The Nevada Democrat., 1861-05-02
NEVADA CALIFORNIA, THURSDAY, MAY . 1861,
Merada democrat.
THE INSANE ASYLUM.

The Assembly Committee, on State Hos.
pitfalls, having examined the Insane Asylum,
conclude their report as follows:
Ii would be pleasure to your committee
if they could report as favorably of the GU
rative department of the institution as we
have been enabled to do of the sanitary, po-
lice, and financial departments. The gem
eral health of the inmates of the institution,
it is true, is good; but the first great and
high object to be attained by aud through
the institution, is the restoring of those
lamentably unfortunate creatures TO reason
Immediately, or 10 the briefest possible Pc
riod aud also discover, disclose and treas
ure up, new light aud knowledge upon the
subject Of treatment, whether moral or
medical, in this startling malady. The aid
that this State might, aud should, thus give
TO science, aud thus indirectly greatly aid
afflicted humanity beyond her borders,
would add power and lnster TO her pillar of
greatness well worthy to be sought for by
her. In these things, in the opinion of
your committee, the institution has not at
tained what is reasonably expected of it.
In the first place, your committee found
that q record of treatment of cases has not
been kept; their treatment and progress
from time TO time has not been recorded
This neglect, in the judgment of your COM
mittee, should not be lightly passed over.
BY referring to the law establishing the In-
sane Asylum, we find that the Superinten.
dent bad the power to employ attaches, (as
apotbecaries,) If more help was needed, TO
enable him to do full justice, particularly
to the curative department. In consequence
of the neglect to keep case book, the ex-
perience OF the institution is lost to science,
and lost 10 the institutions; for her past ex-
perience cannot, under existing circum-
stances, revert to her future good to any
practical degree.
1t has occurred to your committee that
all cases that find their way into the Insane
asylum of our State, are recent; for IL is
notorious fact that as soon as persons are
found to be insane, they are hurried off to
the asylum without delay, aud then, of
course, put under treatment at once, which
is different, in older States, or other coun-
tries, where there is a different condition Of
society. Persons 10 other countries losing
their reason, are surrounded with kindred
and friends, who exhaust every means at
their command to restore their unfortunate
VI iAACnug W ANaoVng NiAHOut buD-
jecting them to residence in the Insane
Asylum; and in such efforts, from eight
months to year, or even longer time, is
consumed, before the removing of the pa
tient TO the asylum is concluded upon. BY
referring to the report Of the Southern
Ohio Insane Asylum. for a particular year,
we iind that about one third of the admis-
slons for that year, were cases OF over a
years standing. And your committee feel
satisfied that the same rule obtains at least
in all other asylums in our own country,
the Stockton Asylum excepted. We all
must know that many cases of temporary
insanity in the older States, never find their
way within the doors of an asylum--that
character Of cases that would naturally be
desired by the Superintendent of an Insane
Asylum, who felt great pride in excelling
in the per centage Of cures. II must be APP
parent TO every one, that in this State every
case Of insanity finds its way into the asy-
lum, no matter how temporary the case
may be. And your committee would ex-
press further opinion, that it being fact
that the exciting causes to insanity in this
State surpass those Of any other country, it
follows as matter of course, that many
persons become insane 10 this country who
would not have fallen victims to the malady
had they remained at home among their
friends. where the exciting causes are not so
powerful And this further fact suggests
itself 10 this connection that in cases o. in
sanity wherein The existing, predsposing,
causes are not so strong, and the exciting
causes powerful, (Which they must be,
when the pFedisposition Is not strongly that
the case is more curable than when the re-
verse. Is the case. We must, however, al.
ways recollect the importance Of early
treatment; and TO the establishment of the
importance Of that fact your committee
would here, in conclusion, cite the follow
ing reliable authorities:
We take the following extract from the
British and Foreign Medical and Chirurgi
cal Review for July, eighteen hundred and
sixty, page sixty-nine
"Dr. Kirkbride, Physician to the Pennsylva-
MIA Hospital for the Insane, in his book on the
Construction and Organization Of Hospitals for
the Insane, says, (page two,) of recent cases OF
insanity properly treated, between eighty and
ninety per cent. recover; of those neglected, or
improperly managed, very few get well.
At st. Luke's Hospital, London, where the
rules require that the disorder be not more
than Of one years duration, on admission, the
cures have averaged sixty-two per cent. during
the last ten years.