Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1869-11-27
A DAY AMONG THE MAD FOLKS.
The Governmens Asylam.


to attract the attention Of any stranger visiting
l the city, And from the wide reputation attained
ly the institution in its successful treatment Of
| the unfortunate class cared for there. il IL a
place OF great interest to persons OF intelligence
who come to Washington.
We take some shame to ourselves for never
| having paid visit to the place in all the years
/ of its existence, until prompted lately by the
| report Of friend gho has spent MANY wears in
| travel, anil who, after visiting pretty much al
| the benevolent institutions of the world. pro-
| nounces the Government Hospital the best
conducted and the most interesting institution
| Of the Kind he has seen anywhere. On one of
the visiting days at the Hospital lately We drove
out there, and spent some hours in examining
| every part of the establishment. What we saw of
\ this noble charity impressed greatly. and
doubtless description will interest the readers
| of THE STAR. ~ IT = -
\ The day was one of the finest OF the delightful
1 autumn weather peculiar Ia this latitude, and
l the beautifu rural surroundings OF Washington
/ never showed to better advantage than clad in
| the varicgated colors OF the season. The drive
over these noble hills-riyaling the famous hills
| of Cincinnati in natural advantages = and
| afiording charming views of the Anacostia.
| winding through green meadows, (much the
| most picturesque stream In the vicinity of
Washington brings u, by bold ascent, to the
plateau upon which the asylum buildings are
| erected 1919.
No Sign Of BedIann. ..
The first feeling il one OF incredulty that this
| can lie an Insane ASYLUM. and it is almost
difficult to realize the fact on entering. There
* little 10 give the idea OF restraint, inside or
out. All that meets The eye is attractive The
| site OF the edice commands panoramic sweep
of wide extent over the District OF Columbia,
the Virginia shore, the District cities, and Alex
| andria. Washington lies almost at the feet of
the spectator; and on either side of the delta OF
| the city the varied movements of sail and steam
ocx- IN
1 Asylum grounds descend with considerable alb
ruptne>s to the river, affordng i'm the diversity
| of surface every element OF the picturesque in
| scenery, and most suitable pleasure grounds for
| the patients. The fine old forest trees of this
| tract-known from time immemOrial a. the st.
| Elizabeth tract"-fOrtunately escaped the de-
| vastating axe that felled so many of the giants
1 Of the forest about Washington during the war
| and standing singly or i'm stately clumIs along
| the miles of winding carriage drives and walks
/ give the grounds the appearance of the noblest
| dener does not undertake to improve upon ma
| tuTe.
| An Extensive Establishment.
| The size OF the HOspital-main building
| strikes one with surprise when on the ground.
Its length is indeed very nearly that OF the Cap
itol; and the fact that this immense structure
| capable OF affording home to a community of
five hundred persons,) and all the other extern
siye buildings and improvements upon the
ground. have been erected for the moderate
sums appropriated for the purpose. is. we take
ii, rather the most remarkable in the history of
Government buildings.
The ground plan of the building is what is
styled an scheiOn, affordng peculiar advantages
| for light and ventilation. The facade of the ed
ifice Is on the collegiate gothic, the whole pre-
senting the varied outline of a villa castle,
well calculated To make an imposing structure
adapted to its conspicuous position, commanding
the best view Of both city and river of any point
in the District.
Wanted-A Cheerful Color.
1t any marked fault can he found with its APP
pearance it is in it, color. The clay about Wash
ington has so much iron in its composition that
the color of bricks made from it is somewhat
sOmbre. and the general effect where the brick
Is extensively used a. in Washington is rather
depressing. In this case the fact that the brick
was made upon the ground is an important ele-
ment in the cheapness with which the building
wac constructed, and by painting il some cheer
full color a. is contemplated this objection will
be obviaIcd.
DR.. Cha rles H. Nichols.
DIR. q. II. Nichols, the Superintendent OF the
Asylum, has been 80 useful and active Il citizen
OF the county, ~ member Of the Police Board.
Levy Court, &c, that his face is doubtless Ia
mil ~ to many Of THE STARS readers. He has
tine physique and a good head--sueh a head IA
the phrenoIOgi>ts like To get at His appearance
indicates force OF character, tempered by large
benevolence; the proper adjustment of qualities
needed for his difficult position. His abundant
motive power requires plenty OF occupation and
his large benevolence naturally inclines him to
devote that working power to the benefit of the
unfortunate. But he has not merely natural
illness Tor the place. He may lie said to have
had "A lifetime training for it,
of Quaker Descent.
Dr. Nichols is a native of Maine. His parents
we're Quakers, and he was educated at the
Friends College, at Providence, Il. 1. He grad
aI I'm .fie from
sylvaniA, and commenced practice in Lynn,
Massachusetts. From Lynn he went To Utica
y. u, assistant physician Of the New York
Lunatic Asylum at that place. His success in
the treatment OF the insane soon attracted at
tentiOn. and he was called from Utica to take
charge of the Bloomingdale Asylum the insane
department OF the New York Hospital. There
he took a front rank amongst the medical men
who have made the study Of mental disorders a
speciality, and in 1852 when the project OF estab-
fishing Government asylum for the insane was
undertaken, he was selected as the fttest man
TO be found to take charge Vi the enterprise.
How the enterprise has thriyen Ina his hands from
the small beginning in ls52 is a matter familiar
To all. thhim are associated three thoroughly
competent physiciaIm-Dr. VIM. w. GOddinS
formerly OF the New Hampshire Insane Asylum
frst assistant; DIR. B. ID. Eastman, from the same
asylum, second assistant, and DIR. r. NJ Frank
lin, formerly 81 the Frrnds' Asylum for the In
sane, Philadelphia.
The Work Done by the Asylu
The Government Hospital for the Insane was
opened for the reception Of patients in January.
1s55. Since that time up To the LIST of July 1852
2sS persons from the various classes entitled to
treatment there have been admitted, and 2 80
Discharged " the discharges about ~ per
, cent have been fee0veries. mere are at pres
ent upwards Of 400 patients under treatment.
These patients are mainly from the Army and
Navy, and the INDECENT insane Of our own Dis
uiet.
1 Chestnut ward" -l
| We irst visited Chestnut Ward, (each r,ar
!, m the Hos!ita! being nam.esd tor the Wood in
which il Is finished, Award occupied by .'quiet"
l female patients. The insane are notably sensi-
| tive to any reference To their mental condition
Thnsit that in writing letters they generalyuse
the designation. ST. Eli zabeths Hospital in place
l OF its title of Government Insane Asylum. Both
humaneiy and to avoid any harmful irritation
to the patients all words or terms calculated to
touch their sensibilities are carefully avoided.
These are ''quiet patients;' and the violent or
Il frantic inmates-thosc who nifty years ago would
have been styled ''Bedlamites'' to their faces
are designated "excited patients
/ Chestnut Ward, like all the others, consists of
i q spacious, welll-ighted hall, with dormitories
II opening out ON each side. We walked down the
hall, looking In M the open doors OF the tiorIn-
toriesLail Of which we're vacant Mt the time-the
tenants being gathered s0ciably i'm the pariOr at
the other end VI the hall. The dOrmitories-used
exclusively as such-are fourteen feet in height,
l and average 10 by L on fheliO0r. The ventila-
| ton may be said to he perfect, and In tact We