Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1850-12-12

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manner generally satisfactory to all
concerned, and with such success as
does great credit to the State, and
confirms the. wisdom and well direc-
ted benevolence Of the Legislature in
their establishment.
1t has for several years been man
ifest that the Lunatic Asylum, even
at its present size, was insufficient 10
supply the wants Of the people Of
the State. The Directors and Su-
perintendent Of the ASYLUM, have in
three sccceSsise annual reports, cal
led the attention Of the Legislature to
this subject, and recommended that
the incipient steps be taken for the
erection Of one or more like in
stitutions in different parts Of the
State. a FHlr
The following quotation from their
last report will show the opinion Of
those to whom the oversight of the
Institution has been intrusted by the
General Assembly.
"The Directors Of the Asylum
have more than once heretofore ad-
verted to the coming necessity OF
making further provision loE the in
sane OF the State by the erection OF
two additional Asylums,-one in
The Northern, and the other in the
Southern part of the State"
BY a report Of the SuPerindeni,
made January Is, lS49, in answer to
a call Of the Senate for information
on that subject, it appears that the
number oil applicants for admission
then pending, which had been post
poned for want Of room, was one
hundred and forty-6ve. This num-
Der must be far too small 10 compre-
hend all there are in the State who
need the aid which il was intended
bv the institution to bestow. This
cannot be remedied without turning
at large all the incurables, and prob
ably not then; as the number OF this
class is much less than the number Of
Insane in the State who are OUT
Then, but few Of those incurables can
be discharged with any safety to them
selves or the public. But why turn
any away? They can be supported
there cheaper and more comfortably
for themselves and their friends than
they can be anywhere else. The
average number in the lnsiitu-
ton during the wear ending Novem-
Der Is, lS49, was three hundred and
twenty-three, while in the previous
year one hundred and forty five ap-
plications for admission had been
postponed for want of room in the
Institution. How long shall citi-
zen Of Ohio, who applies to the State
Benevolent Institution for the ad'
mission Of husband or wife, a iath-
er or mother, son or a daughter
be turned away with the heart
crushing answer, there is not roOmi
In the year IS4S, the Legislature
Of Massachusetts, appointed a COM
mittee to consider the whole sub
ject connected with insanity in the
Commonwealth" That committee,
after a careful examination OF the
whole matter, reported the whole
number Of the insane n that State
to be fifteen hundred and ttreive-
that in the FIVE Institutions for this
purpose in the State there is satislac-
tory provision made for eight hun
dred and fifty three Patients-that
sixty patients are provided for at Pri-
vate asylums-that no suitable pro-
vision can be made for the insane in
the county jails-and that six hun
dred of the fifteen hundred and
twelve insane persons in that State
are unprovided for in any asylum de-
voted TO that purpose. That COM
mittee having thus ascertained the
destitution oil the afflicted, with a
promptitude honorable to themselves
and worthy Of their State, recon-
mended the erection Of such bull
dings as would provide for the wants
Of the people. II the same ratio ex-
lists here as in Massachusetts,, there
must be over four thousand in the
State, and more than three thousand
six hundred for whom there is no
provision. But whether the same
ratio prevails here or not, il is mani
fest that there are very many who
cannot receive the benefits Of our
present Asylum. spacious and well
conducted as it is.
There is one other feature Of this
matter, which, according to the pres
ent law, seems TO require some at
tention. The law requires, that be-
fore a person having a family can be
admitted as state patient. that il
shall be shown that his property, az
ter deducting debts, is worth less
than one thousand dollars. 1t may
with great propriety be asked, why
compel any one to pay for going into
his own housed Has not the whole
nrooart,, If the Sfafa been taxed TO