New-York tribune., 1869-02-27
i--:;;, nm STATE INSTITUTIONS,
,,,,,y voRK STATE INEBRlATE ASYLUM
REW-lOtlItNN mn OWN CORREsP POSDENEI 4"

oonebanna Rivers Two lhiies uisttil'' anu anu Vn
ssT overlooking the Susguehanna and vide extent
- ,oonntain country and valley, stands the state
-. Cor Inebriates The front is 9GO feet long
A hroe stories and there are wings of about the
,ooextent. 1t is bnilt of the Onondaga limestone,
.nd il has the general appearance OF European
..stle The cost exceeded $5QO,OO0c v0.a9 vr..
The rooms for the patients are, in almost every re-
aet similar to the rooms appropriated TO guests IN
hotel being well furnished, heated by furnace,
and lighted with gas and they are supplied with
water coming from mountain springs An elegant
parlOr containing piano, is open to all; there rs
Ebrary of 100 volumes reading groom where lead
;aV newspapers are on he there aTe bath-rOoms, BIZ
hard tables and ba alley. Tho ceilings arc lofty,
she finish OF the rooms Sohd ana even costly Det-
Ter idea would be conveyed if the word Cure were
nsed instead ot the word Asy Ium fur the general inn
preston ueh as is received on visiting hygIenlc
The patients are not confined still there are reg-
latiCns which are submitted 10, because they are
mauifestly reasonable. There s perfect freedOnto
go in and ont nor are there locks sentinels or SUR
bounding wallis Bpt one wishes TO go into the city,
Of the Sc patents, 10 70 are generally refused
pass because they are known to be unfaithful that
Is they will get dIl3ik AZ they can, although dealer
Is liable n heavy penalty for supplying them with
hquur. Whrma patient letrays ms trust. and either
comes back or is found in the city drunk he is con
tined ia cell two on three days when he is labOPed
With, shown hoU,weak he is, and that he cannot be
permitted TO leave the grounds for a considerable
period. .''
One viii suppose that the inmates look like drunk
ards " nile was there q new patient was received,
having come with an attendant who was his friend,
and they were nom great distance. lie was about
JOyeaTs Old and by profession "a teacher, and from
what has trlcad sald gathered that his father was
dead, and that he mad come much in compliance with
the wishes If his mother. His face was blOated and
purple, and II Was evident that be had been drinking
hard his journey indeed, he confessed that he had
taken fareN ell glasses nj the hotel Hewas to have
room for iitnself, and the charge was so week,
inCuGiDg medicine and all attention After his
friend bad paid for three months in advance, or $3.50
they bade each other a lingering farewell. The
friend twined over aud around his shoulder, and
kissed him sobs heaved their breasts and tears wet
their cheeks At last the friend wiped away his
tears and, bidding fpal aleu, he hastened out
INTO the storm Yhieh niied the deep valley ot the
In large dining hall one win see all the in,
mates. There are many tables Inc Styllsh ana
eloan crockery, the high slyer-plated cast9rs tne
planes of celery and the white napkins, each ID lts
ring. give AN air OF elegance and refinement, when
oil seated there IS pause then 9eil 10 touched
when the voce of the chaplain is heard invoking the
divine blessing. From the place where sat a full
wears dd te eldest probably go but the average did
not mach exceed 90 Here and there are traces OF IN
ehflety but the greater part appear to Oe proper men
They were every way well and even taShlOnaOly
dressed ard their behavior and general conduct were
sneh o. chHaeteriZe gentlemen. The truth Is. they
belong 20 the bes. class IN onr country they are nsed
20 good society and generally, they are well edu-
eated. That they have come hither for treatment IS
evidence that the Intellectual and moral struggles
for pTedOmnauce There are about 40 free patients;
others pay from 81 to SI2 week, according 10 their
means, but distinctions made and IT is not TO
be supposed that they who are neh and pay most |
feSsonal men among which are farmers merchants,
bankers, clerks, and three clergymen. 10 treat |
patient successfully, it is necessary that he have cef
tain qualifications. lie must be of feeling |
that appeal may be made; he must be Intelligent
that he may be taught and he must have honor, that
he may be trusted IL ls conceded that the lnstltu
tOn would be failure If the patients were ignorant
brutal, and depTayed. Little good is expected from
q patient WHO does not come voluntarily.
Time Is passed IN walks, in reading and in various
Rmusclaen,s. On the evening was there, " The ]
Lady of Lyons was played by a. dramatic company
composed of the members, and they played so well
THAI it na,t ter Of regret that the lady of the
play TOO eyluenty young man. There are rellg-
ious services tEce on Sundayj literary societies meet
on Monday ana saturday and on wednesday IS a
temperance lecture, which sometimes closes with ex-
perienee meetings. The number of patients since
May 1857 has been 80 of these 147 were periodical
drinkers, 163 constant Ones; l46 were married and
iG4 were single. The number known TO have re-
formed after the st trial was llS after the second
trial H. after third A. OF 25 there is hope. Ow
ing 70 distance or other causes, 6S have not been
heard from. Six used opium.
patient is not warranted cure. From the first |
be Is told that ne mast nerve himself mp for the
work What frequently has been advertised as a
for drunkenness IS an imposition, for IL is an
emetie. The medicine which Is considered OF great
est value is bromide Of potassium, given in well di
lated doses OF from 20 to 10 grains every four five
hOurs or in cases of great nervous exhaustion, the
doses may be increased 1t has been known that this
salt directly upon the centers but II s
recent discovery that 1t has specific action upon
Of mania it is OF great value. The average time re-
uured for cure Is four months while some stay
year. Little no manual labor IL performed,
although il seems that the original plan that the
patients should engage IN agricultural industry, FOR
there are 400 acres of land bnt it has been found that
the powers of the patients impaired that they
are not fitted for work. The land, therefore can be
of no use 10 this institution, beyond q sufficient
portion for gardening, pastarage, and ornamental
Grounds. Drunkenness is called a disease, but more
DropeTly IL lays the foundation Tor disease such as
dehrium. dyspepsia, insanity general nervous dis
orders inflammation of the brain, epilepsy. enlarge
Ynent of the heart, liver and kidney diseases, III
euding Brights disease, eryslpelas, and lastly, by
impOverishing the blood, consumption. IL also pre-
pares the system for the reception Of the virus OF
cholera yellow fever and pestilence generally while
II mas a mOst powerful tendency IN developing hered-
itary diseases which otherwise would be dormant
The first step in treatment is Of course total absti
nence. and next 20 restore the degeneTated vital
powers.
DR. Day has discovered by microscopic examina-
tion that alcohol opens series of cells in the brain
which never afteIwaId wholly collapse. and thus,
while life lasts they remain always ready 10 receive
the spirit Of tho invisible demon. For tins reason,
there can bo no permanent for dTunk kenness and
impressed upon the patient. Sometimes II is en-
forced in a most terrible manner young man was
discharged On leaving be thanked the superin-
tendeDt be bid all bis friends ROOdb bye he exuted in
his reformation and declared that no power above
below could degrade him again. While at the sta
tiOn, waiting for the train, he congratulated himself
the power he had acquired over his old habit and
no believed that he could take glass and not want
another. lie tried IT, and before night was returned |
70 the asylum dead drank. Dr. Gray was not sur /
prsed, fer he IL familiar with such cases indeed,
with some, such experience s included in the pro-
cess Of cure. They must learn that they cannot |
trust themselves, and that the only man who has /
seifcOntrOl IS he who never drank. There must be a |
profound realization that when he became a drunk
again and that the only power left him is the power
OF resistance. Dr. Gray mentions that when pa I