey and Memorandum
Subject
memorandum
correspondence
survey
correspondence
survey
Description
A 1933 survey of patients and plans for relocation to Saint Elizabeths Hospital written by Samuel A. Silk to William A. White. Survey includes memorandum by Silk to Assistant to the Superintendent M. Sanger.
Creator
Samuel A. Silk
Source
State Archives of the South Dakota State Historical Society
Publisher
Copy from the National Archives
Date
September 8, 1933; 9-8-1933
Rights
government records, public domain
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
FIELD SERVICE
Asylum for Insane Indians,
Canton, South Dakota,
September 8, 1933.
RECEIVED SEP 9 1933
Dr. Wm. A. White, Supt.,
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital,
Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
I arrived at Canton, Wednesday morning, September 6th, and proceeded at once to the hospital. While awaiting authorization from the Indian Office to employ a stenographer, which reached me this morning, I looked over the patients, made some long hand notes and talked with Dr. Hummer, Nurses, about various patients. The following is the result of my survey so far.
Number of patients now in the hospital – 93
“ “ males 49
“ “ females 44
Ages vary from 12 to 84 years.
Diagnostically the group may be divided as following;
Males. Females.
Dementia Precox 17 18
Mental Deficiency –
(a) Imbecility 13 9
(b) Idiocy 5 2
Psychosis with Org. Br. Disease 1 1
Manic Depr. Psychosis 2 4
Psych. with Epilepsy 3 4
Senile Psych. 4 5
Alcoholic Psych. 3 0
Paresis (Tabetic Type) 0 1
Psych. with Cerebro Sp. Siph. 1 0
Totals 49 44
-2-
Dr. White, - cont.
A number of patients classified – mentally defective – are also subject to epileptiform convulsions. The number of patients suffering from general syphilis or syphilis of the central nervous system cannot be definitely determined due to lack of serologic examinations. One male patient is definitely diagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis from clinical symptoms only ad two females are tubercular suspects.
Seven patients are now in bed by reason of various physical disabilities, none however are too ill to be moved; most of them will require rooms during the journey. Three female patients are now in a moderately disturbed state, but they should not be very great problems during the journey although they also will require rooms. Finally we have three or four idiots who are quite restless and untidy and they too will require rooms. Although 18 or 19 rooms will be required for both sexes. In more than half of the rooms upper berths will be occupied by other patients. There are no suicidal patients now in the institution and none of them have ever made any attempts at suicide. I will need different types of cars from those tentitively selected by me while at Washington, but this I think can be fixed from Canton as a representative of the Chi. Mil. St. P. & Pac. R.R. has already been here to see me and will keep in touch with me. It may, however be advisable to convey to Mr. Weill the following information;-
Transportation will be needed for 93 patients and 23 employees.
7 employees are to come from Washington.
The following cars will be required-
6 cars – each containing:-
10 sections, 2 compartments, 1 drawing room;
2 cars – each containing 12:se
12 sections, 1 compartment, 1 drawing room;
1 dining car; 1 baggage car – 1 engine.
Only about twenty-five patients are available for use of upper berths, the others will require either rooms or lower berths.
-3-
PERSONNEL TO ACCOMPANY PATIENTS:
Thirteen employees – 9 females, including 4 trained nurses, and 4 male ward attendants are available in Canton. Seven additional employees should come from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. I suggest the following:-
Mr. Van Ward – West Side.
Mr. Pyles – Howard Hall.
R. G. Hall – Detached.
Mr. Richley Guy – Richardson.
Mrs. B. Van Ward – Female Department.
Mr. Roscoe Aull )
Dr. Tartaglino ) Both to act as attendants.
Should some of the above be unavailable, others may be selected from the lists I left with Dr. Woolley and Mr. Sanger, but in either case one competent employee from the Detached and Female Services should be selected. These employees will have a chance to get acquainted with the patients and learn something about their behavior problems during the day they will be in Canton and the two days on the train; and their knowledge thus gained may be of some help to the Services which will have to care for the patients. In addition to the above twenty employees – 13 from Canton and 7 from St. Elizabeth’s, - the group will be accompanied by Dr. Hummer who expressed a wish to come along, by the Clerk from the Canton Hospital, who is to be in charge of the patients funds and their personal property and will be ready to deliver everything to our hospital, and finally I will have to come along not finding anything especially attractive in Canton – making a total of 23 employees to accompany the patients.
This letter will leave Canton Friday morning via Air Mail and should reach Washington Saturday morning. If the seven employees from ST. Elizabeth’s could leave Monday evening September 11th, they would reach Chicago Tuesday afternoon September 12th. They can remain in Chicago overnight and following day leave for, Canton Wednesday, September 13th at 5:45 p.m. (6:45 Chicago daylight time) arrive Canton 9:25 a.m. Thursday September 14th, the same evening – Thursday 14th at 7:00 p.m., we can all leave Canton for Washington arriving there at 7:00 a.m. Saturday September 16th. Should the St. Elizabeth’s personnel be able to leave a day earlier so much the better as it would shorten my stay at Canton. Under any circumstances MR. Weill should be contacted so that he would guarantee the arrival of the special train, not later than on the morning of the arrive of the St. Elizabeth’s employees, thus avoiding possible expense in providing hotel accommodations for our people.
-4-
Please let me know by wire when I may expect our hospital personnel at Canton to enable me to have all patients ready to leave that day.
Attached hereto please find a memorandum for Mr. M. Sanger, containing information which he requested.
Very truly yours,
Samuel A. Silk.
M. Sanger
Assistant to the Superintendent
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
FIELD SERVICE
Asylum for Insane Indians
Canton, South Dakota,
September 8, 1933
RECEIVED
SEP 11 1933
St. Elizabeths Hospital
Memorandum for MR. M. Sanger, Assistant to the Superintendent,
Subject – Patients, Canton, Asylum.
Dr. Hummer has no court orders pertaining to any patients now in the institution. All patients are admitted upon an order from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
93 females are coming to St. Elizabeth’s – 49 males and 44 females.
Average number of yearly admissions to Canton – 10 – Only when vacancies are created through death or discharges.
Average number of deaths and discharges per year – 10 – about 9 deaths to one discharge.
During past four or five years Canton Hospital population has remained stationary, as soon as a vacancy occured it was promptly filled from the waiting list.
About twenty or twenty-five patients per year apply for admission to the Canton institution and if there were available vacancies practically all applications would be approved. St. Elizabeth’s Hospital can therefore expect about twenty or more admissions a year.
Samuel A. Silk
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
FIELD SERVICE
Asylum for Insane Indians,
Canton, South Dakota,
September 8, 1933.
RECEIVED SEP 9 1933
Dr. Wm. A. White, Supt.,
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital,
Washington, D.C.
Dear Sir:
I arrived at Canton, Wednesday morning, September 6th, and proceeded at once to the hospital. While awaiting authorization from the Indian Office to employ a stenographer, which reached me this morning, I looked over the patients, made some long hand notes and talked with Dr. Hummer, Nurses, about various patients. The following is the result of my survey so far.
Number of patients now in the hospital – 93
“ “ males 49
“ “ females 44
Ages vary from 12 to 84 years.
Diagnostically the group may be divided as following;
Males. Females.
Dementia Precox 17 18
Mental Deficiency –
(a) Imbecility 13 9
(b) Idiocy 5 2
Psychosis with Org. Br. Disease 1 1
Manic Depr. Psychosis 2 4
Psych. with Epilepsy 3 4
Senile Psych. 4 5
Alcoholic Psych. 3 0
Paresis (Tabetic Type) 0 1
Psych. with Cerebro Sp. Siph. 1 0
Totals 49 44
-2-
Dr. White, - cont.
A number of patients classified – mentally defective – are also subject to epileptiform convulsions. The number of patients suffering from general syphilis or syphilis of the central nervous system cannot be definitely determined due to lack of serologic examinations. One male patient is definitely diagnosed Pulmonary Tuberculosis from clinical symptoms only ad two females are tubercular suspects.
Seven patients are now in bed by reason of various physical disabilities, none however are too ill to be moved; most of them will require rooms during the journey. Three female patients are now in a moderately disturbed state, but they should not be very great problems during the journey although they also will require rooms. Finally we have three or four idiots who are quite restless and untidy and they too will require rooms. Although 18 or 19 rooms will be required for both sexes. In more than half of the rooms upper berths will be occupied by other patients. There are no suicidal patients now in the institution and none of them have ever made any attempts at suicide. I will need different types of cars from those tentitively selected by me while at Washington, but this I think can be fixed from Canton as a representative of the Chi. Mil. St. P. & Pac. R.R. has already been here to see me and will keep in touch with me. It may, however be advisable to convey to Mr. Weill the following information;-
Transportation will be needed for 93 patients and 23 employees.
7 employees are to come from Washington.
The following cars will be required-
6 cars – each containing:-
10 sections, 2 compartments, 1 drawing room;
2 cars – each containing 12:se
12 sections, 1 compartment, 1 drawing room;
1 dining car; 1 baggage car – 1 engine.
Only about twenty-five patients are available for use of upper berths, the others will require either rooms or lower berths.
-3-
PERSONNEL TO ACCOMPANY PATIENTS:
Thirteen employees – 9 females, including 4 trained nurses, and 4 male ward attendants are available in Canton. Seven additional employees should come from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital. I suggest the following:-
Mr. Van Ward – West Side.
Mr. Pyles – Howard Hall.
R. G. Hall – Detached.
Mr. Richley Guy – Richardson.
Mrs. B. Van Ward – Female Department.
Mr. Roscoe Aull )
Dr. Tartaglino ) Both to act as attendants.
Should some of the above be unavailable, others may be selected from the lists I left with Dr. Woolley and Mr. Sanger, but in either case one competent employee from the Detached and Female Services should be selected. These employees will have a chance to get acquainted with the patients and learn something about their behavior problems during the day they will be in Canton and the two days on the train; and their knowledge thus gained may be of some help to the Services which will have to care for the patients. In addition to the above twenty employees – 13 from Canton and 7 from St. Elizabeth’s, - the group will be accompanied by Dr. Hummer who expressed a wish to come along, by the Clerk from the Canton Hospital, who is to be in charge of the patients funds and their personal property and will be ready to deliver everything to our hospital, and finally I will have to come along not finding anything especially attractive in Canton – making a total of 23 employees to accompany the patients.
This letter will leave Canton Friday morning via Air Mail and should reach Washington Saturday morning. If the seven employees from ST. Elizabeth’s could leave Monday evening September 11th, they would reach Chicago Tuesday afternoon September 12th. They can remain in Chicago overnight and following day leave for, Canton Wednesday, September 13th at 5:45 p.m. (6:45 Chicago daylight time) arrive Canton 9:25 a.m. Thursday September 14th, the same evening – Thursday 14th at 7:00 p.m., we can all leave Canton for Washington arriving there at 7:00 a.m. Saturday September 16th. Should the St. Elizabeth’s personnel be able to leave a day earlier so much the better as it would shorten my stay at Canton. Under any circumstances MR. Weill should be contacted so that he would guarantee the arrival of the special train, not later than on the morning of the arrive of the St. Elizabeth’s employees, thus avoiding possible expense in providing hotel accommodations for our people.
-4-
Please let me know by wire when I may expect our hospital personnel at Canton to enable me to have all patients ready to leave that day.
Attached hereto please find a memorandum for Mr. M. Sanger, containing information which he requested.
Very truly yours,
Samuel A. Silk.
M. Sanger
Assistant to the Superintendent
UNITED STATES
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR
OFFICE OF INDIAN AFFAIRS
FIELD SERVICE
Asylum for Insane Indians
Canton, South Dakota,
September 8, 1933
RECEIVED
SEP 11 1933
St. Elizabeths Hospital
Memorandum for MR. M. Sanger, Assistant to the Superintendent,
Subject – Patients, Canton, Asylum.
Dr. Hummer has no court orders pertaining to any patients now in the institution. All patients are admitted upon an order from the Commissioner of Indian Affairs.
93 females are coming to St. Elizabeth’s – 49 males and 44 females.
Average number of yearly admissions to Canton – 10 – Only when vacancies are created through death or discharges.
Average number of deaths and discharges per year – 10 – about 9 deaths to one discharge.
During past four or five years Canton Hospital population has remained stationary, as soon as a vacancy occured it was promptly filled from the waiting list.
About twenty or twenty-five patients per year apply for admission to the Canton institution and if there were available vacancies practically all applications would be approved. St. Elizabeth’s Hospital can therefore expect about twenty or more admissions a year.
Samuel A. Silk
Citation
Samuel A. Silk, “September 8 1933 Patient Survey and Memorandum,” Honoring the Dead: A Digital Archive of the Insane Indian Asylum, accessed April 27, 2024, https://honoringthedead.omeka.net/items/show/26.