At a meeting of the Board of Hospital Commissioners, held in October, 1896, the charges against pay patients were reduced from from twenty dollars, (which rate had existed since the Hospital was opened) to fifteen dollars a month, to take effect October 1, 1896; the purpose being to cover the actual cost of maintenance, as it was not considered good policy to conduct a public institution at a profit to be derived from the taxpayers of the State.

ECONOMY.

In these days of depression and hard times, when so much is said of economy, I am impelled to ask what is true economy as applied to an institution such as is in my charge?

Does it consist in seeing at how small an expenditure of money it can be conducted, or in surrounding the unfortunate with every means which may assist in restoring him to health? To my notion the latter is true economy. For while he is an inmate, he is a tax

on the State and the value of his labor is lost, while his restoration to health relieves the State of its burden and adds the value of his labor to its material wealth. While the foregoing is true of those who are curable, it does not hold good in relation to the others.

For them there is another matter worthy of consideration. By reason of their mental ailments they are dangerous to the lives, persons and property of their fellow men. For this reason they are deprived of their liberty and all civil rights; not because of any crime they have committed, but for the protection of society. In return for this, society owes them every comfort and convenience by which they can be surrounded.

LIBRARY.

I presume ours is the only institution of its kind and size without a library. Fully 50 per cent of our inmates are readers, and eagerly devour everything that comes within their reach. I doubt if there is anything that can be done for them which would be more beneficial than to provide them with proper material. During the past term I furnished three handsome reading-rooms, each containing, in addition to tables and chairs, a handsome book-case. I would suggest an appropriation of $500 to fill them.

LECTURES.

At the meeting of the Nevada State Medical Society, held in July, 1896, I delivered the first of what is intended to be a course of clinical lectures on "Insanity," to be given at the annual meeting held in Reno.

NEVADA HOSPITAL FOR MENTAL DISEASES.

At my suggestion, through the courtesy of Senator H. A. Comins, who introduced the bill, the last Legislature changed the title of the Nevada Insane Asylum to Nevada Hospital for Mental Diseases.

The change has proven very satisfactory to many of the inmates, their relatives and friends, and is thoroughly in keeping with modern ideas.

LEGAL SERVICE ON INMATES.

In a number of cases efforts have been made to effect "personal service" on inmates of the Hospital in matters affecting their estates. In all such cases I have refused to permit such service to be made, on the grounds that an insane person has no legal existence, that by reason of their insanity they are mentally incompetent, and by reason of their commitment they are physically unable to appear and make legal answer.

But it appears that in case of application for guardianship, under our statute, personal service is necessary. This should be amended, making the Superintendent of the Nevada Hospital for Mental Diseases guardian of the person and estates of all persons committed to the Hospital, unless notice is served on him of the appointment of a guardian by the Courts, and all legal service should be made on the guardian, and any attempt to serve legal papers on insane persons, who have been adjudged insane and committed, should be

made a crime.

If there is a class of persons in the State who deserve the most ample protection that can be thrown around them, it is the insane, and, as it is no unusual occurrence for designing persons to endeavor to possess themselves of their property, I have always used every means in my power to prevent any advantage being taken of them. Whether I have always been legally right, I am not prepared to say. I therefore ask that such legal means be given me for the better protection of these unfortunate wards of the State.

BRINGING INSANE INTO THE STATE

Should be made a crime. During the past two years a number have been brought from adjoining States and committed to the Hospital.

RELIEF FROM JURY DUTY.

There are but sixteen male employes connected with the institution, not one of whom can be spared without impairing the efficiency of the force, or endangering the lives of the inmates or the property of the State. During the past term a number of the employes have been drawn for jury duty, and, in spite of my representing the condition, as above, one was compelled to serve. It is true no serious consequences followed, but it was "more good luck than good management;" and not believing it to be the purpose of the law to so jeopardize lives and property, I would advise the passage of an enactment exempting the employes of this Hospital from jury duty.

IMPROVEMENTS MADE AND REQUIRED.

In the earlier portion of this report I partially described the condition in which I found the property of the State. Under this

heading a further idea of the same will be obtained. All the machinery was in bad condition, and is still so in spite of constant repairs. The boilers and engines are wholly inadequate for the purposes intended and almost beyond repair.

The flume connected with the dynamo and pump-house did not carry a sufficient amount of water to furnish power for either, much less both purposes.

The penstock was in such a rotten and leaky condition that it was useless, and had to be entirely rebuilt.

The trestle across the river was about to fall in, and the flume was so leaky that about one-third the water was lost. The trestle was repaired and the flume replaced by a new one, and all covered with a coat of tar for protection from the elements.

A ditch about a mile in length was built to take the place of that much flume, and for eight months of the year it not only furnishes a sufficient amount of power, but also water for the irrigation of the lower portion of the farm. Ice inteferes with its operations at other times.

The four-foot driving wheel connected with the dynamo was in such a condition that it flew to pieces. Fortunately it did no damage to the machinery except the breaking of an oil-cup, and the partial destruction of a partition. It has been replaced by a bent-rim hardwood pulley. The armature of the dynamo was burnt out and has been rewound and a new commutator has been added. A new shaft has been placed in the pump.

LAUNDRY.

A new washing machine of the most approved patern, with brass cylinder, gauged at both ends, has taken the place of the old wooden one; and an extractor has done away with the hand wringers; together with new pulleys and shafting and enlarged new connections.

FARM IMPLEMENTS

Have been increased by the addition of a new Giant Deering mowing machine, five-foot cut, a new plow, farm wagon and hand implements.

BLACKSMITH SHOP.

- There being neither blacksmith's tools nor shop, in March, 1895, I turned a portion of the shed attached to the male yard into a shop, which I stocked with a good and complete kit of tools, and in ninety days they had paid for themselves.

CARPENTER SHOP.

A carpenter shop, or shanty (more properly speaking) was on the grounds without tools. They have been supplied.

The male yard was enlarged and fence painted. The female yard has been used by only two patients.

The lawn to the west of the building was provided with canopy