OUR HOSPITAL FARM

“Jacksonville State Hospital operates its own farm, which consists of approximately 340 acres. A substantial amount of the food products, vegetables, milk and pork used by the Hospital is produced on our Farm. The total acreage of the Farm may be divided as: corn, 135 acres; oats, 55 acres; garden crops, 40 acres; and pasture, 105 acres.
“Thus far during the year of 1953, the Hospital dairy herd has produced 856,155 pounds of milk. This is an average of 85,616 pounds per month. Currently, the dairy herd has ninety-two cows producing milk. There are 52 calves under one year old and 43 heifers from one to two years old. The farm’s swine herd numbered 1096 as of November 1st. This figure includes 101 sows, 517 pigs and 4 boars. Nine hundred seventy-one hogs have been butchered this year."
“There were 829,723 pounds of vegetables produced in the Hospital garden plots. Of these vegetables, 566,223 pounds were used in the Hospital Kitchens as fresh vegetables, while the remainder was canned. The Farm produced 148,410 pounds of tomatoes; 18,870 pounds of cabbage; 24,280 pounds of carrots; 43,880 pounds of beets; and 2200 bushels of sweet potatoes. The Canning Factory canned 112.5 tons of tomatoes and 14.75 tons of cabbage.”

WINTERIZED!

“Members of the Carpenter Shop have been taking down approximately 600 awnings. The awnings will be stored in the buildings where they are used and also in the Old Carpenter Shop. Later on they will be sorted in order to determine how many replacements must be made. “The Carpenter Shop has also completed roofing Cottage II with asphalt shingles.”

From Vol. 3, No. 4 dated February 27, 1953

HOW ARE OUR PATIENTS DISCHARGED?

“The procedure leading to the discharge of a patient is both well defined as well as ill defined. Many patients leave the Hospital within a month or two. The Medical Staff may find that their condition does not warrant the type of treatments which we have available. On the other hand, many of them who are emotionally upset regain their composure and stability and are able to leave. For others, the procedure leading to the release of a patient is slightly different. New patients, after being studied and put through a definite treatment program are frequently able to leave when the treatment program has been completed. Others who do not respond as quickly must remain for additional treatment programs, perhaps less intensive.” “The initiation for the release of a patient comes from many sources. The patient himself may realize the extent of his improvement and bring this to attention of the doctor. Patients are selected by the ward physicians in their observation during daily rounds and regular six-month examinations. Many patients are recommended for release by employees for whom they work, or in those therapeutic classes they may be.” “In all cases, the present philosophy behind the move to release a patient from the Hospital rests on the concept that individuals do not have to be cured. The judgment is based upon whether the person who was mentally ill has now recovered to the point that she or he may return to the home and community and continue their convalescence exposed to the more normal stresses and strains of community and family life. In a sense then, the first half of the recovery is in the State Hospital and the last half is in the community.” “Whenever a patient is so referred the usual procedure requires that the patient’s record and frequently the patient himself be present at Improvement Staff. If the decision of the Staff is favorable, the patient is referred to Social Service in order to initiate a so-called preparole investigation which will lead ordinarily to the release of a patient on Conditional Discharge to his family or responsible friends.” “During the period of Conditional Discharge which normally is one year, the patient is directed to report to the Social Service Clinics, of which our Social Service Department operates four in this zone. At the end of the period of Conditional Discharge, a report is compiled and if the situation so warrants, the patient is granted an Absolute Discharge which means that the original commitment has no longer any force and the Hospital has no longer any responsibility for the patient.” “Another form of release used is called Family Care. This arrangement is used when the patient has no family and no one to go to or his former environment in which he became ill, is not desirable. In such cases, the Social Service Department sends the patient to a private home or an established nursing home. Many patients who were initially released in Family Care subsequently found employment and were granted Absolute Discharges and have been since self-supporting, as have many other patients who have been released on Conditional and Absolute Discharges.”

PERSONALITY SERIES

From Vol. 3, No. 23 dated June 12, 1953,

Editor’s Note: “Do you know the Hospital staff? Responding to the many requests made by employees who would like to know their staff members better the Newsette has undertaken a project which will feature the head employee of one of the departments in each week’s issue. Since the article must be limited to one page, due to the limited space in the paper, each news article must be limited to one page, due to the limited space in the paper, each news article will only be able to cover some of the highlights of the individual mentioned.”

“Dr. Louis Belinson, Superintendent of the Jacksonville State Hospital and a licensed physician in the states of Illinois and Ohio, has a history, which consists of years of study, backed by practical experience in the field of medicine and psychiatry. Dr. Belinson received his B.A. degree from the college, which was affiliated with the University of Wisconsin and his medical training at the Rush Medical College, which was affiliated with the University of Chicago Memorial Hospital and he received his M.D. degree in 1936.” “Dr. Belinson began his professional career as a staff physician at the Lincoln State School and Colony. While in the position he also served as a part-time instructor at the Deaconess Hospital Nurses’ Training School in nervous and mental disease.” “In 1937 he was transferred to Elgin State Hospital and in 1940 was promoted to the position of Senior Physician at this institution. While at the Elgin State Hospital Dr. Belinson was associated with the Michael Reese Out-Patient Clinic in Chicago.” “In February of 1941 he became Assistant Superintendent at the Dixon State Hospital. In September, 1942 he was transferred to Lincoln State School and Colony as Acting Superintendent. This position he held for the duration of World War II.” “At the conclusion of World War II Dr. Belinson returned to his former position as Assistant Superintendent at Dixon, Dr. Belinson was promoted to Superintendent of this institution. While at Dixon he also worked as an instructor of psychiatry at the U. of I. And conducted special research projects in Epilepsy and Electroencephalography under the supervision of Dr. Frederic Gibbs.” “In September, 1949 he was transferred to his hospital as Superintendent.”

Continued in Vol. 3, No. 24 dated June 19, 1953:

“Dr. Sophie N. Leschin was born in the Ukraine. She was graduated from the School of Medicine at the University of Kharkov where she received her medical degree. During World War I she worked in army hospitals in the Caucausas, and in Turkey with the Red Cross. Following the war she returned to the Ukraine and worked on the staffs of county and city hospitals. Upon entering this country, Dr. Leschin passed the State Board Medical examination, and joined State Service in 1925 as Assistant Physician at this hospital. In 1930 she was promoted to the position of Physician. Since 1933 Dr. Leschin has been the Assistant Superintendent at this hospital, and until last March she also served as Clinical Director. During the period this hospital had a two-year General Nurses’ Training School, she conducted courses in Surgical and Medical Procedures, Gynecology, and Obstetrics.” “Dr. Leschin on two different occasions has taken post-graduate work at the Illinois Neuropsychiatric Institute at Chicago. She has also had further neurophychiatric study at Washington University, St. Louis, and a couse in Hospital Administration at the University of Chicago.” “Dr. Leschin is a member of the following psychiatric Board, Morgan County and Illinois State Medical Societies, American Medical Association for Mental Health, and Physicians’ Association of the Illinois Department of Public Welfare.” “The Doctor enjoys reading and traveling, and is greatly interested in the theater, music, and allied arts. She has been an active member in the Jacksonville Civic Music Society, and was recently elected Vice President of the Jacksonville MacMurray Civic Music Association upon their merger.”

Continued, Vol 3, No. 28, dated July 18, 1953

“Miss Dorothy Lukeman, Dietitian, was born in Franklin and attended public schools in the city. She then studied Home Economics at MacMurray College for two years, and has taken a special course in Home Economics at the University of Chicago. In order to keep abreast of the trends in dietetics, she has taken several refresher courses at MacMurray College. “Miss Lukeman has been in charge of the Dietary Department at the hospital since November, 1921. She is a charter member of the Catholic Daughters of America, Jacksonville Country Club, Business and Professional Womens’ Club, having held the office of Treasurer for two years in this organization. Miss Lukeman’s principal hobby is helping the Underprivileged. She also enjoys baseball, reading, and Traveling, preferring to travel by car or plane.”

“Dr. Henry S. Witten was born in Lithuania and came to this country in 1906. He attended and is a graduate of Chicago College of Medicine and Surgery, Loyola University, 1917. He served his internship at Columbus Hospital in August, 1919 and stayed here until the end of April 1920. He then left this hospital to enter private practice in Chicago.” “During the years of 1928 and 1929, he spent a year and a half in Europe doing post-graduated work in Vienna, Austria. After his return to the United States he again engaged in private practice in Chicago.” “From July 1937 to March 1941 he was Superintendent of the Fox River Tuberculosis Sanitarium.” “In June, 1941, he again became a member of the medical staff of the Jacksonville State Hospital, where he has remained until the present date.” “During the twelve years the Doctor has been here, he has served on practically all the various medical services in this hospital. For several years he was in charge of the tuberculosis wards, for more than three years he was in charge of the acute hospital wards, and for another three years he was in charge of the treatment center, where electroshock, stimulating electroshock, and insulin comatherapies are administered.” “The Doctor is married and his favorite hobbies are reading and traveling.”

As printed in the JAGHS March 2004 Quarterly.