New-York tribune., 1870-11-05
PROVISION FOR THE INSANE.

To the Editor or The Irtoene'
SIR: have read several well-written and
udcous articles in The TRIBUNE recently in relation 70
the present expensive method of caring for the insane
and wholly agree with the writers in questioning tho
policy generally pursued in regard TO provision for ths
unfortunate class Indeed careful observations mado
in visiting at different times. the principal lunalio
asylums foreign countries and at home, have long
since satisfied me- that different mode from the present
would be vastly beneficial to them, and immensely
more economical to the State. II those in chronic state
OF unacy. in which condition nearly threefourtns OF ti
Uense enioving outdoor life and the advantages OF
such eployments as are best suited 10 their COZ"
fnS dao1 nm ,nsli ali SeongSg to this class ndsrminate
in common wards, or closed Cells, III padtaI est'
from 5000 to s2.5O0 for each inmate, tic
annual interest on which Is more thdm h ratec snel
new asylum at Poughkeepsie, to take 10 years IN built
ing at an estimated cost OF over 100000 20 aeeomm1.
date when completed about 400 patients, or s2OO Tor
each patient at an annual expense aerward OF about 5
per week. fully believe, " tn recent writer in yor
spaeiats Rsf % IN insanity are the chief instructions
s DS of he% e SS @s %t tho 10
splendor and magnifcenss Of the present plan II you
Insane, % to which class vast majority belong in pais,
buildings like that at usfa; win hSus sPpS pom,
%ents %eEs S Of 'no sr 'n'' and supplied With I Billiards
ten-pn alleys, and various amusements TO whi,n
placing them on farms. in plain. comfortable farm;
building where they Gan eays the will % ef
except that they opposed to any change from the
present plan. The last Reports Of the Commissoncs
tain lessons which might prove profitable IN our he Gw &
report sss that there has been rapid accumulation ~
insane persons In an parts OF the United Kingdom and
second that there has been vast expenditure inca
mediation for almost every County and borough IN Eg
land 80 as TO accommodate al the insane lninate o ~,
since s4S, when the Act OF Parliament was passed ods
ns & sSsS seror for Ss hy Ssr Of poor
insane The rssH has prored an entire Jas"s - lgr
are now as many pauper az there were wears
ago, when the Act was passed. , ,,,,hors
The total PSpasaOa al 81 20 Oooo Of whom 100000
paupers. On Jan. /, 1852 the total numDr ., s tbe
United states at 100000 our insane bear G the same
ratio to the population we nave aHcu. consiaershiy
lower One TO 7oc believed by good Judges 10 De about
the true ratio, and this will give near se "spsnd3
state 500 in each at an eIpense oI
from q to per week for eash pssS snS this when IT is
known that with proper managemeht oi ,ne quhe q,hy
chronic ncurabe cases on farms ana ~ Gha Iy their
can nearly support themselves, as AT Gheel, ,h e
own Labor with vast benefit TO their own nes, .,
comfort In ten year, tSe nmSer Of nnatcs in
England increased As per cent. or i6.6 OF whom If ~
while the retTrned as resident in
special establishments 1891 were eon a nr,yate hos
'I tbe Increase in public asylumS in ten years Di9
sS6 But Notwithstanding all ths lncIeaseu 81 ~ IN
accommodation, the 80 ..,,ra in
these ten years. aud there are Al TINS mus b There
sane in warehouses; in England ana Waies n sn tn be
Yware in ls1s when the county asylunis Desan
arected AT the time, the pauper lhsaie !" 'ee
have inc ren sed from $3.50 To 6,3SIl -. ..,o,,si
Wa ha been for time running tne "a ,ns-
w a., tba nted states, with the promise th v a,
houses and ails would all soon pe epeu U nnmher II
fheir Inmates Increasing We have low inlo fStht,s
inatics in jails and poorhouses In lne ,,eante
than ever before with fair prospect OF on 10 of So
Increase Notwithstanding the erection sso,,e"dltug sso
snlendd and capacous state asi lns' Vnahi,d luy
~ present 229 patients New-lOrk is no, Tor al
., her siser states in her charitable proNioh IN
ciasses of her population she has now t',so Island
hr ~nhIic recepfaces Qncludng that az waru ID ~
ana Rooming,iaeJ comfortably proNiueu ,sss iol and
vast numbers are still in onr County Poott ,he new
thew will be still moro numerous npd Allied with
esablishments projected are nhlSneu W,dson RIVER
patients When the Willard Asylum ra % campleted,
ksviun, and the Asylums at Buna0 are yacs keep
nnIring at least four years. IL our pauI "r years
mace With those OF Massachusetts-So ~ nc "a pru-
Tsrs In is6o-our State will then have over S nrsent
vide for In poorhouses, aud, sccoIdlng AT that
naicv we shall need seven eight new asy sySa~ RIVER
lime which, after the model OF tue ,Sis race 10 go
asym &c will only need 81 100000 Is ts ws pause
@ f,ar This manner ad iadnitnm or snan w OF
and reflect whittier tending oM ss mumber re-
Charities in their last report estin md alled az
naning after our ylns are ereett ~ the con-
MA. hut I'm this estimate account ma s .seumula-
stantiy OF lunatics ana rsph asabsh-
uon of chronic cases. The fact Is. mannon ne mainly
ment With luxurious appointments must De the ease
aha ndones a. not meeting the ~ Iperi
or the resources OF the state, or the
enee The present policy Is founded IN encoun-
aud Ignorance the defeats II has every Nth the
tered abroad and must necessarily, meo' 'NaoAlrs
results here.