The New York herald., 1868-06-07


Hospitals Formerly the breakfast ~ the Lunatic
Asylum was the same every day, consisting regular
supper ' was also the same, Consisting Of small al
iowance OF tea-three scrupes or one-eiehth Of an
the week the patients had for dinner beef soup with
the soup meat and . small allowance Of bread. The
eraged at one hundred and seventy pounds for
one thousand persons-an allowance altogether in
in the week the patients got mutton soup with the
soup meat and bread. The quantity Of meat used
raw-equivaent to about two hundred pounds
cooked. One day In the week bean soup, with pork
manning day) the dinner was mush and moasses ara
bread. Worse than this the diet, quite nsu ficient
itself,was unsklfully prepared. Modelled upon no
proper variety OF almentary principles, this dietary
scale was the cause OF frequent scurvy among
the patients and OF various other diseases which
insane patients are peculiarly disposed IL was not,
however, until November OF last year that any re-
vision OF this dietary took place, and when adopted,
the same table was applied alike TO all the hospitals
on the island. The present dietary table for all these
institutions, as well as Bellevue Hospital,
Konday.-Breakfast- or tea with milk and
sugar musn' WITH molasses or milk; bread and but
Tea, milk and sugar; bread and butter.
Iuesday-Breakfast-Coffe or tea, milk and
sugar; boiled beans, bread and butter. Dinner
Soup, boiled or roasted mutton potatoes, bread.
Supper-Tea, milk and sugar: bread and butter.
sugar hashsd meat we'll Seasoned bread and Sut. SH
ter. Dinner-Irish stew, potatoes, bread, baked
ana an%ian a,,a rce 90 or bread pudding Supper.Ie MIX
" ~
n1sday.wBreakfast- or tea. milk and
sugar; boiled hominy, with molasses milk; bread
and butter. Dinner-Soup, roast beef, potatoes,
bread. Gnstead of beef, baked beans and pork may
fridav.~BreakfastW or tea, milk and sugar;
Dinner--Boied salt Goldfish (fresh fish occasionally
u possible), potatoes, bread, homny and molasses
Saturday, -BreakfastwSofee or tea, .,' milk and su.
gar; hashed meat, well seasoned; bread and butter
Cabbage or urnps; potatoes Sread. s%pperea oGrsa
milk and sugar; bread and butter.
gar; boiled hominy, with molasses or milk and bread
and butter. Dinner-Roast beef potatoes, bread
Tea, milk and sugar, and bread and butter. Npp'
1t has been the aim in these dietary scales to Sc
and Economy aad that the experimeny ss variety
with success Is sufficiently demonstrated by the
tables OF averages for the several months in which
with the tables for the previous months Of year.
The condition OF the Lunatc Asylum is by no
crowded-tOo excessively crowded. In fact, to admit
OF any proper classification Of the patients. In
space, three or four patients often lodged the
air being only sufficient for one. The evils arising
place the physical health Of the patients is lowered
and their probabilities Of recovery are thus dimn-
ished; while, again, patients Of Incompatible tenn
peraments are classed together, and are thus made
mutual source Of irritation the one to the other;
while yet again the attendants are overburdened with
work and find 1t quite impossible to give proper at
tention TO the patients individually It is rule laid
down by the best scientific authorities that any asy
lum intended for three hundred patients there should
be at least sixteen halls wards, eight for either
patients In the Lunatic Asylum at the island there
are however, more than one hundred male patients
distributed In six halls one OF which is designed only
Tor the few who are sick in bed. The means and IA
cites for the classification Of females no better
Twelve to attendant considered the pro-
per distrbpOn1n order to secure the needed attention
10 each; while in this asylum several OF the halls are
modelled to accommodate forty patients with two
10 ond In NJ fhnoo hail
seventy patients with only two attendants
The average ratio Of attendants patientsis fact
only one to twenty-eight
The evil of this system of fovercrowding is however
more apparent inthe halls occupied by the disturbed
acting simply irritants one upon another Fur.
hermore the sleep Of the quiet class is often broken
these evils OF the most dsgraceu Sort and ought
at once to be remeded by the Board OF Commis-
other means less expensive. The improvement
might be effected, perhaps, as easily as any way by
This will relieve percentage Of the overcrowding
and render the sleep Of the quiet inmates less liable
violent neighbors; and a structure capable
Of accommodating three hundred should be iinme-
also insufficient, and thus one Of the most reliable
agents for the treatment OF the insane is compare
iYely neglected n1,o In any wen managed asylum
rally adopted. The attendants of particular hall
would take their patients to the bath houses the first
patient ready for the bath would thoroughly wash
his face and neck at the first station, receive ap-
pcation OF soap at the next, spray OF warm water
vapor at the next then still warmer application
OF water or vapor, then thorough rubbing and |
shampooing, then spray OF cold water, then a
plunge into or wade through the plunge bath, and
hnasly thorough rubbing and drying. As soon as
the srst baher had passed the first stage OF the pro-
cess the second would commence and so on in turn.
Patients under the supervision OF the attendants |
could act as assistants in giving the baths and then
take the bath themselves.
Improvements with view to afford these facilities
for scientific bathing ought Immediately to be
adopted and carried into effect since no reason can
be assigned why an asylum supported by the pubic |
should be managed with view to prevent the re-
new dietary scale has also been adopted for the
nurseries at Randalrs Island with view to de-
the infant waits OF humanity gathered there The |
following is the dietary table az IL liz modelled at
present aud presents an admirable combination of
simplicity with variety and nutritive efficiency.
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. or broma; bread and
butter. Dinner-Mutton. stewed with vegetables;
potatoes, boiled or mashed; picked cabbage or beets
bread Supper-Bread and milk.
Taesddu-B -Breakfast-Hominy and milk or mo.
lasses; bread and butter. Dinner-Roast beef with
gravy; potatoes, boiled or mashed; bread. supper
Bread and milk.
and butter. Dinner-Stewed beef; potatoes, boiled
or mashed; bread rice, bread or Indian pudding
Thursday -Breakfast-Cocoa or broma; bread ana
butter Dnner-Roast beef, with gravy; potatoes
boiled, mashed or fried whole or in the meat drip
pings picked cabbage beets bread supper
Wneaten grits and MILK bread.
Prtddg-Breakfast-Mush and milk, or molasses;
bread AMI butter Dinner-Cod1sh or haddock, with
potatoes; bread and butter supper-Bread and
milk.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES or broma; bread and
butter. Dinner-Roast mutton; potatoes, boiled or
mashed; bread Supper-Bread and milk.
ay.-Breakfast-IIominy and milk, or mo-
lasses; bread and butter Dnner-Roast beef, with
gravy; potatoes fried whole In the meat drippings;
rice, bread Indian pudding. Supper-Wheaten
grits and mix: bread and butter
Aud herewith, though a days trip to the Islands OF
penan might furnish material for q volume must
be concluded the present cursory notes on the dleta
res and general condition Of the institutions, which
have been greatly improved in various respects dur
ing tue past year.
TtltGskpnC NEWS ITEMS.
J. H. Morse. OF Louisville, was robbed OF $4,000 on
Friday night last No clue has been obtained to the