The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1847-01-29
N EmORIAI. OF MISS Dlx-..The un.nnc.

the Memorial of Miss ID. l.. DIX, relative TO ID
erection of an Insane Asylum in our State. w
regret that we are unable to publish the docu
ment at length, but give below the concluding
part Of the Memorial, which, it will be seen, re
aies to the condition Of the Insane ~ this State
Miss Dix, j, ispret,y generally known, ha
been engaged for number Of years in visitin
the various Hospitals, Asyums, &c. in the U
States, for the commendable purpose Of ascer
,aining the condition Of their unfortunate inmates
and her efforts arc for the purpose of eslablshin,
snIa, Institutions in those States now destitute
We hope her e!Ijrts will be crowned with sue
cess, and that our Legislature will seriously tax,
into consideration this imporan, matter.
OF the urgent necessity for a hos
pital in Illinois, many are sensible
who will read these pages; but there
is perhaps larger number to whose
minds this claim presents itself un-
der the view of no serious and posi-
tive obligation. A little inquiry
will satisfy all who doubt, that this
is either great or an increasing
evil. Illinois, according to the years
since the country was settled, has a
full proportion of Insane, Idiotic,
and Epilcptic patients; not numer-
GUS enough merely to make it expe-
dient TO establish hospital appro-
pirate for their care and cure, for
their own protection, and the pro-
lection CT others but an unccm-
promising duty, from the voice of
whose warnings and admonitions
there is no mode of escape or eva
sion. Here humanity, receiving i'm
pulse from woe, selfish motives,
claiming relief frcm anxiety and per-
plcXity which never cease their dis
fractions, and political economy,
now more clamorous than ever, com
blne to hasten your efficient action
upon this most solemn question. A
few, the timid and superficial read
ers of their fellow-men, but few,
will plead against appropriations for
this work on the unsound reasoning
that their constituents will disap-
prove the measure but | believe
thatit cannot DE shown that the peo-
pie at large ever manifest d;splea-
sure when their representatives APP
propriate their money to such OBJ
jects as these. The citizens of Hi
nois, as other States, will not be
found backward to make even some
sacrifices, should these be required,
when it is made evident that great
suiferings exist within their borders,
which they have the ability to miti-
gate, TO control, and to limit.
In the poor-houscs and county
jails Of this State, | have not found,
at the periods Of my visits, many in
sane persons; but | have seen many
in private dwellings, in "cabins,"
in" rens," and wandering at large i
often, very often bearing the marks
Of rude assault, and the effects of
exposure to storms and frost. In
the poor, house at Galena, the mas
ter showed me through small apart
ment occupied by poor patients ill
of fever, OF consumption, and others
confined merely through accidents,
broken limbs, &c. Passing into the
ad jacent apartment, also small, I
perceived mGn-c0ge constructed
on one side, with strong pcrpendic-
ular bars, inclosing a space about
six feet by three. "Thare, madam"
said the keeper with emotion, "there
is the only place l have for keeping
the furiously insane, when they are
sent to the pcor-housc-a place not
fit for dog-a place where they
become daily worse, and where their
cries, vociferations, and blasphe-
mics, with other offences, drive all
peace and quiet from the place.
The sick have no respite, and the.
family at large no rest. We want,
madam, q hospital in our State, and
the people ought to know it. 1t
costs as much again and threshold
as much to keep them here as it
would in an asylum, and when we've
done our best, they are in a dread
ful condition. We got up a SUBJ
scription in town, and sent our last
mailman, under charge of keepers,
home to his friends in Michigan
he was furiously crazy, and | don't
know how they can manage him"
The gentlemen who represent sew
orally the counties of Menard, Ma
son, Fulton, Macdonough, Schuyler,
Marquette, Cass, Pike and Morgan,
can, | believe, render you such facts
respecting the sufferings of the in
sane in their districts, as will not
only sustain my importantly, but
carry conviction to The minds of any,
if there be any, who may question
the necessities of this class. can
not show you the numbers, by exact
numerical computation, which claim
your provident care. | am convin-
ced that many cases have been over
looked, but J have seen more than
enough to convince me that no an