The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-19
AN ABODE or HoRnoRs.

Now, the Official reco, ds of the com nnIsgiop
hCnefs' own expteSston-hOld only 37O patients
ana at endants yet there are at present In Il
Insltu'loh VIZ inmates, or, In other wOrds, 8g7
more persons Jhan there should be II auy re.
ga q Tor TIE welfare and safety OF the Door
Wre ches confined In IL Is at all an object OF con-
Gerh. A very slight idea can be had of the
feal 1dl slate of things which exists in the
asylum, when IL is known that the oroydlug is
carried on 10 50 Z cat an extent that nu Oers
OF ho pa tents are conn uelled to sleep on line
floors and in The Railways of the main buiId.
tiances cp ne =, @ eat Uhder these oircum-
tbenus OF insane people should tremble with
lear and terror when tney consign tnem to a
oen howllng aniacs, who are allowed TO
roam about The corridors In the day time and
are packed away, like herring ia barrel at
nlght? lew days ago the Community were
startled by the announcement of the terrible
murder which was committed in the lodge"
insane-st any rate, they were Inmates nf thSs
Lodge" ana thst ought 10 be sufficient proof
OF OF the @ exient t Of thelr maIady. II was shown
her victim slept in the same room, aud
that OF late it has been the habit of the
occupant in each room of the building. This
revelation was, no doubt, quite az startling
10 the community as was the murder Itself
But is itR matter of just surprise that murder
should crop out in such place? True, the
authorities say that the deed chr0nicled a few
days ago WRs the first crime of the Kind ever
commit ed in the asylum and that murder is
not likely 10 occur there again; but can they
guarantee non.IecuIrtnce of a3orime equally
as appalling? They mig at as well argue Tn At
because man now living has never been
drowned be never can be, Toe crOwdinp i'm
the buildings Is. however, not the only horrible
feature Of the Institution, although the other
evils to be remedled may be IustIY oonsidered
as Its legitimate results, nor does IL require the
report of any special com mmittee or experienced
pnyEsisans ans m TO- add weight "a tho argument
mates are compelled to linger away their
wretched lives.
AN ATMOSPHERIC or DEATH.
The various rooms and halls are always IA
conceded. m m
tlon Of cIeanliness-at least as far as they can
be kept clean with SO many Irresponsible
much as they please; but they are every one OF
them SO crowded az to render 1t an i'm nossi-
blllty TO Keep patients in proper condition
either as to health or decency. All the rooms,
without exception, In all the buildings are
tn hlled TO such an excess that the atmosphere a,
ten O'Clock at night is very foul Land gives proof
that q few hours later it would be tolerable to
any but those who, by being in II from custom,
more the less susceptible to its deleterlous
effects. In most Instances from three to five
patients are placed in room intended bnt for
two, and which really in many cases, owing to
deficient ventilation, is not q proper accommo.
dstion Tor even two, and two are generally put
in room not large enough for one THIS, as
has already been noticed, Is especially the case
IN The LODGE" where the worst cases are con.
hned, and where the filthy habits OF mauy Of
the inmates render the air To the last degree
offensive and highly detrimental TO health.
Bach patient has only the miserable allowance
OF 800 cubic feet Of air instead of proper
1000 and In fact many of them have cOnstdera-
bly, less-that Is the patient sleeps in a room
but three feet wide, ten feet long and ten high,
and this in an atmosphere communicated with
exhibitions of a most noisome character The
special com mittee of physicians who, last De-
cember, made thorough investigation into all
the evils OF the institution, recommended that
additional accommodation should be provided
for at least 450 patients and to provide for the
increase, at the present rate, up to the prooaols
time Of the completion of new building, addi-
uonal accommodation for 800 is required. In
addition TO the three buildings already spoken
o. there are other patients IN the Pavilion
Hospitals, built for paraiytics and epileptics,
each of which Is single ward, and wholly un-
suited for the lnsane-Lhe proper capacity of
each being fifty, and each containing at
present Eeventy.hve inmates The Commits
sioners state that the annual increase of
this class of patients is ten per cent, and If
this alto should continue during the next ten
years they would have under their charge at
one time over $500 patients. OF course the only
remedy for the terrible state OF the lunatics on
the island Is to be found in proper legislation for
their better welfare. and, although the law
making power has for long time turned a
deaf ear TO the appeals that have been made
from vsrious quarters In behalf of the insane,
IL would seem that the day OF relief will soon
come, a bill passed by Goth houses on
Tuesday authorizing an addition TO the
Asylum.