The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1866-01-01
TREATMENT OF TIE INSANE.


The New York Lunstic AsyHum-xss H,s-
tory for Forty Yesrs-Dc~cri ption ~ its
BuiisltngsENumbcr OF Pa.ie nts--rheir
Treatn.e nt-rriumPh Of kindness ovrrr
Brute Forcc-Omcers and Physicians OF
the installations, &c., SC.
The subject Of insanity IL most Important one and
Of late yearssnce the and maniy Of the old
system OF treatment have been expodedlhe attention
Of the humanitarian and phlanthropst has been ear.
nesty directed to II. Under
THE ANCIENT REcYAg,
chains starvation, solitude, darkness and stripes
we're the means employed 10 quiet the frenziod. 70
sooth the maniac and ~ force obedience from iheim
beetle No physcian--not tho most enlightened
and benevo.dnt-at tho beginning Of this century,
gardd possible hat the law OF kndness could
in any apply In the treatment OF tho unfortunate
victim Of insari;y. literal belief in tho old class cal
axiom, "Thoss whom the gods wish 70 destroy they
nrst deprive OF their reason b. only guide
they acknowledged IN treatment, II Was The cpigraph
to all their theses on the subject as they said 10
God wishes 10 de- troy these victims, He has made
them mad; therefore, we ,cin destroy them" The
records of the old asylums. both public private
especially in England, abundanly prove thus truth; bnt
the facts generally known llat there little need
TO revert TO them now.
The NEW TREATMENT. f-
All this however is now changed. The difference be-
tween MONDAY and midnight not greater than that
between the old and nov systems In every quarter Of
the civilized world, and, in fact, in various odd
OF he ahendom asylums and rerea;s tor al who 20
feafuy afflicted az 10 DO deprived OF reason arc now IN
full operation The Law OF Kindness emphatcaiy the
code by which they governed, and such things
dungeons and chains arc unknown. Added 10 this the
first talent Of The medical world sought for AMI
ployed in the treatment OF the patients these nohe
institutions and expense trouble IS spared IN pro-
vidng for their care aud comfort
RECENT DATE or THE REFORM.
That this sweeping and most beneficial reform has
been attained only at very recent Is coucusycy
pro, ed by short extract from the report Of lho resi-
dent physician OF the asylum
"Srxtcen years ago this asylum had only three hun
drcd and eighty three inmates of whom at least thirty
conined with eaihern straps ana iron wrtstlcts,
anu oI'y inoe Wet constantly Sepe III tpr roothsi wv
recently although the number has increased 20 eight
hundred there has not been average OF confined
t. their rooms and only at long Intervals has restrain
ing strap been used This when rcsortcd 10, only
confine the hands Of ents who had very strong
ctd tendencies Tho iron wrisets and leg locks have
not been IN use since lsis."
II will DO by IN that though the commencement
Of the reform was Of much earlier date The actual
adoption OF the complete restraint system has been
a work Of later years.
bhltiN Of the AsnLUhs
Tho New York city Lnnntic Asylum, now under dc
control Of the COMMISSIONER and forming part II the
Department OF Public Charities and Correction dates It's
OK .stenco n separate institution among New York
public bsncfaclons from tho year 1885, Previous 10
that time pauper lunaucs had been cared Tor or not
cared for, In portion Of the old Almshousc building
In the Park, subsequently removed to part OF the
Bellevue Hospital buldings known as The sold
House u Refuge" where IL Ia to be hoped that they
perienced foreiate OF the better time that come
The primal removal occurred in 1875, and To hcir
Der added twenty six patients who had boon
treated at Bloomingdalc Asylun under aepn'rot With
the city. Frorn time 10 time atrwhis rs thi number
liner azed. until ls40 e.ghysx patients Were trans.
ierred from the hospital ~ the House a Rcfrgc
Bloom nsdale Asylum The whois number al the iiae
they wore ghe-ed together IN 1898 was sixty and M
eight patients had been treated in the hospital.
From January /, 1s4, 70 January 1871 The rcoords
Of the asyumnr rather tho Insane Department. Of the
hospital were very loosely kept, 80 that only an az
pToxlnatc estimate Of tho number under treatment dur
Ing that period can DO made ], ~ quite evident, how
svcr, that IN ueso thirteen yorr over ionr thousaDd
unfortunaes cared for, prvportonae number "
whom relieved cured. After lS&o tho records
arc complete and full and the following synopsis Of The
numbers treated In these three with their aggro
gaie viii show nj glance the immense importance 81
tho institution both as a charity and saicguard:
suxsga OF PATIENTS IN FORTY rEAss.
Number removed 10 House Of Refuge IN 1879. %
Number admitted to De ember u, 1888. ........ e9s
Aggregate approximate OF admissions 10 Deem.
Dor u, lsaS. Observation-Disclosures. 1000
Total. AIS
Actual number admitted from January I, Is47, 10
December -, lsoo......... -................. 'sW
Grand total under treatment. n 50,
OF this immense number under treatment dufing forty
years 10 ALL DO safe W say tnsi
ovrR osEHALP WE'RE cuagD
permanently improved. The rstio OF recovcres has
lner.aed durng the HAT bali Of that per o. ind
this il doubtess owing ~ TIE improved system ard Arc
IN he al furthaf asatiYttre
might De gwen 20 illustrate ths, ou, "a t.is place
short
nisroRv ov rnv AsYLux
snor's we're mad previous 1895 N ne
VI sepafate am the iRssne. but no decisive
adopted until January ~ thai ar, WHEN
the Common Council parsed resolution deciding %
commences the work NJ once. SPECIAL commihe ap'
pointed Tho Ircv!sss year bad al pied a fnodc toe
ilsn Of the MddI.s.x Asylum, Banwsn. Elglsld Tbs
pan sgbDiuvi of revision ny the conmlltee 10 Dr.
James Macdonald then il,sdcnt PLY ieiau az Blooming
csie Asy M aid Dr. BENJAMIN Ogden keaidelL IAYsi.
Ean at Bellevue and hy fneso ceuuomen u 80 mont
bed as 10 ADAPT u 60 tho lite upon
BLAcEwELL's IsLAsD.
In the srring Of 1856 the .ork Vas commenced, bat
s1 prnsion Of The enterprise rred 10 short trie
ing the eonnct views OF the ten nc-y elected ON
mo- Council the fal 81 1891 I'll work Wa ctmed,
aud the north ocsson and west wing were Completed o
the 10th June 1852, when al tho patents trans
ferrci Bellevue 10 the sland Al Tie Size
removal there we're eighty one maes and one hur ired
and female patient, mat Nc 'o,s. Il one hun
dr~d and Tns numbers rapidly Increased.
and August fk<i there we're three bundled an four In
hund red spi forty nse- AMI Que hund "a
aud sxsy ihrse lssnaiea Tue Gamma Council NJ ts
a.le reso we'd increase the aoeonDoisti0ns bot
f~tupatey instead % Carrying out the ra, preiDarly
i~cdsd upon. they crested anotbsr bundng, sLosn.
fos many yeais, ~ his
"ssD Horsr."
IN the srrng os istI the ruuDer Of prnai's having
Increased ~ neatly f0eT b.ntrei. ITO srspscn o. no
IN. building resumed aud ~ing erected -cIth 81
octsgon corresponding 10 rse 20 that already bait
Tue buildlsg KNOW - he Lodge sas -l-o
msnctd Lhis date. TEey ~efe bah evmpet.e Ia
November, ls4s anu II once occupied BY pstl.nt tue
Old Md House b. NJ sbsod0ned
nohg ryLApGTNyfre.
In January, 1891 ncccsxfy for Ell grcHtsr srconl-
uOdauon having lc1g been felt the CON ~
puane CnIhiss and corection decided alter another
b. ~. g0ro.ly usei hospital tor he " grkho ~,
AND 4lt las be. called the Retreat fsltaa-d
tie eastern shore Of the ksard, Of distance fon
ne MAN a. Iuml sr attach w The Asy un depart
mont ms mi rcd ard OccuIird N toe fA Of he
sAno year In ths sprEs Of n rross ~ year tie d.
ina1a or increased ace net yet being sstsfci two
b1 idipgs kbo.n IS rssiiobs ard " ssrs oommsnoed