The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-06-20
The Lunatic Az yium of the City OF New York

We have received a very interesting document
on this subject, viz: The report OF the physicians
Of the Lunatic Asylum, on Blackwefs Island; and
perusal of it has given us information on the
subject which we think it important that every
citizen of New York ought to have. 1t will be re-
membered that during the past year, Bellevue Hos
pital, and all the institutions connected with 1t,
were placed under the charge of medical board,
composed Of some of our most eminent medical
men, and III at the entire medical charge of the
details of these establishments was confded to
these gentlemen. These appointments homo
rary, so far as emoument is concerned; but to the
honor of the medical faculty of New York, be it
SAID, that all of them have been faithfully and ad
myaby filled, and the duties attended to with the
utmost pupctuality. Drs. James Mcdonald, A. N.
Williams and Benz. Ogden, are the visiting physi
clans of the Lunatic Asylum on BlackwelPs
Island; ard the document to which we have al
luded, is their report on the condition of this asy
lum, aLdre ssed to the medical board of Black
wells Island and which was laid before the Com
mon Council by this latter board on the Both of
March last.
The report commences with some remarks on
the momentous Importance to every inhabtant,
whether rich poor, OF the care of the insane be-
longing to the city and county of New York. "1t
is true as tits humaing" says the report, GO that
no one, however born, is exempt from poverty
and disease-many of the tenants of our pauper
institutions were born to wealth and expectations
and numerous will be the descendants of the rich
est families now among us, whom inevitable des-
tiny will doom to seek refuge in the Lunatic
Asylum on Blackwell's Island.'' This, we are
afraid is but too true; any vslter to the Island
ascertain by personal inquiry, the truth OF the
statement that many of the inmates were born UNI
der every advantage of wealth, station, and luxu-
ry and these facts prove how true are the follow
ing words OF the report: "We all, therefore, rich
and poor educated and Ignorant, have motives,
personal and private, for reforming and perfectng
this establishment"
The report then goes on to consider the probable
increase In the number of the insane among our
population; and slight historical sketch is given
OF the rise OF the present institution, from which
we extract the follOwlng:--
The present population of New York city does not
exceed 100000 and there about 400 pauper lunacs
in the asylum on Backwell's Island 1t will not be
many years before accommodations will be required
for thousand In the great metropolis of the western
world as the city of New York is. and is destined to
be- the increase of the insane will exceed the ratio
progressive population. will be shown by the follow
ing facts. In 1884, when the insane had become
that they could not be suitably provided for
IN the basement story of the Bellevue hospital (now
part of the house of REFUGEE. energetic movement
made in the Common Council to erect bui0i ng
for them, which should be large enough to accommo-
date 100 This was actually considerably larger
mum than there then at the public charge,
there eng the first day of September 1884 but I6
insane patients but it thought proper to provide
for prospective augmentation and the wisdom of
the resolution now evident the increase having ex
ceeded all cal ulation No less than 405 insane pa
TENTS actually in the asylum the LIST OF Jan,
1S47
Estimating the future increase from these data the
city aud county of New York will fifteen years hence.
have more than q thousand lunatics to be supported
at the public charge And this disproportionate aug
mentation is in perfect accordance with facts already
developed by older nations. The city of Paris few
years since with population of about 800 600 had
less thaa 1000 female and 800 male pauper unatics,
besides large number Of insane in private and other
Institutions
Arguing from this prospective and sure increase,
Oor any person accustomed to study statistics, can
see how surely these results will work Out), the
report goes TO show that 1t Is not only duty OF
humanity, but of &c nomy, for the city govern
ment to provide suitable and fitting accommodate
tons for this class OF patients. 4" No means can
be devised" say they, :" so surely calculated to
relieve the public from the expense OF large accu-
mutations of the insane, as the liberal provision of
such methods of cure as will restore to health a
larre proportion of recent cases"
1t has been found that, taken In the onset, the
chances of cure are greatly increased but, un-
fortunately, in the present state OF the asylum on
Blackwelrs Island, physicians will not advise pa
tents to be sent, and relatives will not take friends
there unless excluded from every other hospital !;
or where the subject has become so violent that
nothing else can he done until much time
las been lost at home In vain efforts at restoration,
that the chances of ultimate recovery are very
mich diminished"
The report then goes on to state what has hther-
to been done for the insane; by which it appears
that in 1888, when Bellevue Aims House and
Bloomingdale Asylum became crowded with
lunarcs that they could not be accommodated,
at the suggestions of the Commissioners of the
A Inns House to remove the Lunatic Asylum, the
Common Council took up in earnest the subject OF
erecting an hospital for the insane, and made. an
appropriation for procuring plans. On the 18th of
February, 1884, plan was accepted. 1t was fur
nlshed by DR.. James Macdonald who was then
physician TO the Bloomingdale Asylum and ul-
mately adopted by the successors of that years
Common Council 1t was on the basis OF the
Middlesex Asylum at lIanwell, England, so modl-
fled as to remove what appeared TO be its objection
able features, and adapt 1t to Backwe's Island.
The cornerstone of the Asylum was laid by the
Mayor, with ,he customary ceremonies, in the
spring of 1895, but the bull dng was not sufficiently
compl ,ted to receive patients until the month of
June, 1889, when thirty from Bloomngdalc and
those from Bellevue were removed into 1t. The
different sums appropriated tor this edlhce between
October 1881 and May, 1889, amounted to 1925 900.
In August, 1871, the number OF patients had IN
creased so much that 1t was found necessary to en-
large the accommodations; but, instead OF carrying
out the plan already adopted a proposition was
made to erect n distinct building close to the wa
ter, on the east side of the island. This was final
" agreed upon, and what is now called the Mad
House was completed and occupied the following
spring. This building also was soon crowded far
beyond what was originally intended as the num-
Der it should hold, and thus matters continue down
TO the present day. On taking charge in Novem-
Der, 1871, the present medical board found
375 pitents, under the care OF one resident
medical officer, who in addition to his
strictly professional duties had to act as apothe-
cary. The rooms were all crowded the first and
second stories however, were clean and in good
order--they were occupied by females. The base
ment or ground floor however, was damp l-ven-
tated. and gloomy it was occupied by males,
many of whom were sick with dysentary, diarr-
hsra, or fever. These rooms were originally in
tended for store rooms; and several years expe-
rience has fully demonstrated what was anticipa-
ted when the building was planned, that its base
ment is decidedly unhealthy the crowded state
of ,le bouee however has forced the MANAGER to