The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-30
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 80, 1868.
Management of our Insane Asylums.


FoR the past ten days the public have been
directing their attention to the subject of the
management of the Insane Asylum kept by
DR.. Kirkbride. The conduct of the managers
of that institution, the steps necessary to pro.
cure an admission for any one as patient,
and more particularly the steps necessary to
get any one out who has been admitted, were
all laid bare in the testimony given in the case of
the Commonwealth &C reldtione Adelaide Haskell
vs. Ebenezer Haskell. The agitation OF this
question of insane asylums is no new thing.
1t occurs periodically. AT every fresh in
stance of oppression, fraud, and wrong the
popul indignation breaks out, but, for some
reason, it has never yet led to any practical
reformation of the evils We would look at
the question calmly, and without the least
prejudice, and see what is the natural conclu-
sion which the facts OF the present case and
its numerous predecessors warrant. Mr.. Has
kell, to be brief, was three times placed in the
Asylum-once on the certificate of SdenttSt,
once on the certificate of relation
of man. whom he was suing, and
the last time on the certificate of
and then took the word of his sons as to his
insanity. All of these parties were interested
iu his Incarceration. All of them would be
benefited by his being declared insane, as he
was man of property, and they were his sons
and the guardians of his estate. Numerous
previous cases like the present one have been
made public ere now, so that we are warranted
In holi h ot rpq 1pr
your friend, or any citz5n, could be treated in
the like manner. The verdict Of the jury
establishes the fact that Mr.. Haskell has never
been insane, and that all the steps in his case
were outrage Gus innovations on the liberty and
rights of the citizen.
Fiom this it is natural that great deal Of
public indignation is aroused against the Asy-
lum, and in this indignation comes general
denunciation of all asylums from some of our
contemporaries. An insane asylum per Sc is
not only not wrong, but great public good
1t is necessary, and quite as useful as an aims
house or a hospital The fault lies not in the
existence Of the institution, but in the in
tensely corrupt and fearfully illegal manner
in which it is managed. 1t is not the plan of
the asylum, it is the plan OF control, that is
the cause of all the wrong done. We heartily
recognize the Importance, the value of such
an institution as DR.. Kirkbride's, provided it
be not made a cloak for fraud and prison
for the innocent. AS it at present is
conducted, it sets all law and right at defiance.
The custom-for in Pennsy lvania it is nothing
more than custom-which allows two or even
one unhedged and unknown doctor to commit
to close cell citizen and thus places in
the hands of the corrupt or inexperienced aud
irresponsible power which is denied to any
less than twetve Sworn men, is a great public
wrong, and one which the Legislature should
certainly proceed to remedy. Through it in-
terested parties can spirit away and secretly
dispose of any one whose property they de-
sire, and can commit the greatest wrong with
impunity. For, as in the present case, there
is no punishment for the guilty even when
the alleged insane man is declared sane.
This custom should be overturned by a
statute. Now, how shall the evil be ada
quately remedied and at the same time the
insane be kept from running at large, to their
own and others damagel The plan is sim pie.
Before any one shall be admitted to the asylum let
the judgment of a court Of record be had which
declares him insane. This can be easily done.
Let an application be made for the appoint
ment of a commissioner of lunacy TO take
charge of his or her estate, and on this issue
all the facts can come before a jury, or, If
needs be, before judge, to avoid too great
publicity to a family sorrow, and the alleged
lunatic be confronted with the witnesses
against him. Let record be kept of all these
cases, with the amount of the estate, with the
name of the trustee and all needed particu-
insane, come out under the rule of court, the
same as he or she goes into the asylum. Now,
what would be the result of this We would
hear no more of relations locking up relations
for the sake of their property. A jury could
soon weigh the worth of interested evidence
and refuse the commission asked for. No
wrong would be done to any one by the re-
form, and it would place q lunatic on the
same ground as any other citizen; for be hs
crazy or not, he has still his rights, and with
his atlliotion does not come prescription. He
is entitled to trial by his peers, the same as
any of us, and he is the more SO because hs
has a right to be presumed sane until the con-
trary be shown. To see that the salutary law
is not evaded, let the court appoint Board
Of Visitors, who shall be admitted to the
asylum at all hours and all times, not on