Daily national Democrat., 1859-03-04
4aiIp Natlonal Democrat.
INSANE ASYLUM.
MINORITY REPORT.
Published in the Democratic Standard.

1orlty OF your Speclal committee rs express
ed in their report, it behooves me to sustain
(by the evidence in the case) my opinions
and conclusions, which shall attempt to do
by reference thereto.
Mr. Otis Brett was taken from the State
Insane Asylum, by his brother, John Brett
upon the ninth day of January, one thousand
eight hundred and fifty.nine where he had
been confined for the period of nine days, in
the department known as the mad house. -
When found by his brother he was sane, but
in condition physically most deplorable-
His person was filthy, his feet and ankles
swollen to such an extent that when told that
his brother had arrived, and upon being re-
duested to come out of his cell, and sit by the
stove, before his brother was ,ushered in. he
was utterly unable to walk, and crawled
there on his hands and knees lie was i'm
mediately taken from that place, by his bro
ther, and removed to the Weber House
where he was attended by DR.. Ryer, and sub.
sequcntly by Drs. Sporati and Norcom, and
other gentlemen skilled in the practice OF
medicine and surgery, and, after a continued
course of the most unremitting care and at
tention, his life was preserved but not until
after he was deprived, by amputaton, Of
both of his feet, and left, as he now is, a mere
helpless wreck of suffering humanity. to be-
hOiN WhOh 1hC hShlbO VI bne NtTle6L bLOlC must
weep in sympathy When taken from the
Asylum, and brought to the hotel he was
Immediately attended by DR.. Ryer, who tes-
ti6es that he expected him to die that night.
and even now regards his recovery almost in
The light of a miracle. This fact, taken in
connection with the fact that he was, but a
brief period of time before this, apparently a
man of sound constitutional health a labor
ing man, of steady. Industrious habits, and
sound morals, whose insanity had fallen up-
on him suddenly, and at a time and in a
place, where he was surrounded by friends,
who Immediately took charge of him, with
kindness and care until he was transmitted
to the Insane Asylum-served to wrap this
whole affair in a cloud of mystery and sus-
picion. that seemed, in my opinion, to fully
warrant an immediate investigation of that
State Institution in which he was confined
| urged this investigation and, upon being
dispatched as one of the investigating Com
mittee, upon our arrival, we left no means
unemployed that we thought might fully and
fairly develop this mystery and also subiec
ted that institution in all its affairs, to the
most careful, scrutinizing, and rigid investi-
cation.
Whilst we were at Stockton, various ru-
mors reached our ears, to the effect that prior
to his being sent to the Asylum, he had been
lost for week or more and rambed about
crazy through the woods until discovered by
his friends-at which time his feet had be-
come frost bitten, and to this cause the As
sistant Physician of the Asylum Dr Ken
dalD ascribed the affection and subsequent
loss OF his feet, and pronounced the affection
OF his eXtremities to have been too long neg
lected, ere he came under his charg,. to leave
him any (or the most distant) chance of pre-
serving the parts affected from death.
Unable, as your Committee were, to obtain
the necessary evidence upon this point at
Stocktoc, we proceeded to Sonora, and there
summoned and examined multitude of wit.
nesses-all, or almost all, of whom were ia
miliar with the condition of Mr. Brett prior
to his insanity, as well, also, with the causes
that produced his insanity. and his treatment
and condition, during the entire period of
time from the commencement of his derange-
ment up to and until he was sent to the Asy-
lum.
His partner in business, (blacksmthing,)
testified that Mr.. Brett was subject to cold
feet, and would often, when at wo; k with
him, complain of coldness in his feet and fre-
quently sit upon the forge and warm them
that he (Brett worked in the shop on Fri
day, seemingly as well as ever, and upon the
Monday following he first knew or heard of
his insanity, and he was then in charge of his
friends. The remainder of the testimony OBJ
tanned at Sonora, although conf citing in
some minor particulars, to my mind, estab-
lished this state of facts: That his insanity
was produced by religious excitement and
by unusual depression of sririts, caused bv
his fears for the future-from the fact that he
was a married man, with his wife and eight
children in the Atlantic States all of whom
were dependent upon him for support, and
to whom he continually remitted his small
gains, which, by his i'll success in business
had become alarmingly small When first
discovered to be violently insane, he was
found in his cabin lying in his bed and shout
ing Glory to God, etc; warm fire was burn
ing in his room at the time and he was
dressed very warm and comfortably; and his
clothes presented no appearance of his hav-
ing been unusually exposed to the weather
in addition to which, it was proven that at
that time and for several days previous there.
TO. the weather was very temperate and
mild; in fact, the evidence of his where
abouts prior to his becoming violently insane
and being taken in charge by his friends,
completely negatives any idea that his feet
were either frost bitten or frozen, during the
period Of time he was in Springfield, (where
he resided and carried on his business) At
ter taking charge of him for one day, chang
ing his clothing, etc, his friends brought him
over in wagon to Sonora intending to take
him to the Asylum; nothing was wrong, that
they discovered, with his feet; but when ia
ken from the wagon in Sonora, to be taken to
the Cours House, he manifested a reluctance
about walking and was carried into the
Sheriff's office, when he complained of his
feet being cold, and pulled off one ofhis boots
and held his foot against the stove for some
time to warm it; this was whilst he was be-
ing examined by physicians. and whilst the
proper commitment was being made out to
send him to the county Jail when this was
done, he walked uncomplainingly to the Jail,
where he remained for two days. The first
night he was kept in the Sheriff 5 room, a
warm, comfortable apartment, with good
bed stove, ETC., in it he was watched by two
of his friends during that night who also
kept fire burning in the room but in the
morning, owing to his having become so
boisterous, he was removed to a cell, where
he remained during that day and night, and
the next day and part of the next night, viz
till o'clock, A. NJ, at which time he was ta-
ken ont of Jail and placed upon the Stockton
stage, in charge of physician, and in com
pany with another lunatic, also being sent to
the Asylum. His treatment during the time
he remained in the county jail at Sonora was
kind and exemplary upon the part of his
friends, and also upon the part of the Sher
III and his officers. His place of confinement
was warm and comfortable, and all of his
personal wants strictly attended to-
upon the day prior to his departure for
Stockton' ne was visited by the Rev. Mr..