Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1842-06-16
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From he Slaunisa sp,ef .Isr
WEsrERa LuSATIc ASYLUM.
DR. sTRlBLING,s REPoRr.

Z. + 81
! DIR. sTRBLING's REPORT. II
: tcQNcLUpED
Table II exhibits the statistics az insanitvxi
the y. States and Territories, as furnished bs Ii
census Of Isl0--ffom which-it appears ttat n,
. number Of insane whites in Virginia iyl04sl
Of free Icolored 5s-and of slaves 3e6 No dis
Ecrlminatiou is made by the census bktweeu iii
Insane and Idiols-- but from reason, as well a
observation, the Doctor remarks, Ne are author
/ ized tolinfer that the latter 5esf very incon
sidetshle ProPcrnon TO the forpder these class
es.' he thinks, however, thk the number, as
toundi1g as il NAV Be. is siiI far baow The truth
Il i scarcely probable ihayfn many instances a.
individual was regisiere9as insane Who was III
50, butjl is absolulely certain Thai many were
omited~ho should hgye been included A mum.
ber Of spch eases, be remarks, are within bis
own knSwledge, SPINE of.Which he specifics. Ia
the county ofFrsderick, for instance, where theffe
is only one individual reported BY the census Il
being id sane khd atpublic expense, here we're
certainly sspn il not eight such in The iaiI OF said
COunty.pl dhat date rBut even en- The supposi-
ton thdJ4he number has been correctly reported
|
4 whe4 atethose me thousand and more poor crea-
Iturss who have been deprived Of The God like al
trkne Of reason And what is ;hsr present
e6nd;Iio4:n tt
4 I'VE know, tremarks the repprt,} thai
but about two hundred and fifly 81 them
/ are in the Asyluns OF The Common wealth.
and are Of course left to conjecture, asto
the location and circumstances Of The Ire,
maindeF-msEy are doubtless With thei5
friends, receiving all the attentioh which
kaflection can, bestow, are surrounded by
every cpmfott which in their dnhappy
slate they can annreciaiA .-A4ll-I 49,. a.
s-sAS - 4--btlsss becomiBg more firmly
rivetted by every days duration-and
MANY ID them, il may be, already doomed
to continue its victims during life. Others
are wTstched wanderers irarereng lie
highways or by-paihs Of the Com mon :.
wealth, unprotected and uncared fdr-suf.
fering with cold and hunger-aand exhibit
ing whfreyerfhey 60. an exterior buI too
well hiImonizing with mind in fnins.''
Whilst third apd> most hopeless class,
are lmmnred in the gloomy prisons of the
country-degraded toNa level with the
criminal who has violated the laws both.
Of God and man chained like wild.
beasts I'd The floors Of their grated cells
but half fed and altogether naked often
writing too under the lash Of their cruel
keepers7-snd in, this state cut of from
intercourse withlsll other living creatures.
save indeed the creeping vermin Which
Iced upon the filth 10 which their kodiesi
are incased Would that this picture
were the result Of fancy. or was even a
reality somewhat exaggerated but alas /!
for the honor Of Virginia, tits TOO faithful
a representation Of what many oflhis class
Of undergraduates are now suffering within
her borders. And whilst no one could
be more unwilling Than mySelito do Ought,
BY which her faif fame might be 'srnished
it would surely seem 10 this particular a
false deltcacy 10 disguise the lfuth,is its
disclosure could BY possibility leadlio the
rescue Of a single one Of these unhappy
! sufferers.
mot 10 dwell upon the cases ofsome
four or five individuals, " ho, within few
weeks past. have been brought 10 this in j
sliiuiion, iron tbe' jaiTs 10 which they
Z / u =
have been lying, some Of them for many
years. bound With chains and marked
with stripes, as evidenci1G the cruelty
add inhumaoity which ere so. commonly
practlsed-I feel i duty 10 relate the
circumstances Of visit, made in person,
during me last summer, 10 one 81 tuese
recepiacfes for the insane. not a hundred
miles distant from this AsYln@---sDd N. Il
70 pc seriously apprehended, that tue
scenes there exhibited aHard 100 striking
a cri,erionby which 10 judge he condi-
ton OF most of those confined ia the jails
ihroug bout the Stale. I'm
"Reing accidentally at The place just
alluded to. aud understanding that mum,
bef Of insane persons we're confined inSthe
l3ail. I was induced 10 visit. ii but more
Especially, to see one Of those individuals.
in whose fate my sympaihies had become
particularly enlisted from hearing him re-
pr-senfed as q, genieel youag foreigner.
Of industrious habits and fine moral char
acaer. who bad within 4 short period lost
his reason. On arriving at the prison. and
Informing the keeper Of my object, be
readily rendered bis services. 10 conduct
me 10 The several apartments in which
we're confined the unhappy beings for
/ whom nv visit was designed. tis pro-
lbably due TO The old man, whose head
seemed frosted BY al least three score
4 winters, that Ishoald premise. tha. bis ap-
pesrance and conversation prepassessed
me favorably. as 10 bis goodness Of heart
and disposition 10 90, 10 behalf Of BIZ
prisoners. whasever bis judgmt At eoult
sanction as being pfoper-slshoueh - VII
4 appear from the sequel be must have 10
/ obliged the ANTICIPATED and superstition
idea. that the 'slnssBe are possksssd will
Demons r and thence that il was NOR
important 10 conkne. and restrain them