The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-11-15
FIRST EDITION
THE I N S A NJ Il POOR.
How Lunatic Paupers are Treated in
Wilmington-They Sleep on the
Floor Without Covering or
Fire in Winter.

The wilmington (Del.) Commercial has long arti.
Gle on the abuses in the Insane Department OF the
Almsnouse Of that city, from which we take the fol-
lowing passages:-
Department of the Insnne Poor.
The Insane Asylum of the Almshouse appears
from the old part Of the city to be handsome
pressed brick building embowered amongst trees
and standing in the midst of handsomely laid out
grounds. IL and its grounds are separated from the
proper py MgH So wa a6as ao not e y tbe
Asylum will probably go away with the impression
that the unfortunate inmates are surrOundeu Oy al
possible accessiOns Of comfort for the amehoratlon
of their condition. .
Il is an old brick building, long and low, which
forms wing to The handsome pressed brick building
already alluded to- On the 1rst floor are number
OF seepng-rooms the Keepers room, and little SIT,
tng-rOom about 10 by 10 feet, unyentllGted, and
heated by large stove around which were huddlet
eight or ten men and boys, and one woman in all
stages of IL sanity from gibbering diocy up to dan
gerous insanity, which made 1t necessary TO Keep
The hands OF one of the patients constantly
accommodation OF these people in day time.
The sleeping apartments III this building are little
dens about by 3 feet, IN some OF whlch are narrow
IRON bedsteadS, and in others nothing but piles oil
straw, such would be thrown down for the bed ot
an animal, These rooms have no ventilation eX-
cent such as they get by chance, and are only heated
by one sOove-pipe running along near the ceiling,
through them ALL III act they are not really heated
at ALL and yet in them must lie, without covering
other than ordinary clothes, all those who are so
violent that they cannot be furnished bedding.
Of esnteeS Sne S' or Weny who is subject to such
fits Oh violence that she cannot be put in the room
along with other women. She had no bed or bedding
and sat cro1ched on her pile OF straw broodlng ana
sulen.
One Serious Charge
against the management is that they discharge luna
ties unfit to he at large. Men and women are some
times arrested in streets of this city who ev-
IDENTITY entirely unit to he at large. They brought
before the Mayor, or other committing magistrate
and 1t being evident that they are insane, tney are
committed to the insane asylum. 1t is the only
thing that can be done as the officer has no right to
send them to jail The officers deliver them TO the
keepers and they receive them in due form, but, it
&c oil
officers back is turned, so that they are sometimes
back in the streets again before the officers get back
We recently inquired of the Mayor il certain crazy
woman was at large, and he said she was We re-
lated to him an incident showing that she was really
dangerous character and that she had violently
hurled a large stone at the head of a lady few
weeks ago. lie said he was aware OF the fact that
she dangerous character, unfit to be at large
but it was out of his power to do anything He had
right TO send her TO jail, because she was insane,
been let out that she back in the city again
almost as soon as the officers. This is state of
affairs that evidently demands remedy.
But while real lunatics are thus improperly dis
charged from the asylum. we found
A Sane Woman Confined in the Asylum.
she is an old Irish woman, ut one time Kept dis
orderly house in this city, we believe, at place
called ''Whisky Bridge" Her establishment was in
course OF time, broken up and she, being deprived
way to the almshouse. There She was Kept for some
time, but she refused to submit to any regulations
do anything that was required OF her, and mani
tested generally such q vicious disposition that the
managers of that institution declared her unmapaga-
Dle, ana nau ncT LTduScIlcu w uhC ohO 10
said TO be abad, vicious woman. and being sane she
has an influence over the insane women, with whom
she associated which 1t would he unreasonable 10
expect that she would exercise for good The proper
place for such woman would be in House or Cor
rection" but she had better be in Jail than
in this asylum. But probably one OF the
greatest faults here, as in the colored
del artment OF the almshouse, Is the
Fnilure TO Properly Separate the Sexes,
and this is probably much due to the utter unit
ness of the buildings as to any careessness on the
part OF the keepers. Men and women confined Ia
such close quarters, so many in SO smau space
can but have opportunities Tor mngllng together
and as already noticed, we found one woman tp tht
mems sitting-room There appears TO he no groun(
insane parents in this building for many years
but those whose opportunities for observation sur
pass ours assure us that there Is need FOR greate
care there.
The Remedies
for the existing cases seem to us to be the employ
ment of a careful, Intelligent, and humane superin
tendent who has had years of experience in SOM
established and reputable asylum and for the pre-
sent the heating Of the building by steam, and pro
badly the devotion OF greater portion OF the Duld
ing TO day uses. ANY remedy OF this kind can, how
ever, be but partial and temporary. The building
cay unit for the purposes to which 1t Is put, ant
should be replaced by structure In which plenty o
heat, light, and air could be had. The Trustees, w
are informed, will shortly appoint new supernten
dent. This is probably wise, hut the trustees mus
make some lmprov themselves, as the best su
comfortable in such miserable building as that nov
devoted to their use. A Christian humanity, rathe
than close, calculating, niggardly ECONOMY mus
characterize any efforts that are 10 result IN rea
Improvement.