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or refused. The necessary relief can be secured in one way only, and the Trustees have no hesitancy in recommending the appropriation of a sum sufficient to complete and furnish the entire building.

A few items of specification and measurement will perhaps give a more correct idea of the building than could be gathered from a more lengthy description. It is a counterpart of the south wing. It contains 128 single bedrooms, and eight associated dormitories, with day-rooms, dining-rooms, bathing rooms, water-closets, clothes-presses, dumb-waiters, &c., to each of the eight classifications of patients for which it provides Its foundation requires 1,631 yards of excavation, and 1,044 perch of stone. The superstructure, 3,760,000 brick, 639 lineal feet of belt-stone, 1,222 lineal feet of window-sills, 22,000 yards of plastering, 46,200 superficial feet of oak flooring, 17,640 lights of glass, 270 squares of slating, 35,768 lbs. cast iron window-sash, 6,312 lbs. window-weights, 7,410 cast iron girders, and 297 inside doors.

In the construction of the south wing the following prices were paid for the material and labor specified: For brick, from $3 $3 50 thousand; for laying the same, the contractor finding everything, water excepted, $3 02 thousand; plastering, on the same terms, 19 centsyard; lumber, from $9 to $20 thousand feet, and iron castings from 23 to 4 cents pound. At these rates the cost of one wing, complete and furnished, was estimated at $100,000. The funds available to the Trustees for the purpose of construction, together with the moneys already expended upon the wing, amount to $62,000. If therefore, the advance in cost of building be estimated at 50 cent., there will be required an appropriation of $88,000, and if of 60 cent., $98,000.

If the national struggle in which the American people are engaged tended only to the augmentation of the public indebtedness, and a commensurate increase of taxation to meet the demands thus made upon them, the Trustees of the State Asylum, notwithstanding the pressing applications for admission, would,

in view of the pecuniary burdens imposed upon our population, as an incident of war, feel disposed to defer an appeal to the Legislature for the means necessary to complete the Asylum building; but the disturbed state of the public mind attendant upon civil strife, in so many individual instances culminates in insanity, that they deem it an imperative duty to press this subject upon the attention of the Legislature at the present time.

As heretofore, we find pleasure in placing on record an expression of our confidence in the officers of the Asylum, to whose ability and fidelity we are largely indebted for the happy results produced by medical treatment, in our household, for the faithful application of the funds entrusted to our care, and for the strict account rendered of every dollar expended under our authority.

Whilst we award this general expression of approbation to the officers of the Asylum, we think it due to the Medical Superintendent, more specifically to speak of his services, as the circumstances under which he came to the Institution, and the arduous labors thereby imposed, have conspired to impair his health, to such a degree, that it became necessary to relieve him from duty during part of the summer and autumn of the present year, and to insist upon his withdrawing for a time from his field of labor, that being deemed, by medical opinion, a necessary means for his recovery.

At the opening of the Asylum for the reception of patients, the Trustees themselves were not familiar with the duties to be performed by the administrators of so important a trust. The Assistant Physician and Steward were neither of them familiar with the duties they were required to perform; and the nurses and other employees had to be trained and instructed by the Medical Superintendent. Out of this chaos, the Medical Superintendent has educed order. Whilst that transition was taking place, a draft was made upon his physical energies, and a tax levied upon his mental resources, too great for his constitution to sustain.

During the absence of Dr. Van Deusen from the Asylum, his duties were satisfactorily performed by Dr. D. M. Tyler, the Assistant Physician.

Whilst, according to secondary instrumentalities, all the credit due them, we wish to recognize, as presiding over all, the influence of an allwise and beneficent Providence.

L. H. TRASK,

· WILLIAM BROOKS, Z. PITCHER,

DANIEL L. PRATT,

CHAS. W. PENNEY,

W. C. EDSELL.

TREASURER'S REPORT.

To the Board of Trustees of the Michigan Asylum for the Insane : GENTLEMEN-The Treasurer of the Asylum respectfully presents the following report of the receipts and expenditures of the Institution, during the biennial period ending November 80, 1864:

GENERAL EXPENSE ACCOUNT.

Receipts.

From balance on hand, as per last report,

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$ 153 62

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1,538 64

4,649 10

166 24

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