The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1863-12-16
are also the ordinary games. draughis and domi-

are also the ordinary games, draughis and domi
noes
The floors Of the halls are of long strips o
oak plank and everything about the institution
Is kept scrupulOusly neat The farm attached
numbers nearly l6S acres. some OF il i finely
tmoered and used for walks and drives. and the
RESI- is under cultivation. One Of the finest Tea
tures OF tie institution Is beautiful green house
OF rare plants, presented by Dr. Bel Hubbard
OF tlis city. man Of them from the West 'ndies
The benefit Of these beautiful productions OF
nature, and the conservatory i most dearv
priled by The gentlemen in charge Of the Asy-
lnm as vel a. tee patients The general meth
% OF treatment i the removal Of physical de
ease By the proper medical remedies, and the
occupation Of the mind Of the patient No de-
ception Is allowed, and the patients are treated
with all kindness, and allowed all judiciou- Eber-
ty They work on the farm and Ia the lauudr,
take frequent walks on the gr0ui ds, aud some
times % the tOwn To render the abode OF the
Insane pcrtectls fire proof, the wing Is divided
from the centre b1iding bv a veraudah Of glass
and iron. opening with iron doors The con
struction OF the windows of the Assllm IS wor
thg OF notice, ss Illustrating the great care that
Is necessary in providing for the inmatcs The
window must b. large, and vet the psues s.
small that the head cannot pass through The
sash must be strong enough 20 resist all attempts
TO break II, aud yet light enough 70 be ea-iiy
raised ard lowered, while the puiy cords ueces-
sary 'or this purpose uust be so cOlceaied a. 10
be Inaccessible, lest they be removed and used
for purposes OF suicide. The same minute care
IL also required In all other matters The nun
Der OF assistants, &c, employed at the asylum
Is about one TO eight patients The building.
when C mpleted, vii accommodate $50 Of the
latter.
Thelast fiscal yearof the Asy ylum closed on Mon
day, the 3Oth ult. The whole number of pa
tients received during the year was 4l2. of which
244 were discharged leaving lG3 as the present
number Of inmates Of these, about 100 are
females and the rest males. During the past
year III have recovered, 4 have died, A. have
left the institution in an improved condition
aud 47 have been discharged as iucurable The
single wing now completed was designed to ac-
commOdite but l25 patients, and thus il will be
seen that the Institution i excessively crowded
This fact has very Injurious effect In the
first place, the sexes are necessarily confined IN
the same building, while long experience has
demonstrated that in the treatmentof insanity no.
thing Is more indispensable than a complete sep
araton Of males and females Again. the pa
tents are OF three classes, namely those sent
by Superintendents OF the Poor; those in indi-
gent circumstances, received on orders OF Judg-
OF Probate those supported by friends or their
own estate For the first two classes the couu-
ties pay = 81 per week, while the last are
charged from IS upwards OF course. those
classes that are unable to pay for attention else
where receive the preference, aud as the result
of the lack OF accommodations, private patients
are necessarily refused and the income of the
Asylum is thus much lessened. The appropra-
ton OF the Legislature not being accessible, as
we have stated until 1868. until that time the
Asylum viii probably find no relief from it's pres
ent crowd. Much to be lamentod as this il, We
can console ourselves with the thought that pro
vision for the ultimate completion OF the institu-
ton has already been made