Barge Berkley Chiropractic

The Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium

The Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium News, (1928?)

Nature's Beauties are a comfort to all sick people

The tired business man seeks the quietude of the woods and hills for a rest. The nervous and run down woman finds her greatest comfort in quiet spots away from the noise and rush of town and city. The perfectly healthy individual goes to the woods for his vacation. It seems to be the desire of every person, whether seeking health or pleasure, to get away from the hustle and noise of the city, and hide in the woods and hills as close to nature as possible.

This is equally true of mental patients. It makes no difference how mild or how severe the case may be, the woods and outdoors away from the turmoil of the mart have a charm that nothing else has. Our patients are happiest when they are out in the open, living close to, and enjoying the beauties of nature. They can be seen at almost any time during the day, apparently drinking in the natural beauties beheld from any point in Forest Park. The pictures on this and the preceding page give a fair idea of the opportunity presented the patient in this instituion for coming in close contact wtih the beauties of nature. It is not necessary for him to go any distance to get what others travel hundreds of miles to find. It is a part of his everyday life. On all sides he finds the things for which others are always searching. The average person may think the insane patient does not appreciate all this, but he is wrong. This is proven by the fact that many of our patients are reluctant to go home even after they are completely well. The surroundings and treatment received at the hands of the doctors and nurses causes many patients to become so attached to the instituition that they want to stay as long as they live.

On account of the importance of proper surroundings for the mental patient, the Sanitarium has devoted a great deal of money to increasing the natural beauty of the property. All fully agree that mental patients should have the same consideration and treatment as persons suffering with any other form of sickness. We are doing everything possible to make Forest Park a place, such as these poor unfortunate souls will like. The natural beauty of the property, together with our efforts at improving it, have done much to add to the comfort, happiness and contentment of the patients.

Dr. Pothoff and his thoroughbred goats

When the Sanitarium first moved to Forest Park, the unusual spacious grounds were somewhat barren, without livestock of some kind around. With the purchase of Forest Park, and the various property located there, the Sanitarium Company got a mule. The mule was the only livestock in evidence and naturally looked a little lonely.

Dr. Pothoff, who had studied dietetics intensively, was very much interested in placing in Forest Park such livestock as might be utilized and of value to the patients. At an unusually high price he purchased a few thoroughbred Toggenburg milk goats about five years ago. These few goats have increased to a good sized herd, which is a very valuable asset to the institution. From this herd of goats the Sanitarium gets about half of its milk supply. As is an established fact, goats' milk is one of the most nutritious foods that can be found. Patients who are undernourished, or who refuse to take as much food as they should have, are furnished with an ample supply of goat's milk, which the Sanitarium has found to be very beneficial.

While the various livestock raised and kept at the Sanitarium aids materially in the reduction of food expense, it serves another purpose, which is of much concern to those in charge of the institution. Nearly all of the patients are interested in livestock. Those who are able to take care of themselves, and of sufficient health to be permitted the freedom of the grounds, get a great deal of pleasure out of caring for the goats, hogs and chickens. It has been the experience of the Sanitarium that the patient mentally sick improves more rapidly if his interest in something can be aroused. It is therefore part of the policy of the institution to use the livestock as a means of arousing the interest of patients regaining their normal health.

Private Rooms

There are sixteen private rooms with bath in the new building. On this page is shown one of them.

Attention is called particularly to the furnishings of this room. There is nothing about it indicating, or even suggesting that it is a part of a hospital. Every effort has been made to make every private room, as well as the wards, as homelike as possible. We do not want our patients to be surrounded with a hospital atmosphere, or met at every turn with the suggestion that they are sick. Cheerful surroundings and a homelike atmosphere adds much to the comfort and contentment of the patient.

Another thing ordinarily considered of but little importance is variety in the furnishing of different rooms. No two rooms in this institution are furnished alike. The furniture was bought for each room separately and with the view to the specific requirements of the room. In other words, the same care and taste was exercised in furnishing the rooms in this institution that would have been used in furnishing the home.

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Bulletin of the C.P.S., March, 1930

The satisfaction in helping others

This Bulletin is prepared with the sincere desire that we may be instrumental in bringing an array of sunshine, a glimmer of hope to the friends and loved ones of those existing, yet dead, and with the honest conviction that Chiropractic is the road that leads to the surest, quickest and most complete restoration of those afflicted with that human disorder, which is worse than dead, insanity.

If this message is influential in giving one father or mother back to their loved ones, or one child back to a bereaved parent, its purpose has been accomplished and its work well done, for there is no greater achievement and satisfaction than to render a service to a person incapable of doing anything for himself and by putting us in touch with those who may be benefited by an Institution, and placing both of you and us in a position that our ambition and desire to help others may be realized.