Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1845-06-20

completion cf dAsss ssvsr.i ksna,.r. p>,r,,.,.i - n
poer~s q he date of ris< rspor. ukieh sllhoseh ~
~oceapisd. ssd ss 10 rssSissss % b fully :. One 4 NEE
Is ahsndsons Arss story building. desieoed sxeludssly fr
female psnents. II 10 situated On The SvutA Of the centre
construction and arrangement, wild one located on In.
North. which soccupied bv male psusats, and which wss
described in our report for lsli.
The ether two buildings alluded 20. are desieusd . sab
stitusss for lcdges-to be occupied By the noisy, violsa. and
hthy paticns. They are located considerably In the rear
OF the Other baildinsr upon . line with each oshsr-eos.
respond In Appearances end dimensions. and - in:sndsd foS
the dshsrsnt sexes, they arc Of EQUINE placed II q proper
distance. oos from the other.
Zach building consists Of two ssoriss aud . bsssnsa,,
and 70 forty two feet froot By thirytwo in Width. The
basement contains the furnace and boilers, end Furnishes
apartments for other seedfal purposes. The frat story 10
divided into = hall. corridor. bathing room. water elosst and
eight spartments-one Of which 10 occupied by The alien
dsnt and tho remainder BY patents. Thee rooms open
on each side Of the corridor. and vary somewhst 10 sils,
' 'ss i ) g 10 s s.s:' ,s &c. ! I 'SsS p y !, % t. s..' Y Eide .a., .m.a;
is lighted by . window. containing 30 panss Of glsss, . By
8 inches, the sash OF wood, % hung - TO hslsscs each
other snd protected by iron rods-so arranged - 70 permit
the attendant to regulate the sdmissioa Of cir, whit the
glass Is inaccessible to the patient. Those who occupy this
q 3 z being often violent and msnifesing q disposition to
destroy, some such arrangements was deemed Indispensable.
and THE was preferred to any other with which we wer
acquainted, a. interfering least with light and venulation.
~histit afords tho requisite security. The second story
contains the same number Of apartments and 10 similarly
arranged In other respects. except that the iron rods an,
dispensed with, and the window sash, which are Of ,be
same sire. arc OF cast iron. balanced with lesven, alter the
plan OF the Pcnnsyivania hospital for the insane. Thi.
foor 10 occupied by sueh ~ arc lees violent and not no much
disposed TO destroy, and thus IL will be observed. ve an
Ablsd TO effect . useful subJivision Of even tho won, cl.s.
OF patients. In addition To the air admitted, when found
necessary, through the windows, the rooms add pss.ye,
are ventilated BY fues, which communists with the n.
nc, and the whole building. il supplied during tho proper
season, with an abundance Ut moderately heated fresh Air.
from the furnace chamber in the basement.
The building for female patients Of this class, va, OMEN
Cd on the 10Th day OF August last. and that for males ON
NJ 10Th uuN al N0vEmhAF
Those alone who had experienced the necessity of some
suen buildings IN connection with this establishment, can
iorm any adequate conception OF the acquisition which has
resulted therefromss TO the quiet and comfort Of our entire
household. Such 40 retain q proper sense of What 4, An,
to themselves and others, and whose demeanor /, character.
,.ed ey sgiet prortiety. are thus relieved from frshuul
sounds and disgusting sights, which had too FREQUENTLY de.
uaeted IRON their comfort and marred their contentmen,-
while those who are incapable Of self eo~utrol-who.e In.
bits are h!thy-whose sensibilities arc blunted. and wbose
presence elsewhere would be moot unwelcomo and ipIuri.
Gus TO their iellow-inmates. arc herein provided for much
more comfortably, than was found practicable before these
buildings were completed.
The Western Asylum will now accommodate. without
Inconvenience, two hundred and twenty patients, viz one
hundred and twenty males and one hundred females. And
~nsever may have been tho defects originally in the plan
oil the buildings, there are but few Institutions in our coun
Try, which are now better adapted to the purposes for
which they were designed. Ii is located shout the Reoera.
phical centre VI the Commonwealth, and in almosi ,ou,llv
accessible to all who are taxed for its supports in a eli.
mate p%roverbial for its alubri,y-suuoundcd by scenery
Nariegated, picturesque and agreeable-iu a country where
NV cheap ana aoundanf, and IN the midst Of a
population, Intelligent, moral and benevolent. The build
ings, too, have been constructed with taste, and whilst the
exterior pieases tho eye, tho interior has been arranged with
a Que regard to the health, comfort and safety Of the occu.
pants; nor has economy been lost sight Of, in accomplish.
ing these various and important objects.
Each OF the buildings designed for the oficen and
patients Is covered with Tin. The halls. corridors. cit
ting rooms, chambers, &c, are properly lighted ana
ventilated, aud all are warmed by furnaces from the
basement, with the exception Of those in the centre
building, some Of which arc, occupied by the Office.
and oihefs are used as day rooms by the first class OF
pa ients-these are warmed by FIRE places and Stoves
The furnaces used here ara similar to those in the
Asylum at Worcester; they occupy air chambers Of con.
siderable dimensions, and are found not only ADEQUATE
TO the proper warming Of the apartments, but aid mate.
rally IN the vennlauon. The great economy Of this
arrangement (Which is only one out Of many OF is ad.
vaniagesj may be inferred from the fact, that one of
these furnaces, with n consumption of one-ihird of a
cord OF wood, IN "a hours, during the coolest weather
warns comfortably in all its parts, n building contain
ing nearly seventy patients. The Institution 10 suppl.
ed with an abundance Of pure limestone water, which
Is conducted from a fountain two miles distant, in 3 inch
iron pipe, and Is empted into a reservoir, containing about
one hundred thousand gallons, which is situated near to
and at an elevation. considerably above the buildinxs.-
Thus the quantity OF water is not only sufficient for all
ordinary purposes, but is ample for any emergency which
might require it-and the elevation OF the reservoir l.
such, that no mechanical force is needed TO aid In con.
veying the water To any portion OF the ground or build
ings.
But we are cut short by our limits and must postpone
what else we have to say, to another day.
to BE CONTINUED