65 
A New LABoRATORY AND Its WorkK. By Ropert HESSLER. 
[Abstract. ] 
The paper read gave an account of a new laboratory connected with 
the Central Indiana Hospital for Insane, it being known as the Patholog- 
ical Department. In the introductory reference was made to the con- 
stantly increasing number of insane under the care of the State. A few 
years ago one hospital was sufficient for the State, now there are four, and 
all are full. Mere clinical description has been all but exhausted and little 
additional information is to be gained by such. Insanity is assumed to 
be due to some change in the brain, it may be ever so minute, and to dis- 
cover these and to draw deductions for practical application in the pre- 
vention and treatment of insanity requires special facilities—and we thus 
have the laboratory idea. 
A description of the different departments of the laboratory was then 
given: there are separate rooms for chemistry, bacteriology, microscopy, 
photography and for necropsies; all being properly supplied with appara- 
tus for work. 
The work will consist, in the beginning, of a course of instruction for 
the medical staff of the hospital in histology and clinical chemistry, fol- 
lowed by bacteriology 
y and pathology; the examination of blood, pus, urine. 
hew growths, etc., as aids to a thorough understanding of clinical cases; 
systematic post-mortem examinations; finding and studying the lesions 
of bodily disease and searching for those of mental disease; original work 
as opportunity offers. 
5—SCIENCE. 
