The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-03-05
Lunntacs az Paris

TFrcm Gslp Hanis NsssefRe ia" 20
report on the stuston OF un itics Ia the asy lums
Of Paris was presented to the Council General Of the
Seine at It's last session. On the 3lst December,
1852, the number Of lunatics under treatment was
3,ls2. In al France there were Is 7l9, which made
one IN every 2l2s Of the total population; but in
Paris and the department OF the Seine the proper
ton was one in every 47l. This was owing to the
fact that at Paris idiots are readily admitted into
asylums In order to prevent them from becoming a
spectacle or being III treated In the streets whereas
in the country great numbers, not being dangerous
are allowed TO be at large and generally troa ed
kindly by everybody. In dftyone years the number
Of lunatics in Paris and the department Of tho Seine
has increased from 946 to 1882. The number
Of admissions In the course Of 1862 was 500
Amongst them were 554 traders, lao members OF
liberal professions, rs sgriculturists, &c. 976 OF
them belonged to Paris, 1872 to the department Of
the Seine the rest 10 different parts Of France, and
81 to foreign countries Amongst the foreigners
Enghshman, 81 Belgians Is SardinIaxs, Prus
slams, and Germans. The number Of persons dis
charged In the course Of the year was S49of cured
$50; and Of deaths, 462. The proportion Of deaths
was nearly half less than in the or inary hospitals
and the principal causc of them was paralysis-that
disease having caused 1874 Of the total. Ali the luna
tics Of Paris and the department are not treated in
the asylums OF Parle some are maintained in those
mentieres, (Nord,) &c. but at the expense Of Paris.
The expense Of each lunatic per day in Paris was
lf. 5Oc for men, and lr. zoe for women; and in the
provinces it averaged from lfr. to 1fr 25c The
total expense Of the year was 4ss 4s2fr &c., Of
Bicetre 5S2 542r in that Of La Sapetriere and the
rest in the provinces. Part of the expense however,
has been repaid by the families Of the patients, the
Prefecture Of Police, and the rural communes; and
which governments that Of england owes 7llfr SOC,
that Of Belgium 6,344fr. SOC, and that of Pied.
mont 2,S67fr. soc. BY law Of 1888, two sorts
Of admissions into lunatic asylums are allowed
one, called voluntary" is that Of non dangerous
lunatics on the dc nand Of their families; the Sc
cond called official is ordered by the Prefecture
OF Police, with respect to persons whose maladies
are dangerous to themselves or others. Before 1888
the number of official admissions was less than that
Of voluntary admissions; from 1888 to 1888, for
example, the former was 2s2l, and the latter
242. But from 1888 to 1861, out Of 1910 ad-
missions, ,l63 were voluntary and 1858 official.
tary and I'LL official. Up to the commencement
Of the nineteenth century, the laws did not occupy
themselves with the condition Of lunatics. Con-
founded with thieves and vagaboDds, luuatics were
confined in the prisons and hospitals. From re-
port presented in 1871 to the National Assembly by
NJ de La Rochefoucsnld Lancourt, it appears that
at the time the number of lunatics WAS 1881. At
that period two wards Of the Hotel Dieu we're re-
served to the durable; but they were often placed
three or four together, in the same bed the more vi
Olent were even bound with chains aud the other
patients heard oil day long their cries, witnessed
painful scenes. The incurabes were placed at BIZ
cetre, La Salpetriere and the Petites Maisons Cat
present Hospice des Menages) The cells ia which
they were oIfined were only six feet square; light
and air were admitted by the door; truckle beds
covered with straw and fastened to the walls were
all they had sleep on; and water fell from the walls.
In 1892 Dr. Pinel. physician Of Bicetre and after
wards Of La lpetrere put an end to this frghtfu
state of things. The creation Of the Conseil Cen
eral des Hospices in 1900 completed his undertake
ing. Since that time the regard due TO misfortune,
tho care which suffering being requires, and the
protection Of individual liberty, have been the sole
principles by which legislation relative to luDatics
has beeu guided. The law Of the 30th June, 1888,
which constitutes the code on the subject is thus
Chamber o: Peers:-"It is Q Law Of police and Of
protection with respect to all the citizens-a Law
Of kindness and Of guardianship with respect
to the insane, aud law Of public, charity
with respect to the uuf,rtunstes whose po-
siton and that Of their families leaves them with
out res ources." Stree that time however, q good
many improvements have been Introduced into the
treatment Of the insane. Spacious and healthy
for the old cells; iron bedstead, with excellent
bedding, q chair and table form the furniture Of
each room the number Of physicians has been in
AID g. paDs has almost BEEN doubled
The old practice Of making the patients dine in their
own room has been suppressed, and they take their
meals IN common in vast reie tories, comfortably
furnished. The horrible wooden bowels, in which
food WAS formerly served up have disappeared, add
the patients served in esr,henware vessels each
has en- iron spoon ana fork. knife and q cup The
~ b
Bicetre the prayers are ,bsnied in comm u by the
patients These prudent Innovations, by 0bliging
the patients to control Themselves in each other
presence have not li:le contributed to the estab.
MhHen OF order bnd the respect OF III es For.
me1ly the clothing allowed was maze to last three
years This, however WINS carrying economy too
far The state In which the clothes we're after such
long service, especially those worn by the infrm
the eyed, who are generally not remarkable for
Cleanliness, may be imagined. In l641 only thir
teen francs year were allowed at La Salpetriere,
ard eleven francs at Bicere for the clothing Of each
patient; but at present nearly double the sum is
use, wi hout regard to The length OF time they have
been worn. Work is the most s.Iutary and most
efcacious means Of action that can oe employed in
lunaic asylums it Gains when it does not cure, and
that constitutes sensible ameiOraton. In the two
asylums at Bcetre and La Salpetriere. 1,343 pa
tents work with acuteness which aston ishes oil vis-
ters; in fact the silence they observe could certainly
not be obtained in the work shops OF men in sound
health of boiy and mind. Moreover, work is for
these upforsul ates source Of profit and thereby
they are able to procure some little comforts not in
cuded in the ordinary regime Of the establishments
Finally TO amufe the patients and break the m onoto
ny OF their stay a. the hospital, games, singing,
gymnastics. drives in the country, &c, allowed
These experim enfs have already produced the best
results, and all physicians advise that they shall be
continued.
John aowley, the ID cond Convicted Murder
or IN Cleveland, Onto
From IN, Gle 'slsni Plain eater, Feb ISL
John How'ey II the second man who has been con-
victed of murder in the first degree" In the county
OF Cuyahoga. On Wednesday, April 49, 1872, the
first case in the Ohio Supreme Court for Cuyahogs
was tried, Judges W. W. Irwin and Ethan Allen
Brown presiting.> It was that Of John O'Mick 9th.
erwse called "Jobn the of O'Mick alias Beaver,
an Indian Of the Cbippeway tribe" who, on the Sd
of April, 1912, 'at Pipe Creek town of Wheatsbo.
rough, CuyahoRs county" with tomahawk, murder
ed David Buel. The trial took place under q cherry
tree, the of Water and Superior streets
Alfred Kelly prosecuting and Peter Hitchcock and
Mr.. Parkman defending. O'Mick was convicted,
and was hing by Sheriff Samuel 8. Bald win on the
26th Of June, 1872 The beam from which he was
hung was afterwards used in boilding and is now in
house yet standing in this city.
Cuyahoga was At that time composed OF a tract OF
country which now embraces nine conaties. We
may therefore, assert with truth that this IL the first
CONVICTION for murder in the first degree in Cuya.
boga county proper. The Gaze of Howley, aside
from this regularity, is aa interesting aud impor.
faIt q involving delicate points of law and teach