New-York daily tribune., 1858-08-20

There exist in England and Wales, for the accom-
INC dston of uEstics and idiots of all sorts and of al
classes - public asy ums OF which 81 are county
and borough a,ylums; - sosPitas; ll6 private
licensed house,. of which q are metropolitan s,d
- provincial; and lastly, the workhouses. The
public asyluHs, or lunatic ssylums properly 20
called, we're by law, exclusively destined for the
reception OF the lunatc poor, to be used hospi-
tails for tire medical treatment not safe places for
the ue;e custody of the in,ane On the whole, in
tie CT untes at !es.t they may be considered well
regulated estabsbmeI t. although Of too extensive
a construction TO be properly superintended, over
crowded, lacking he careful separation of the dif.
erent clases of patients and yet inadequate to Che
accommodation ofsoWewhst more than one half of
the lunatic poor. After al, the space afforded BY
these b establish nerts, spreadiI over the whole
equity, suhces for the housing Of over H. 600 in.
mates. TIE pressure upon these costly ssylums on
the psIt Of the luDatic population may be ilustra
ted by ore case. When, in 1881, Hanwe in
Mddle,exJ was built for 800 patients, it wa, sup
poted to te large enough TO meet sll the wants Of
the country. But, two years later, it was full;
after aroiher two years, it bad to be enlarged for
300 mole; ard at this time (Colney Hatch having
been meanwhile constructed for the reception OF
2o0 lunatic Paupers betorgi 10 the sane county
Hsrwell contains upward Of l. 900 patients. Col
ney Hatch was opeled in l-JI within period OF
less than five years il become necessary to appeal
10 the rate. payers for further accommodation; aud
The latest returns show that at the co.e Of 1856
there were more than 100 paufer lIuatics belong
iIg to the county unprovided iog in either
OF is ayums. While the existing asylum, are zoo
large TO be properly conducted, their number is too
small to meet the rspid spread Of mental disorders
Above al, the asylums ought to be separated into
two distinct categories: asyluns for the nsursble
hospitals for the durable. BY budding both classes
together, neither receives its proper treatment aad
cure.
Tie private licensed houses are, on the whole,
reserved for the more suuert portion Of the insane
Against these snug retreats as they Ike 10 call
them selyes public Indignation has been ,tely rai.ed
By The Kidnapping Of LAZY Bulwer into Wyke
H1u,e, and the atrocIous outrsges committed on
Mrs. Turuer 10 Acomb House, York Psrllsm.a.
tary .Iqulry uto The secrets Of the trade IN British
II the subject he reafter For The present let us
call atteIton only TO the ,Iestmen. Of the 1000
uDatlc poor, whom, By way OF contys,t, the Board.
oi Guardians ard other local .u-h critics let out 10
managers o. private licen,td houses. The week.,
consideration Per head for maintenance, treatment
ard clothing allotted 10 these private contractors
va f,om five to twelve ,tillires but the aversge
allowance msy be estimated from IS. TO "a. ~.
Tie whole study Of the contractors consists, Of
ecurse, in the one single poiat of making l.rge
profits cut Of these anal receipts, aud consequently
Cf keeping the patent at shs lowest pos.ible eI.
Psn.e IN their lsses. report tie Commissioners Of
Lunacy state that even where the means Of accom-.
mcJston in these lcen,ei hou.es are large aud
ample, the actual accommodation .forisd ia & mere
sham, and the treatment Of the Inmates disgrace.
It is true that power is vested in the Lord
Chancellor Of reyCkirg license or preventing its
renewal, on the advice Of tie Commissioner in
Luracy ;tut in many instances. where there e1i,ss
co public a.y'an in tie neisksorhocd. or wh,ss