The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1844-11-11
From he NJ Y. Commercial .fdorllssr'
INSANITY AND AsYLUMS.

OF all the natural evils entaled upon US by the
sinful curiosity Of Adams beautiful bride, mental do.
rangement the most fearful aud distressing. AND
this perhaps. in lis consequences than IN The
disease itself for IL is DOT Improbable that with very
few exceptions, the ideal world Of the lunauc Ia
brighter sphere than the round OF stern and stubborn
realities through which the sane man plods his wea-
~ way. Even in those cases OF insanity IN winch
the disease assumes IFS darker shades, Is not un-
likely that the patient feels morbid pleasure, and
leeds with kind OF satisfaction upon the misery that
haunis him. But whether our physiology be true or
otherwise, we think the treatment pursued toward
the victim of this disease, Is but too often an aug
incubation Of the calamity itself.
II surely Is neither benevolent nor wise to add hui
initiation to mind already crushed TO provoke with
the lash, goad with clanking cham, one whose
passions already aroused into fury excited TO
madness 10 conhne in dark and solitary cell The
wrelched being whose mind has already become
melancholy void or TO treat man as brute, be-
cause his reason has suffered a partial or temporary
deihronement.
Tha, such policy has been but too generally pur
sued, especially in the European asylums, needs no
proof lmmured in dark and narraw cell, chained
TO the floor wall visited only when his coarse and
perhaps scaniy meal brought to him. hearing never
the cheering music Of human converse and listening
only 10 the harsh and ungratelul sounds OF his Keep
ers voice. the chances against his recovery are great
indeed. II for moment a ray OF returning sanity
beam athwart his ifetted spirit it serves only to re-
vague suspicious which have long perplexed him
The helpless sufferer awakee from what seems TO MIN
but troubled dream, beholds around him the ad-
uncts and evidences of its fearful reality, and rem
bling reason appalled, at the desolaion oil her wonied
home turns aside from the melancholy runs. This,
we fear is no exaggerated picture of the consequent
ces of the harsh treatment adopted IN certain oases
| of lunacy.
| We do NO. advocate an entire freedom from re-
straint. The safety of society demands that those
| Izft af rDIs
be governed by others. But this may be done with
out harshness cruelty and with lar greater prooa-
biiies of the patients recovery. We have album
dant proof of this now lying before u.s. Indeed we
have been led into this train OF thought by receiving
the other day copy of the "Asylum Joumal'-a
publication unique IN its character. 1t is printed at
The Vermont Asylum for the Insane, the ccmposltors
and contributors also TO certain extent, being m
mates of that institution. The number before US
contains the eighth annual report OF the trustees, as
well the annual report of the physician and super
lntendcnt.
The Vermont Asylum is a self-supportlng inslitu-
tioD and from the facts detailed in the report It's ma
nagement must be highly credtable and IT'S success
commensurate. Every inmate is employed, as lar as
practicable, in the business he followed before he en-
tered the Asylum. The statistics show that the ma
jority Of the male patients taImets These ind
beneficial and useful employment in the farm, on
which annual improvements are made, ana the
| amount Of its products is as regularly increased
Those inmates who are mechanics supply every thing
needed in their respective branches. The female pa
tients perform the various domestic duties Joners
and other mechanics have the free use OF all the I'M
piements they need and no injury or accident what
ever has resulted thereirom. Some remarkable IN
stances given of the perfect safety attending tls
mild treatment and of its beneficial operation a
man was taken into the Asylum who mad been insane
than twelve years. For the four years previous
to his admission, he had not worn any article OF cloth
ing, had been confined III cellar without nre, ana
had been violent that when the straw for his bed
| was changed, his "keepers"--we hate the word-had
TO hold him by an iron collar, which was rVeed round
his neck for the purpose.
He was taken from the cellar TO the Asylum, the
iron collar was removed, and be was furnished with
a comfortable bed. The report says he has sal at
table and used a knife and fork since the day on
which he was admitted, and during the whole time oil
his residence there, four years and half, lie has
not destroyed three a~li--' 18th Of properly, and
,,sefully and pleasantly employed about the inst-
patients who had I'D nhatasJ 90 ae9, en "
cruelty treated until they were driven 10 Jsaa..;
ou. VINO ~hen placed under the mild usages at the
and industrious. IL is remarkable fact too ilustra-
tive OF the views we have expressed that Of no
less than six hundred and thiiy persons admitted
since the opening of the institution many of whom
prior to entering, were determined self-destruc-
tlon only one has committed suicide.
This, we imagine, proves also the great benefit Of
public institutions for The Moderation and cure Of this
maiady' The difficulties of managing insane per
sons in private families necessarily very great
The insane conceive that they have claims upon
their friends, and If not aided by them in their Wild
and unreasonable plans, they apt to regard them
with suspicion or hatred Ghe watchful solicitude
aud kind assiutes Of those friends are msconst ued
But when placed IN public asylum they cbeerfully
submit 10 the regulations which govern their little
community and cooperate in It's duties and arrange
ments
The agreeable occupation Of their minds upon
subjects disconnected with their peculiar halucina-
tons, tends greatly TO restore the lost
employment being found more beneficial than mere
amusement and the combined effect Of the two being
the most In the Vermont ASYLUM the system If
classification is carried out and found TO be of great
ietvce.
We have said that the Asylum Journal is publish
Ell at the institution lis publication affords arreea
Die employment to many. Several have recovered
Shlle engaged IN printing II. Others have been d.
yered from their deluslon while writing or selecting
or 1t. The necessary and varied labor consequent
20 IT'S publication, and perhaps more than anything
Else, the folding and directing them TO their friend,
waken an interest highly beneficial to the patients
Md though TO W the association Of unatics, asy |
inns and newspapers cannot be supposed 10 be very |
Psreeabe- and the inverted triplot newspapers la.
idllcs asylums still less so-we have glanced over
te Journal with some amusement mingled with |
bidder emotions, and shall conclude our article with
brief notice Of it, contents.
These are the Crazy Mans Ticket Crazy Coeita-
tons No. XVII, on music, geanngs and gossiplngs.
a. number of squbs al politics. Mersm fash.
a. &c &c Take the following
/" Millorite preacher expatiated upon his sane
fcrine to sane AUDIENCE on several occasions ia,
tb OF this week We told that he fixed the
tpeoi the final burning-uP on The 10Th instant Ii
~ passed by, and Mother Earth rolls on in her di.
uha course as usual These fanatics would moi b.,
soamious to have this world destroyed, did they
iuy consider that by the doom denounced upon false
prpnets, they may never see a better oncn
w may me nton here that Pine, benevolent
Ffndh physician was the first TO treat lunatics with
bu sight restraint When nc resolved upon the
experiment there were more than three hundred ma
nIls Do TIE dmngeons OF Bcelre. HaXinr nhiainnL