The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-04-04
TILE INSANE.

If there be class of our own fellow beings that
claims our sympahies to greater extent than
any other, it is that of persons VINO have been
deprived of the lights of reason. 1t is in regard
| to his intelligence that man stands at the head
of creation and is emphatically its lord. De-
prived of his intellectual faculties he becomes
one among the most helpless of Gods creatures,
and claims at the hands OF those who retain
those powers an object of the deepest sympathy
and commisseration. With corporal energies
that bear no comparison with those of many
other members of the animal kingdom, to which
| he would necessarily fall prey were he not
protected by the high endowments Of mind that,
| whilst they grace his nature, enable him TO d-
rect and give effect to the brute strength by
which they are surrounded Entertaining such
sentiments it may well be supposed that we
view, with peculiar interest all charities, the OBJ
ect of which is to ameliorate the condition OF
the victims of mental ali nation. To soothe their
feelings and impart to them all the comforts Of
which their miserable condition is susceptible,
is with us darling object, and consequently we
| feel pleased whenever occasion offers to enlist
public interest in their behalf. In looking over
the last Philadelphia Inquirer our attention
was favorably attracted by an editorial article,
the subject of which is the present condition of
the Pennsylvania Hospital of the insane. De
scribing this institution, that paper says:
| The first patient admitted on the llih Of the
| second month"; 1852 and between that time and the
10Th of the third month, lSil when persons afflicted
with mental arrangement ceased TO be uceiyed into
| the Hospital in the eligibility eight thousand tour
hundred patients had received the benefits OF It's care
| or these four thousand three hundred and sixty
were insane one thousand four hundred and ninety
three of whom were restored to their families perfect
" cured nine hundred and thirteen discharged
mproved-nino hundred and ninety.iyc were renov-
4 ed by their friends without material improvement
two hundred and forty six eoped-sx hundred and
ten died-ninety three transferred to the new
Hospital and sixteen retained in the city, waiting the
completion Of the detached buildings Of the 81, 400
patients mentioned above, no less than twenty thou
sand eight hundred and five were recci> ed and sup
ported without charge Of any kiLd.
! " The new buildings which constitute the present
Hospital are located nearly two miles west of the city,
between the Westchester and Hlverford Roads. The
corner stone laid on the 22d of June, 1886 and
the work sufficiently completed for the reception
of patients ON the first day Of lS4l. The yaIou
structures are spacious, and every way suited to
the benevolent objects in view The total number of
rooms is 204 all of which warmed by hot air fur
naces The farm occupies about Ill acres about Al
of which, Immediately around the Hospital, are APP
propriated as vegetable garden and the pleasure
ground of the patients. 1t is surrounded by stone
wall l0I feet high. In the frost of the main building
is beautiful avn and the pleasure-g ground contains
groves fitted up with seats which the lavorte re-