Difference between revisions of "Portal:Featured Article Of The Week"

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|Title= Atlantic County Insane Asylum
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|Title= San Antonio State Hospital
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|Image= SanAntonioTX_SH_PC_01_WEBEDIT.jpg
 
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|Body= The county insane asylum is located at 201 Shore road, at Smithslanding, in the borough of Pleasantville. The building is of brick and was erected in 1895. At a meeting of the Board of Freeholders, in the early part of that year (January 9th) Tobias L. McConnell, steward of the almshouse, suggested to the board the wisdom of providing means for taking care of the insane patients of the county on the almshouse property. The question was discussed informally and referred to a special committee to inquire into the practicability of the suggestion and report at a subsequent meeting of the board. The reason behind this suggestion was to save county money housing the chronic and incurable insane of the county.
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|Body= In 1889 the Texas legislature passed a bill establishing a state mental institution to serve Southwest Texas. The new facility was to occupy at least 640 acres and be capable of housing 500 patients. It was to be known as the Southwestern Insane Asylum (not the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum, as it has sometimes been called). A site was selected five miles south of San Antonio and $200,000 was appropriated for the new hospital. The facility began operation on April 6, 1892 with a capacity of 200 patients.
  
At the following meeting, held on March 13th, the committee reported through Freeholder John T. Irving, that they had visited the asymlums of Camden and Burlingotn Counties, and the results in both counties were very satisfactory, both as to the condition of the patients and the cost of maintenance. The committee was thereupon instructed to procure an approximate estimate of the cost of a building suited to the needs of Atlantic County. Two months later this committee reported an approximate estimate of the cost of maintaining the proposed county lunatic asylum at $3,500 annually after deducting the amount to be derived from the State. The following resolution was therefore adopted: "Resolved, That a committee of seven be appointed to secure plans, invite proposals and award a contract for the erection of an insane asylum and that work on the same be commenced and pushed to completion at the earliest possible date."
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In the first eight months of operation the patient population grew to 142. By August 23, 1894, there were 225 patients. Provisions for 300 more patients were authorized when $70,000 was appropriated in 1898, and in 1910, $100,000 was voted for expansion to accommodate an additional 300. This addition consisted of one wing each on the male and female departments and two buildings for tubercular. The improvements were completed in 1910 and the hospital could then accommodate 1,000 patients. In 1911 another appropriation of $45,000 was given to construct a building for 100 men, providing care to acute cases and all those who require extra attention. By 1912 the facilities could accommodate 1,140, and improvements were valued at $500,000. By 1915 the hospital's capacity was 1,800. In 1917 a training school for nurses in psychiatry was begun. This school, the only one of its kind in the state system, continued with a three-year course until 1942.  [[San Antonio State Hospital|Click here for more...]]
 
 
Mr. Irving offered a second resolution, which was also adopted, providing for an issue of county bonds, not exceeding $25,000 in the aggregate, to pay for the proposed asylum. Plan were prepared by William G. Hoopes, architect, proposals were invited and the contract awarded on August 13, 1895 to J. Summerill Smith, of Atlantic City, for the sum of $21,490.  [[Atlantic County Insane Asylum|Click here for more...]]
 
 
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Revision as of 03:37, 7 March 2021

Featured Article Of The Week

San Antonio State Hospital


SanAntonioTX SH PC 01 WEBEDIT.jpg

In 1889 the Texas legislature passed a bill establishing a state mental institution to serve Southwest Texas. The new facility was to occupy at least 640 acres and be capable of housing 500 patients. It was to be known as the Southwestern Insane Asylum (not the Southwestern Lunatic Asylum, as it has sometimes been called). A site was selected five miles south of San Antonio and $200,000 was appropriated for the new hospital. The facility began operation on April 6, 1892 with a capacity of 200 patients.

In the first eight months of operation the patient population grew to 142. By August 23, 1894, there were 225 patients. Provisions for 300 more patients were authorized when $70,000 was appropriated in 1898, and in 1910, $100,000 was voted for expansion to accommodate an additional 300. This addition consisted of one wing each on the male and female departments and two buildings for tubercular. The improvements were completed in 1910 and the hospital could then accommodate 1,000 patients. In 1911 another appropriation of $45,000 was given to construct a building for 100 men, providing care to acute cases and all those who require extra attention. By 1912 the facilities could accommodate 1,140, and improvements were valued at $500,000. By 1915 the hospital's capacity was 1,800. In 1917 a training school for nurses in psychiatry was begun. This school, the only one of its kind in the state system, continued with a three-year course until 1942. Click here for more...