State Hospital Overcrowding Is Confirmed

Mental Hygiene Group Probing Conditions

By Lucille Cohen

Confirmation of serious overcrowding and understaffing at state mental hospitals, revealed by The Post-Intelligencer Friday, came yesterday from the Washington State Society for Mental Hygiene.

Dr. Ralph M. Stolzheise, Seattle psychiatrist who chairmans the Community Chest-supported mental hygiene society's institutions committee, declared:

"The Post-Intelligencer story bears out in every detail results of investigation made by the Washington State Mental Hygiene Society."

Society Probing For Past 6 Months

The society has been quietly investigating conditions in the overcrowded, understaffed hospitals for the past six months.

"The Post-Intelligencer has performed an outstanding public service in focussing public attention on the plight of the almost forgotten 7,000 citizens of our state committed to mental hospitals," Dr. Stolzheise said.

"Although conditions disclosed by The Post-Intelligencer will shock many readers, it should be plain to both the legislators and the voters that a $1.60 per person per day, which is what we are now spending, is plain neglect of our mentally ill and feeble minded."

"We can get only what we pay for in the mental hospitals.  The people of this state are responsible for forcing upon irresponsible individuals conditions we ourselves would not endure and our commitment laws are as outdated as our building and paucity of personnel."

Dr. Stolzheise was formerly on the staffs of two of the state mental hospitals.

At Western State Hospital at Steilacoom, where conditions are comparable to the state's other two mental hospitals, The Post-Intelligencer found patients jammed into obsolete, antiquated wards in 50-year-old buildings, as much firetraps as the one that burned down at the institution two years ago taking two patients to their deaths.

Lack of space forces the institution to put patients beds in unheated areaways, open to the weather.  Patients are kept in bed for 12 hours because the staff is so small that there isn't adequate help to care for them out of bed for the other 12 hours.

Dr. W. N. Keller, hospital superintendent, confirmed the facts on overcrowding and understaffing which force the hospital to limp along far below peak efficiency and pointed out another situation which he termed "dangerous."

"The present refrigeration plant has been in bad condition for a long time but it is rapidly becoming worse and more inefficient.  It is recognized as a very dangerous situation," he said.

"Three times within the last two years we have had light epidemics of diarrhea which we feel emanated from the food served...  Repeatedly, we have had chickens and other meats spoil.  Milk sours.   Eggs cannot be stored here...  Any casual inspection will show the poor condition of this plant and I do not hesitate to say that at times it gets smelly."

An appeal for more funds for the state hospitals was telegraphed to H. E. Van Eaton, head of the state department of public institutions, yesterday by Mrs. Marjorie Creim, president of the state mental hygiene society. 

She wired:

"Washington Society for Mental Hygiene and its 11 affiliate groups throughout the state stand squarely behind your request for appropriation for care and treatment of the mentally ill.  Our institutions committee's investigation reveals woefully inadequate facilities and personnel.  The war year shortages plus population growth of our state, together with cost of living increase, require additional appropriations even to maintain present, inadequate standards.

Article appeared in The Post-Intelligencer - February 19, 1949

Provided by Ulrich Fritzsche M.D.