The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1870-07-14


mutes. propose. therefore. some tempo
rary arranRcr1ent f0r the discharge Of the
duty q the stale 10 these Objects of it,
special Enre. lii an Act dated November
ling OF our youth who are deaf and dumb
BY anthnfizimg the Trustees q the thea
1 ruined Institute to contract for their MUIR
ture with the Asylum established In Baton
Rouge. for the training o. me deaf nantes
tiers from the Superintendent or that esfab-
iishment, on the subject. and while encl0s-
ing them with this message. take leave 10
recommend that authority be given, at once.
20 some executive body Of the state, I'd con-
tract for the education of our deaf nlutes,
between ten and seventeen and half years
| old, In the Institution of Louisiana or Of
some neighboring State, at A rate not ex-
ceeding two hundred dollars per pupil
In opening the subject of the Lnnatic
Asylum. may begin by pointing out-amOng
the papers which accompany this message.
highly suggestive report from Air. Super
intendent Compton. Enlargement and
change in the buildings have marked.
throughout the whole country, the ste ps Of
progress in the treatment OF the insane.
Most of the Asylums Jor luDafics. in the
whole Union. have been enlarged since
their establishment, to an extent varying
from two 20 three times their original Ca
pacity. And this constant expansion OF
| structure has. of course. not been occasion
ed by an increase in the proportion of in-
sanity. bur by the new demands for space
and classification, pointed out by experi-
ence In the accomp lishment OF cure.
| Observation shows that insanity is as
susceptible of skillial treatment as any
other disease. Ofhfty-seyen Thousand nine
| hundred aud seventy eight cases received
| in a series of years anterior Co 1850, at TWEEN
| ty-nine hospitals. reported in the census of
| that year, twenty-fOur thousand hve hun
| Oh ed and seventy three had Deen diScharg-
ed. cured-fOrty- per cent. OF all. And
[ tn rNf ff1a IL
Increasing. as classification and enlarge
ment 90 on supply ing increased agencies OF
cure.
Enlargement becomes a most important
/ element of treatment in this State. The
proposed change in our criminal law. in
reference TO the commission of manslaugh-
4 ter or murder. by men who are insane. will
| constitute new draft upon the accommo-
dations of the Lunatic Asylum. The in
| sane sent into the establishment under such
circumstances, must be separated from all
the others; seeing that their presence
amongst those who bear not the contamina-
/ ton of crime, has an injurious effect on the
1 result of treatment. And to save any SINH
| lar impediment to cure, the irritation that
would follow from mixture of eolored
| patients with those who are white, must, as
an act of humanity, be avoided. On these
special grounds, and on also. the general
/ ground of the necessity OF more space, as
| a means of closer classification, commend
earnestly to your consideration, the apph
cation of Mr.. Superintendent Compton, tor
az enlargement of the buildings of the Luz
matte Asylum.
The REPORT OF Mr.. Superintendent Comp
tom, calls attention to the fact that colored
patients of the Asylum, are very badly
/ lodged. The picture which he draws of
their condition is narrowing to the feelings
of the humane. Their mental disease made
/ impossible of cure. by the circumstances in
which they are placed, their physical health
| is exposed at the same time. 10 Affections
/ almost as painful. In remedying this grieY-
/ Gus state of affairs, must proceed active
/ ly 10 work, and Ia doing so, accept the ne
j cessity, as a distinct reason for acquiescing
! freely in che demand for an enlargement of
the Lunatic Asylum. And in making the
enlargement called for, on these grounds,
we will not have done our duty to the die
tates of humanity aud Law, until-cost what
the discharge of our duty may-we shall
4 have given the now ill-lodged lunatics of
color, housing and treatment in all re-
spects, equal to those provided for the
whites.
But an additional reason yet remains,why
| the enlargement called for, shall be carried
| out. Even now, proper subjects for admis-
sion to the Lunatic Asylum, anguish like
| felons in our lais-cousigned, for want of
treatment, to the terrible fate of hopeless
| lunacy! And the want of capacity shown
| in this fact in the present building may be
made all the more startling. when it is de-
clared To be fact that applies to a condi-
upon the charity apply mainly TO the in
/ sane among the whites. Under slavery.
while the white people of the State embrace
ed 1886 lunatics, the cOlored people embraced
as few as thirty-sixl The anxieties and
strivings of the brain of the free man, have
now visited every brain in Mississippi; and.
| therefore, has new order of things been
INSTITUTED, which will result, in the course
of time, in increasing the number of our
lunatics from go to upwards OF 500 Apart
| than from the. Increase of necessary
! to meet the the expediency of separating
the insane ofthe two races apart from the
! humanity which calls for an increase of
! s,,ace to meet the classification necessary
Tor cure; the buildings of the Lunatic Asy-
Ium must be enlarged still further, with a
! view to the fact that decade will not have
passed over our heads when applications for
admission may be expected reasonably to
! be double.
The enlargement of the Lunatic Asylum
! will necessarily be costly. In very many
! respects. however, the cost will be less OF a
| waste than of an investment. For. by facli-
tating cure. il will have accom- plished an
| economy. OF tweaty recent cares treated
aud cured at the Western LunaGic Asylum
of Virginia. the average length of their stay
i'm the institution was but oue-tlIird of a
vear--at a cost of but $l.270. OF twenty
/ chronic cases in the same asylum. the aver
age time during which they had been sup
ported BY the State was thirteen-aHd a.
| third years-the total cost of that support
! having been $41.640l And as enlargement
is an agency which determines the proper
ton of the cured TO the chronic, it may be
| thus seen that, aside from the proDriety OF
enlargement an imperative duty of hu-
mainly, the expenditure involved in the
enlargement may prove. IN fact TO repay
the public in the form of q very eonsidera-
BILE economy.
Aside from the question Of enlargement,
the Luuatic Asylum demands immediate
OUTLAWS TO maintain its present building in
repair. Some of the wallinE is In danger
Gus condition, and the arrangements for
drainage are very seriously out OF ORDER
/ The appropriation that has been made al
| ready for maintenance of the buildings. etc,
can only be converted, at q heavy discount,
under the necessity for its immediate use
It falls far short of the urgent demands for
placing the present structure In proper con-
lition. While the question of enlargement
may be made a subject Of deliberation. 4
| recommend, earnestly, that your honorable
bodies make an appropriation, covering the
/ deficit in the funds available, for the pres
eryation and improved drainage OF the ex-
isting buildings.
| Ia the case Of the Insane, have called at
tention to the necessity Of an arrangement
Of the Asylum for the separation of the
white lunatic from the lnnaflc q color
Principles are general. not special and can
never be made 60 apply, IN al places, and
under all circumstances. While anxious
for the measures of reform which have al
ready pointed out In the charities of the
State, with the view of giving the c0lored
people, not only their rights OF the present.
but whatever ID possible. OF requital for the
past. am not theless solicitous 70 maintain,
in an operative form, all the benefits OF
those Charities to the afflicted among the
whites. IL mixture OF races be made the
condition Of participation Of our public
Charities. no matter how you may regard
the wisdom Of the objection, that condition
win act among the whites. TO very great
extent as a virtual exclusion We must
deal with this fact - we ind r. While I'M