New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-09-15

hope comes at night cheer tomorrow, ana c n ~
nothing look forward TO. They nre far iar "i0 u
the reach Of that goal-bome
The compulsory system, which, in spite OF inc
mo,o human methods that have been suggested by
medical science for the treatment OF the ihSdhe'
appears 10 be in use in orr public ns:ltUtlora' e1-
hibits one repusive feature which has perhaps never
been placed in SO impressive light as hy tie writer
of this volume.
The deliberate rules enforced here are to orrGse to
thwnrt, TO halac, TO deny you IN every Wnn WI 3D. 9"
thai attendant WHO s, ears to You in the same sea-" as
r. ;,ryamt when sse ts , to %G at n% S
go to bed or threatens, at the slightest evidence Of
reclon on your part, to lock ynn INTO yont room, %no
shall summoned to feed you with thc II you do not
the Of %e For Fl Tni' "y
law in respect 10 eating here which Is positively hs-
cuse. In certain the enforcement OF 1t has no
relevancy to the original object for which IT was de-
Of torture for disconnected patients. For the ex-
trcmey reduced and sick patients 1t is necessary 80
they would starye but Why have rational patients made
familiar with this ugly mode of eatingl Yet it i COM
to unite their ply steal force in thru. what IL
called eating tube down patients throat because "
gravy or dish Of huled corn and sue"r: It "a not
G"e to 0n @R5eT n npn e Of for
nvads That requires separate mention but the taGs
Dominant system Of private asylum life. For instance,
lady patient comes to the dinner table. where Plate
boiled waxy potato are before her. Her appetite is
delicate She could not eat perchance pSe9aS wing,
ing the conseQuC noes If she does not eat IT, applies ner-
self to its masticauUn after fashion anu succeeds per,
her reputation rom the stigma Of attempted suicide by
starvation. In short time after the Drei episoue Oh
that Miss SoandS0 refuses TO eat or II not TINS inc
matron perhaps comes to inquire OF the a'tnns o
NOT 80 that often hears resOunding through the
%ns s or %p na aGTn e G ss he
%Hss Ss ga the u ext r tsyy to
the attsIdanis report The doctor is sent for,
the patient led of and PLACED by the m mat
chair Of war; gigantic is II In its build and formation.
In this the patient held or sometimes strapped while
her dinner they choose to call It, The lnatr0n taxes
into the patients mouth before she has even refused to
open it in the natural way. With the mouth pred open
10 thrust q cold tube down the patients throat, while
bowl Of broth or some greasy compound served TO the
and resumes her place and occupation conversation
among her COMPANIONS in bondage But what sense Of
degradation her mind, in rejecting upon the
treatment to which she has just been subjected.
With regard to the vital subject of the dietary
system of the asylum, the author although writing
under sense Of injurious deprivation offers some
judcious remarks, which, it would be well, should
awaken attention in the proper quarter. Docs
what you eat worry yOuf" dyspeptic lady at
country boarding house fused to ask Of her friends
mo; but what | don't eat worries me- some one
once replied to her; O response, according to the
writer, which might APPLY apply to the patients at
an asylum.
What they don1hGre worries them; and their chief
consolation in III chronic condition Of low itiOns
to consist in taking of imaginary rerast- or dwelling
ory and rational appetite and gustaton were not alto,
reused bemes the morning hut there incentive
In the breakfast bell which tempt, them from morning
they must get up, must appear at t ialc must eat,
ana must not nliniur or complain. ca bOh0f A pa
hour. for comrl %ns Of her food C"mpaining Tas Tot
exactly the sentence rcndcled against her case; but
should III her than where other patients would
he ready to take up the burden of her comui Ten min
for hreakng last which seems more like me
pact. an3 are 0 Served by IKE tcndan
warm drink chrstcned tea fluid oil named cocoa and
ali That garnsh3. the table bread ana butter i tue
groan. TG.re is plenty Of it, But rhqt Of iti
The bread peculiar. being shaded by black strcaks,
Tue butter is the greatest Invalid at The table for the
fr tDG al rS ana as how
is the butter today Is the butter any be'teI Occa-
is better" but usually it is better, and often
and what atone for bad butter when there is nothing
ter is common enough any where but III this mtnage the
article is uniformly bad and as insane persons are sup
10 nave lne strongest ulgc<On ana
weakest sense of discrimination it would il tho
glcct of proper food Intentional IL would be VOL
that the best galleries there is sometimes
breakfast what Is called Sedk. This is the
il appears pie plate Is passed around with some cut
up scraps Of meat, not enough for all 10 partake
scarcely sufficient, were it. desirable, for mOutbfu
apiece this passed land this Is alp from to
another; teaspoon with II to the gravy, and
II the reader has plate OF meat That has been
set aside dog cat from the family board, he can
see exactly the very tempting arrangement OF animal
food which serves auxiliary adjunct to the meal of
breakfast.
addiii ion to the practical statements in respect
10 the unnecessary sufcrngs that are inflicted on
asylum patients the author induces in frequent
episodes of literary aud philosophical character
which give a certain human interest to the details
of an otherwise unpleasant discussion. The critical
suggestions upon the mental disorders Of Queen
Constance, Opllelia, Hamlet and King Lear, as
represented by Shakespeare, indicate discriminate
ing study of the great dramatist, and curious in
sight into exceptional psychological conditions
With so great a variety Of attractive topics, appa
rently incidental to the main purpose Of the work, ii
shows strange indifference to the convenience of
the reader and indeed, to the useful effect of the
volume that neither an index nor table of con-
tents has been furnished by the editor. Such a
neglect of the piaincst rules of literary consclc
tiousuess eau be referred to only in terms Of Severe
apprehension Nothing excuse it but degree
OF ignorance or helplessness, which disqualcs the
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