The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1867-07-12


We published few days since the resolu-
tions adopted by the Maine Medical Assoeia-
ton at its recent session in this city, endors-
ing DIR. Harlows eminent fitness for the pos-
ton OF Superintendent of the Asylum for In
sane at Augusta and affirming their conf
dence that he discharges hisduties in an eff
cient and faithfulmanner. These resolutions
were but-a just tribute, we think, to faithful
officer who has been injustly assailed and
whose management as Superintendent had
been commented on in manner calculated
to injuriously affect the usefulness of the in
stituticn. We refer to the matter now for
the purpose of cautionlng our citizens against
giving two ready an ear to complaints made
by those who have been inmates of the Asy
lum. 1t is often the case that much harm is
thus done. The little furry made in this
State by the stories circulated by patients
was but triAe compared with the hubbub re-
Gently created in Illinois in regard to the
management of the Asylum in that State.
of which Dr. Mcfarland is Superintendent.
The chief getter up Of the excitement in that
case was Mrs. Packard, who had been pa-
tent in the institution and who had been
discharged as incurabIy insane. She is a
line looking, lady-like woman of Attractive ad-
dress and possessing more than ordinary in
tellectual powers. She wrote a book on the
management, or alleged advancement
rather, ofthe Asylum, went through the State
and sold it by items of thousands, made
handsome thing by it and got up so much
steam in the legislature that some haIfdozep
modes of investigation were adopted and
Committees of both branches were sent to
examine into the matter. A "personal lib
erty' bill was passed. one of the inventions
OF this woman being that many were confined
IN the asylum who were not insane. She as
serted that if a husband wished to fget rid of
his wife he had only to make trade with
the Superintendent and she would be con-
lined in the asylum as lunatic. Another
story was that the patients were beaten with
the most savage cruelty--that one ofthe first
Things taught to attendants when employed
In the institution was how to choke patients
without showing marks of the fingers upon
the throat, and that this choking was COM
mon practice. 3a- a- 4f- aae-1aa-
The personal liberty gave all the pa
tients who wished it, an opportunity to es-
tablish their sanity before court and Jury.
A large munger asked for trial of the ques-
ton of their. sanity, but in every case the iu-
ry had no doubt of the insanity of the pa
tent. The trustees, the committees of the
legislature and the courts made the most
searching examination and found the stories
OF the woman to bepure fabrication, without
the shadow of truth. Instead of corporaj
punishment being practiced in the institu-
ton, it is expressly prohibited. An attend
ant who should strike a patient, no matter |
what the provocation, would be immediatelv
discharged. Everything like violence l. for.
hidden and as little restraint of patients 90
possible is resorted to. --.-
Yet this confirmed, WY lunatic made the
legislature, large portion Of the people, and
not few Journalists in the State believe her
stories. A long article founded on the pre-
tended revelations Of her book and headed |
ga chapter of Horrors -Fnghftu Disclosures
of Outrage and Cruelty at the Illinois Insane
Asylum, went the rounds of the press in
other states and was published by several
leading papers in Illinois. Yet it seemed to
us in looking over her book, that no j., ii; z
gent person could read single prs g a.
preface even without percp' ,,na .ha ~ tho t
writer was clearly insar, -
~. - VI as set on foot had a ten
oeh's 20 impair confidence in the in
sti'u''o'. and diminish its usefulness. They
mao, DR.. Mcfarland the target for all sorts ,
of invective in public and in private. He
was denounced for everything bad yet he is
certainly enc of the ablest and most expert
enced superintendent in the whole country
and we are not sure that he has any equal as
the head of such an institution, either at
home or abroad. he had charge of the NJ
H. Asylum at Concord for some ten wears
ana nc mas had sole charge of the large Asy-
lum- at Jacksonville, ILL.,, for thirteen years.
NO institution could be better conducted
than it is. II is deserving the confidence Of
the citizens OF that State, as our own is of
the confidence of the people of Maine: and
he is doing great injury to the institution
and to its patients who gives currency to nm
founded suspicious against the superintend-
ent and seeks nnjustly to impair public con-
fidenee 10 him. The position is one of the
most delicate, difficult and trying to which a
man can be Called and whoever fills the office
should at least receive all the. confidence, en-
couragement and sympathy to which his abil-
tiles and faithful discharge of duty entitle
him.