New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1871-02-23

TO be derived from even brief residence here those who
against their will and In ignorance of the nature Oh
the disease which has hold upon them ought to be sent
to stay any other lunatio would DO sent to luhso
asylum
much for the theory OF disease and cure now ale"
words about the practice.
This Asylum is located the summit OF the prlhelp''
knob of range of low hills; the susquehanna valley
here is narrow, and the hills on either size "ltou
being high abrupt. Bracing airs In summer anu
Winter fan and cool their brows. From inc Asylum
may stroll along the summit OF this ridge ior h'o VI
six miles finding smooth paths and beautiful viewsa ana
better than ALL dry, bracing atmosphere Iho sue "
at once very charming very healthy and very Eetcu'
being two miles from the town. farin OF o'ci 'VV 60
surrounds the buildings afOrding them secislon' u
furnishing the asy lum with portion OF tS supPno'
buildings are elaborate and with the grounds nave Cost
six or seven hundred thousand dollars party III 0
quence however, OF early mismanagemeht VI
its finances The interior has been manu-
someIy in fact somewhat too oaDoid'cp
decorated. The surroundings, the 1urhiShinH'' ""u
the supplies of the building exactly the opposite Vi
what one would conclude them to be from the impress
sions first suggested by the name of the INSTITUTION
has nothing whatever OF the air Of an Asylum nothing
of the sQualor of the Refuge the paOr OF tine HOS
pital II ia bright cheerful and clean-serupulorsly
clean There is no paint the woodwork no paper on
the walls to harbOr the little pests that aiot most puDc
and many private houses. Tho rooms, saircases-in
fact the whole interior of the building has been eApen
siyelv furnished in oiled black walnut Tho sleeping
apartments OF which there is for each patient are
about fifteen by eighteen feet not narrow cells and each
is furnished with a carpet, singo-bed table, two chairs
and wardrobe and supplied with water and heated by
hotair register The rooms of committed patients VINO
nav no board are furnished precisely like those OF the
wealthy who charged $40 week. except where
the latter choose add to their uxures AT their own eX
pense The comforts are there, already supplied ana
In no AsV
favoraby in point of comfort neaness, and cleanliness
with the best rooms of New-YOrk boarding house OF
hotel No one need fear that friends sent here as paying
patients or otherwise win lack for creature comforts
home should not hesitate, after what have seen' To
recommend any afflicted friend to accept its treatment
and hospitality.
The rooms public to all the patients attractive as
the apartments in which they sleep and live. There are
three billiard rooms with table in cach-the large
billiard hall and gymnasium was burned year ago-ahd
these tables are in constant Chess ana cara par
ties are frequent but these games are usually payeu IN
the private rooms the patients visiting each Other lor
the purpose Of playing with the same freedom and lack
Of ceremony that they would enjoy in any other hotel or
clubhouse There is patient there famous in the world
as a thess-clampiOn, and young man who originates
many of most skl chess problems current III your
week contemporaries. Baseball and other field games
are played in season. and various other amusementS en-
able The patients to kill tmethe hardest labor of their
lives
do not mean by thspast phrase that work Is done
by them; on the contrary many patients support them
selves by their labors here. one gentleman fom the
Coast Survey Office at Washington, daily pores over
whole columns Of mysterious figures, and earns in this
pleasant retirement the full salary OF his place in Wash
ington Three literary furnish various styles OF
matter for their Journals and conduct their several de-
parmcns as well they could In view OF the difference
in their habits I'm aud out Of the asylum, in their Offices
one architect whose malady out of the Asylum makes
him burden TO his family is here able to support him
self and wife in comfortable style. Young lawyers, OF
whom the Asylum has reformed II Zone of whom has
since settled in tho town near by ana does not hesi
tate TO go about ecurng the cure holding himself up
as his own awful exampe' pursue their studies with
re gularity have just been introduced to one of the
four physicians who also patients here who has come
TO the Doctors Office borrowithe new Brathwae, as
vet uncut.
The patients have besides the biardroom, chess and
card and ball parties theatrical and literary club The
heater a very pretty box holding about 800 persons,
with stage ted up entirely by the ingenuity Of the
patients They have produced with the usual ambition
of amateurs several heavy yeact dramas and tragedies
and are now rehearsing Money" one Of the players,
who has gone through life Of 40 or 30 years unsupected
of possessing hstronc genius, displayed remarkable
talent in the performance Of "Cousin joe" in the
Rough Diamond and am told that the wife Of the
architect being induced TO take part in OF the
Most of the patients have been frequenters of theaters
and are not unsked in criticism that their iudg-
ments in instances not to be lightly considered
The Literary Club known as the OllapOd has small
but select library aud subscrbes to the best NeWIOrk
daily and weekly Journals the American magazines and
some of the foreign reviews. It's current literature IL
displayed in room free to all patients but the library
for the use OF the Club only. general library. main
tanned by the Trustees is very defective and persons
with duplicate volumes to give away cannot better dis
nose Of them than to forward them to Mr. Frederick H.
stone. the Librarian.
How 10 amuse themselves appears TO be the chief labor
and most difficult task Of the inmates. They have
rule no regular occupation. and time hangs heavy on
their hands 1t difficult 10 see how the problem is to be
solved by themselves i'll directing thor efforts TO
their training in useful occupation than anna
I ,r social intercourse no auson il ever made by
the patients To their former habits shame in some, but
decacy in most leads them 10 be silent on TINS point III
% with the doctor that they converse about their
disease and its cure No need have any hesitation
about coming here for fear OF publicity or reproach:
Whatever may he thought about their falling az vice.
never spOken Of as SUCH but is always alluded 10 ~
disease brought however by themselves ana TOT the
of which themselves alone are responsible Sere
spect is thus Modified and selfrelianee ncucaed ana
on the whole imagine 1t Is better 10 appeal 70 these
qualities than 10 heap repoaches on the patient Tor past
The management the Asylum is at present under DR.
great credit for Starting the Institution his energy
In building IT, without any sort OF dOlb aqcK ana
treated the patients as If they were unatcs without
mon sense and not simply mOnomanacs He was a
tyrant who locked refractory patients in iron cells, ana
employed only harsh means to restore sefrespec ana
selfcOntrO to whose passions had Undermined both
of course, without success. DIR. Turner-such was ms
name claimed in an official report $3.50 that the In
stitution under his control contained "2l5 inmates, Of
whom 80 were clergymen and 100 rich mems d8ugh-
er" The truth is that only persons treated In
the institution during the several years 1t under Dr.
Turner's control; not one OF this number was clergy
man or a woman. Altogether only 800 persons have
ever been admitted ~ the Asylum and only
one OF these was q clergyman. The only ladies
who have ever been here are wives who
faithfully followed or brought their husbands here and
who deserve great credit and profound admiration for
their devotion. DR.. Albert Day, who succeeded DIR.
Turner was trained, believe in the Washington Home
Of Boston, specially In the OF this disease; but he
seems 10 have too lax In his discipline here The
fNecmfiNe ability OF the present Dr. dodge