Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1850-12-16

| sale. making an addition 10 thai schoul fund
and affnrdlng the pleasing prospect OF y
considerable increase 10 the population. i'm
provemen, and wealth Of the several coun.
lies in which the lands are slualed.
The saveral Benevolent, Institutions
have been conducted through the season.
it is believed. in manner generally sa''s-
factory 10 all concerned. and with such
success us does great cred ito tbe stale.
and confirms the wisdom and well directed
benevolence Of lhe Legislature, in their es
labI:shment. q,
Ii has for several years been manifest
that the Lunaiic A ,slum, even al 'is pres,
ent size, wes insufficient to supply the
WANTS or the people OF the State. 'he di-
rectors and Superintendent Of the AsJ luin
have, in three successive annual reports,
called lhe attention Of The Legislature 10
this subject, and recommending the lnclpi-
ent steps be taken for The erection OF one
or more like institutions, in different parts
of The State. "5-3 s. -''-.-ee5 zssaN sd s~zvr.
The following quotation, from their last
report. will who~ the opinion OF those TO
whom the oversight OF the Institution has
teen intrusted yb the General Assembly.
The Directors of the assembly have
more than once. heretofore adverted 10 the
coming necessity of making further pro-
vision for the insane Of the State, by the
erection ortwo additional asylums-ene in
the northern and the other in the southern
part Of :he State" 5g.sss s.at 20 q. p T.
BY report Of the Superintendent, made
january lS. 1910, in answer ioza call .!
the Senate for information on that subjeci.
it appears that the number Of applcanls
for admission pending. which hnd been
posfpohed for want of room. was one hun
dred aud forty.tive. This number mnsl be
far to, small,o comprehendali there are III
the Slate who need the aid which il whs
intended by the Institution TO brslow.- -
This cannot be remedied without turning u:
large all the incurnbles, and probably noi
even then, as the number Of this class =
much less than the number Of insane ID
the State who are Out. Then, but few oi
those incurable can be discharged with any
safety TO themselves or the public. Bui
why turn any away. They can be sup
ported there cheaper, aud more comtorta-
bly for themselves and their friends. Than
they cat, be aovwhers else, The aysrnge
number in theI Institution duthg the year
ending Nov. Is. l549.a was three hundred
and t,crn'y.thres. while. in The previous
year, one hundred and ioriy. FIVE applicants
for adms.ina had bcen postponed for. want
OF room in the institute How long shall
citizen OF Ohio. who applies 10. the Stale
; Benevolent Institution 70: the admission oi
husband or wife, ialhera OF mother, a
son or a d,ughser.. be turned away with
the heat crushing answer, there - not
room! 29-s3 tar 5gcaf
In the year le4s. the Legislature of
Massachusetts appointed committee 40
consider The whole subject connected wIh
insanity in The commonwealth. That
committee after careful examination of
the v hole matter, reported the whole num-
Dor Of the insane in that Slate 10 be fifteen
hundred and tpelpe; tina. in the five lnsti-
lu:ions for this purpose in the State, there
is satisfactory provision made for eight hn,-
dred and ffiy-lhree patients; that sixty
patients are provided for at private asylums;
that no suitable provision can be made ior
the insane in the county jails' and that SIX
hundred, Of the fifteen hundred and Twelve
insane persons in thai State, are unproyided
for in any asylum devoted to thai purpose.
That committee, having, thus ascertu,ned
the des,itu,ion OF the Inflicted, wllha premp.
li,ude honorable 10 themselves and worthy
OF their State, recommended; ahe erection
Of such buildings as would provide for the
war:s Of the people, II ihs same ralio ex.
lists here as in Massachusetts, there must
be over four hundred in the State. and
more than three thousand six hundred for
whom there is no provision. ~ -seamar .
But whether the same ratio prevails
here or not il is manifest that there ore
very many who cannot receive The benefits
Of our present Asylum. spacious and well
conducted as 1t is. User9H5 E.ir'.sl5
, There is one other feature in this mat
Ter which according to the present law;
seems to require some attention. The law
requires that before a person having d
family can be admiiied as State patient.
that i, shall be shown that his property. af-
ter deducting debts, is worth less than one
thousand dollars. Il. may with great pro
priety be asked why compel any Que TO
pay for going into his own house? Illus
not the whole property of the State been
taxed 10 build the hou.e. and do not all
pay in proportion to their property for lis
support Take case, aud one which
may occur 10 thousand fnmilies under
the present law; the head Of a family is ad-
mitted 10 the Institution, nnd the family
lef, to support themselves and raise The
money 10 pay The expenses ofihelr afflicted
head. In two years the '.hole OF the li'lie
property will be expended; the lunatic
may be discharged as incurable, and re.
turn upon The hands Of the family. palsied
for the want Of The litlle means which has
been exhausted in this effort to restore him
10 health. 7zo& .Es.ls a<fti,gS
/ Or he may be discharged as recovered,
to sink again under The accumulated pres
sure of loss of property and a family in
want. la two OF the annual reports Of the
Directors, this subject has been pressed
upon the Legislature, asking that this dis.
tinction may be removed. Il has long been
nv oninion that both Justice and policy re. |