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The Blue Book of the State of Wisconsin

Compiled and Published Under the Direction of

J. D. Beck, Commissioner of Labor and Industrial Statistics

©1907 Democratic Printing Company, State Printer, Madison [WI]


Part V. State Institutions - State Hospital for the Insane

[pp. 722-723]


OFFICERS.
CHAS. GORST, M.D. ................................................................................................................................ Superintendent
EUGENE CHANEY, M.D. ................................................................................................................................. Assistant
M. K. GREEN, M.D. .......................................................................................................................................... Assistant
AUGUST SUTHOFF, M.D. ................................................................................................................................ Assistant
A. C. NORDVI ................................................................................................................................................ Pharmacist
P. D. CRAMER .................................................................................................................................................... Steward
W. H. HEATH ........................................................................................................................................ Assistant Steward
MRS. BELL N. PHILLIPS ..................................................................................................................................... Matron

The Wisconsin State Hospital for the Insane, located at Mendota, near Madison, was opened for patients in July, 1860.
The original main building, as completed in 1860, was 65x120 feet. Since that time many additions have been made. Two east and west wings, each 250 feet long, and two transverse wings, each 87 feet long, have been added to the original structure. During the last two years a new addition, 154x57 feet, containing the congregate dining room, two wards and baths, was erected at the end of the old main structure.
The hospital buildings, with a frontage of 569 feet, face a magnificent wooded lawn which slopes gently towards Lake
Mendota, a quarter of a mile distant. The hospital will now accommodate comfortably some six hundred patients.
J. Edward Lee, M.D., was elected first medical superintendent on the 22nd day of June, 1859. John P. Clemens was
elected in 1860. The first patient arrived July 14, 1860. Dr. Clemens resigned January 1st, 1864, and was succeeded by A. H. Van Nostrand, who resigned and was succeeded by Dr. A. S. McDill June 6th, 1868. Dr. McDill was succeeded by Dr. Mark Ranney in 1873. Dr. Ranney resigned and was succeeded by Dr. McDill in April, 1875. On the death of Dr. McDill, November 12th, 1875, O. F. Boughton, who had served as assistant physician in the hospital for a number of years, was chosen to succeed Dr. McDill as superintendent, and remained superintendent until July 1st, 1881. Dr. R. M. Wiggington of Watertown was chosen by the Board of Supervision in July 1st, 1881, and remained superintendent until his transfer July 1st, 1884, when Dr. S. P. Buckmaster was chosen to succeed him. Dr. Buckmaster resigned December 1, 1889, and was succeeded by Dr. Louis B. Head of Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. From July 21st, 1891, and to July 1st, 1893, Dr. E. P. Taylor was superintendent and upon his resignation Dr. John B. Edwards of Mauston was chosen as his successor. Dr. Wm. B. Lyman was elected as superintendent in 1895, and resigned in 1901, to be succeeded by Dr. E. L. Bullard of Waukesha. Dr. Bullard resigned July 7th, 1904, and was succeeded by Dr. Charles Gorst of Baraboo.
There has been paid from the State Treasury, up to June 30, 1906, for real estate, buildings, improvements, repairs and
current expenses of the hospital, in all the sum of $4,967,636.66.

Whole number of patients admitted since the opening of the hospital July 14, 1860 ............................... 11,320
Paroled ......................................................................................................................... 5,952
Discharged as sane ............................................................................................................... 9
Transferred to other institutions ...................................................................................... 3,429
Died .............................................................................................................................. 1,358
Eloped ............................................................................................................................... 39
Under treatment June 30, 1906 ......................................................................................... 533

The average number of patients in the hospital the year ending June 30, was 459, as against 431 the previous year, and
the current expenses $108,156.82, as against $101,415.35.

Return to Chapter 5.
Return to the 1907 WI Blue Book main page.
 
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