The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1866-02-03
RIGHTS DEMOCRAT.
THE s 4 ASYLUM.

Il
An Asysum for the insane, mad. and
Tdietfc, has become a necessity in e~yerv
State, and however much the fact nav he
depIcred, it Is manifest and inexorable
hat the number Of insane is augmenting
every year. To the reflective mind the
ezpses for this augmentation will not be
difficult Of diyinatiOn. The many unnat
uraI, and We ought to say, s~aerilegiOus
ssnss which pervade nearly every commu-
nifty through the influence of a certain
restless, speculative, unhappy, fanatical,
intolerant, mischievous and very prag-I
matte people, are prime causes for much
Of the insanity of the day, and to these.
IN comparatively new countries ike Ore
gon, there are superadded other causes
which need not be mentioned here. but
are known to the public generally.
Oregon has not yet an actual State
Asylum for the care and cure and main
tenance Of this class of miserable beings.
but private enterprise has afforded pretty
nearly all that is required. Across the
river from Portland, about a mile and a
half from that city, is the Asylum estab-
lished some years ago by Doctors Haw-
thorIc and LOryca, and since adopted as
q place for keeping the insane and idiotic
who fall to the charge of the State.
While on = visit to Portland lately we
we're afforded an excellent opportunity, in
company with a number of others from
the interior of the State, to examine the
institution and witness the care and treat
ment of the unfortunate inmates. A de-
scription of the Asylum cannot fail to
interest our readers, and we shall briefly
give it.
The plan Of the building is copied from
the most approved similar institutions in
the East-a great main building and
capacious wings, with roomy and conve-
nient outhouses for kitchen, washing,
wood, and other purposes. A never
ceasing, very abundant supply of water
is afforded throughout the whole Asylum
and buildings. This water flows from a
great, clear, sparkling spring near the
institution, and is forced by pump and
pipes to a huge vat, at the top of a tower,
built expressly for that purpose, ffty-eight
feet high. This vat contains twelve
thousand gallons, and by means of small
pipes leading from it water is furnished
to every portion of the Asylum; and be-
sides, there is always a large surplus
ready for use in case of fire, with hose
and pipes conveniently placed. The
Asylum itself is divided into great halls
of ten or twelve feet width, on either side
of which, running the whole length, are
comfortable bedrooms, each furnished
with a single cot and ample bedding.
One room in each hall is devoted to
bathing accommodations for the patients.
and hot and cold water is ready at all
hours of day and night. In the hall Of
one of the wings are kept the worst and
incurable patients, and the idiotic in the
other those afflicted with only temporary
insanity and who are considered durable
The female patients are confined in the
upper halls Of the main building, anC
separated according to the degree of Their
insanity and curability, as in the case o
the male patients. The rooms, halls
every apartment and portion of the whole
Institution is kept scrupulously clean, ant
the casual observer can readily see tina
order, neatness and great attention i
everywhere manifested, in the care of tn,
buildings. The patients appear to be ex
cellently we'll treated, and the ratio o
cures effected. we believe, is equal to tina
of the best Asylums in the older States
and far ahead of the California Asylum
There are now about sixty patients Q
every class in the Asylum. The buildin
has capacity for about one hundred an
fifty. and further Improvements are bein
made by the proprietors, so as to ensur
the utmost possible comfort to all the VI
fortunate who are placed there. Th
grounds about the Asylum are broaC
well fenced in, and beautifully adorne
with shade trees, flowers, grassy lawn
&c., in which the patients are taken fl
walks and bodily exercise in suitabl
weather.
Among the notables we saw in II
female ward was Mrs. Charity Lamb. wi
killed her husband several years ag
She sat knitting as the party went throug
the hall, with a face imperturbably ixt
in halfsmiIing contentmept, and appa
emily as satisfied with her lot as the ha
piest of sane people are With their
An ID all, it was a very interesting Wis
and the whole party were handsomely e
4ertained in the Asylum parlor by D
Loryea after the tour of inspection.
-CoxcREssIoxAL-we ask our readers to q
particular attention to the Congressional synOp
ne nresent IN another column. They will see Il