New York at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, St. Louis 1904 / Report of the New York State Commission

by DeLancey M. Ellis

PREPARATION OF EXHIBITS

All of the exhibits of State Departments were prepared by the departments contributing them, and in the case of the State Commission in Lunacy and the State Board of Charities the exhibits were installed by a special representative. This also is true of the exhibit of the State Department of Prisons, which required the constant attendance of an expert to demonstrate its workings.

During the latter part of the Exposition period William T. Arms, an attache of the State building, was detailed to the Department of Social Economy, and dividing his time among the several State exhibits, added materially to the pleasure and knowledge of visitors concerning New York's institutions.

PLAN OF ARRANGEMENT

The Exposition authorities determined that the exhibits in the Department of Social Economy should be collective; that is, that all the work in the Department of Charities and Corrections from whatever source should be installed together; the same to be true of general betterment movements, hygiene, municipal improvement, etc. This plan precluded the installation of the State's exhibit in this department in one place with a dignified installation, as in the other exhibit departments, and made necessary the placing of the exhibit in several different parts of the building according to the subdivision of the classification under which it fell. Perhaps from the standard of general utility the arrangement was all that could be desired, but from the standpoint of the State it is of doubtful value, as such a disposition of the State's exhibit made no single part of it of any considerable size, nor as impressive as had the State's work in this department been shown together.

No State in the Union approaches the Empire State in its progressive policy in the care of the insane, the destitute and delinquents, in the solving of labor and excise problems, and had the exhibit in this department been installed together, a most effective and striking lesson would have been taught.

STATE COMMISSION IN LUNACY

The exhibit of the New York State Commission in Lunacy was the most suggestive and comprehensive of any shown in the Department for the Insane, and was designed primarily to show the difference between the ancient and modern methods of treating these unfortunates. Two rooms were shown, the first of which represented the primitive methods adopted for treating insanity. The room was barren, dark and not over clean. At the front was shown one of the old peep-doors taken from the Utica Asylum. It was of massive construction and contained a small aperture covered by a heavy wooden blind, through which the attendant could observe the doings of the patient, or, more properly speaking, the prisoner. Within stood one of the so-called Utica cribs built of heavy wood, over which was a cover of wooden bars. In this crib the patient was obliged to remain in a recumbent position, the cover closed and locked. Near by stood a restraining chair, a whirling chair, a straight jacket and shackles, all representing ancient methods of "quieting" the victims of the dread disease.

Adjoining was an airy room, clean and inviting, made cheerful by growing plants and attractive furniture, with every modern appliance for the care of an invalid, resembling closely a room of the better class in a general hospital. There was an entire absence of any kind of restraint. A neat iron bedstead, rocking chairs, invalid table, wash stand, book case with books, and in fact every comfort and convenience was at hand. In this room were also shown the uniforms worn by the nurses and attendants in the State hospitals for the insane, and a series of reference books upon the subject of insanity, The exhibit was supplemented by a series of handsome photographs completely illustrating the various State hospitals for the insane, the daily life of the inmates and the expert attention which they receive.

Glass cases contained a large amount of industrial work done by the inmates. This chiefly consisted of sewing and embroidery. A feature of the exhibit was an oak cabinet containing a series of specimens showing cross sections of the brain prepared at the Pathological Institute in New York city. It was of decided scientific value and interest. Near by was a miniature tent hospital, a complete model of the hospital for the care of insane patients afflicted with tuberculosis which is now in operation at the Manhattan State Hospital, Ward's Island, N. Y.