Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1853-12-30
TENNESsEE HOSPITAL FOR THE Insane.

morning.
TENNESSEE HOSPITAL FOR THE INSANE
We have before US the reports of the Trustees,
Treasurer and Physician of the Tennessee Hospital
for the Insane" The Report of the Superintendent
and Physician, DIR. W. A. CHEArHAM in particular,
contains much interesting matter, and we do not
think we can better fill one Of our columns this
morning than by giving synopsis of it.
On the LIST of March, 1852, Dr. CHEATHAM enter
ed upon the duties of Superintendent and Physi-
clan. On the 18th of April the patents-sixty in
number--were removed from the old to the new
buildings erected under the act of the 9th OF Feb
rnary. l848. These buildings are situated six miles
from Nashville near the Murfreesboro turnpike on
a beautiful farm containing go acres, and were
erected under the superintendent of DIR. JOHN s.
Youso. The plan of the Hospital was drawn by
Mai A. HEMAH, Architect and is similar to that Of
the Butler Asylum, at Providence, Rhode Island
We copy the following description of the buildings
from the report:
The STYLE of architecture is the Castilated The
length of the building is three hundred and twenty
feet front, east to west. The greatest breadth
across the centre is ninety-eight feet The centre
building, and the extremities of the east and west
wings are four stories high The body of each
wing is three stories high. The first floor is four
feet above ground which, defending towards the
wings and rear affords convenient entrances to a
basement story eight feet in height The first and
second stories are twelve feet high, the THIRD eleven
feet and the fourth ten feet in the clear The build
inc IS embellished with fourteen octagonai towers
five feet and three inches in diameter which are
ulaced on the corners of the centre building; and
wings rising eight feet above the battements, which
range from tower to tower around the whole build
inc These towers are used for various purposes
Two are chimnevs; several are employed con-
ductOrs of the water from the roofs, and serve
ventating shafts From the centre building rises
an octagonal tower fifteen feet in diameter. which
ascends twenty-five feet above the roof terminating
in battements and giving elevation to the build
inc of seventy feet. The rooms the first floor Of
the centre building are occupied for paror, recep
ton ROOM library, and private dining room. On
the second floor Of centre building, physicians pri
vate apartments and chastey furnished room for
Miss Dix whenever it shall comport with her con-
venience 10 visit the institution. On the third floor
apothecary' S ROOM and chambers for quiet and con-
valescent patients with their special attendants
The fourth floor is occupied for purposes similar TO
the third. Tbere Is, also, neat and comfortable
chapel attached TO the centre building thirty-slx
feet long by twenty-iour feet WIDE capable OF seat
ing one hundred and fifty persons; and entered from
the centre building has a transverse hail. and large
and convenient staircase. These halls are crossed
at right angels on each floor, by others running
longitudnally ninety-two feet long and twelve
feet wide terminating in the corridors IN the wards
which are of the same width " hen the doors,
which divide the centre building from the male and
female wards are open corridor IS presented of
two hundred and seventy-six feet IN length, terml-
mated ct each end in q room occupied by attendants
From the corridor on each floor in the wards, the
dining rooms single bedrooms, bathrooms water
closets, clothes room, sitting rooms, dormltores
etc are entered The single rooms are twelve by
eight feet IN size. The dining rooms have dumb
walters which come up from the basement (where
the food is prepared by simple machinery, AMI
supply the patients with their meals The arrange
ment Of the first second and third floors, is pre-
c;sey similar each containing thirty eight rooms,
including dining rooms clothes room, water closets,
etc In the fourth story there are eighteen rooms;
making, in all, one hundred and thirty-two rooms,
exclusive of basement. which contains kitchens,
baSe-ro9ms, ironing-room and store. rooms.
The Hospital is warmed by six hot air furna-
ces, and amply supplied with cold and hot water,
Tor bathing and other purposes
So much for the building. The new institution
was opened for the reception Of patients in March,
1852 and since that time to the LIST October, 1885,
there have been admitted inclusive of sixty patients
from the old institution, one hundred and eleven
males and sixty-fve females making total Of l76.
Of these ~ have been discharged as restored Is
have been discharged much improved 3 improved;
sad : unimproved; have eoped, and died
Leaving 100 patients in the institution on the list
October last OF the42 discharged as restored, all
were. at the time Of leaving, capable of resuming
the position in society occupied by them previous
10 the attack But two have since relapsed, so far
as the Superintendent has been able to ascertain,
and in both cases intemperance the original cause,
has reproduced the malady. Eight of the - dis
charged as "much improved were removed prema-
turely by their friends, and the Superintendent is
satisfied that they would have entirely recovered
had they been permitted 10 remain a short time
longer The removal of the other FIVE was advised.
Most Of those discharged improved and all of
those discharged as 'unimproved' were incurable
cases. and their removal was advised.
The following table, showing the probable causes
producing insanity with those who have been con-
fined in the Hospital from March l, 1852. to Octo-
Der l, 1853 may be read with interest and profit