New-York tribune., 1872-08-08
TREATMENT OF THE INSANE.


PATIENT THINKS THAT THE TREATMENT
WOULD MAKE 4 SANE MAN MAD-CHARGEs
AND COUNTERCHARGES.
The extreme privacy which, tom their very
nature aud the purposes of their establishment pervades
private asyums for the insane renders the occasions ex
oeedng,y rare when the public obtain any knowl
cage of the manner in which they conducted, the
treatment 10 which their unfortunate patients sub
bected As ia most public institutions, they
subject official visitation aud inspection only al
stated tDes. aud their real management is unknown
save TO tho few, whose interest IL is TO make il
seem fsultless possible Any complaints made
by inmates. while they still under treatment, are apt
looked upon the rawlings OF insanity, and the
patient, when discharged from the Asylum is unlikely
refer a period OF his life fraught with but
Iainfu. recoectons Many who have been incarceraed
false charges OF insanity If they have been fortunate
enough b escape before the charge has been made real
swing the victims surroundings, have been deferred
by f6,f or natural deieacy from making their
uouoles public 90 Wednesday it was seen,
IN TIE case of Mary McCabe how easily
~ i1s'ititIcn NAV ward off judicial iuvcs
tgafion and according TO the statement OF Mr. Town
,ond the acuop OF the officers Of the Bloomingdae
Asvlum N that case identical with that taken by
tbeln in similar II remains 70 he seen whether
The habese corpus ease Miss Theresa Drew the writ
M which - returnable to-day, will be futess. The
toegJes msde by MI Van Week aud NJ and Ms Irwin
tT6ach M IsTstSI IN fssard to the loose manner in
which patients are received into the Boomiugdae
afyi1 and The way in which they there treated, are
brnging 10 the surface the complaints Of Others who
have purchased knowledge the subject by painful ex-
perence aud who anxious TO lend their aid to Mr
Van Week IN he enor, throw gt into that prison
bouse.
one gentleman Ion 20 years prosperous merchant Of
nis city, had an opportunity, long ago, Of giving
hg months study 10 the internal workings Of the
Asylum az Bloomingdale The question of bis sanity
bad never raised, TO his knowledge until in the
hourso OF he betrayed knowledge of some
painful domestic in the family Of relative. On
he following morning he taken 70 police station,
and thence 20 police court WHERE the testimony Of
two ply scians who had him until that day,
Ne was committed 10 the BOOmiu g1ae Asylum, his
oTother appearing prime mover in the matter He
remained "a prisoner about three months, when, some
friends having learned OF his situation through letters
which he wac enabled TO smuggle out Of the Asylum,
wit Of habeas corpus issued IN his case, whereupOn
BE- was ID; released by Dr. Brown. Although he did
not Intentionally take advantage Of the release, IL was
adudged that he had technically done so, having left
be grounds and returned voluntarily; and bis purpose
Df obtaining legal redress was thus thwarted.
In conversation with TRIBUNE reporter this gentle
man gave a minute account OF the management of the
Asylum during the period when he was an inmate A
promuen mt Of complaint that the establish
ment him 10 be run as mOney-making insu-
tuition with little reference the comfort recovery
no books, papers, or magazines except few old
copies Of some British reviews. There were no
sOerces Of amusement except a blizzard taDe,
apd the. inmates could do nothing but SIT IN
strsig backed wooden chairs aud walk IN the
halls The attendants were rough ana ignorant men,
WHO could he hired on the most moderate terms fCul
and pTofane language was frequently addressed by
them 20 the patients and he mad seen PeIsGns %
used at times Inan by the name OF Bsse Was suDect
to euieUtic tte but not nsane frequently he had
been ssSgSG eS an nan p t6e % de Bse was placed
az one tme the lodge, quarter reserved Tor the
DT Brown, in this geutlemans opniou Is an indoent
man fails the institution personally and
hi. deputies attendants take advantage OF tins fact
10 gec duties. Thirty or forty patients were
LOGGED in the rooms leading into each nall and he hgnI
late hour The doors Of the rooms were NOT lockSu,
ait ane v"o Of 1ba most violenf Of their number He had
locked into his room on several occasions az MS
pcopos and %aterclosefs were arranged without
TIE slightest attempt at comfort ~ Du9ner 1fep
and nthy IN the The patients were treated
servants than gentlemen he was expected
90 take care OF his own room and TO make MS own ped
IN fact his opinion, the whole Of treatment TO
which the inmate OF the BloOmngdale Asylum is sub
jocted O nature ~ INTENSITY rather than alleviate any
symptoms Of insanity which he may manifest, and 20
sane man mad During the short time that he
there 4e was able 10 hnd no occupation ana cOuld
amuse himself only 0y walking backward and forward
iu the Laan exercise which his keepers regarded
conclusive proof Of his unsoundness OF mind.
Je Of this informant IL withheld for the present.
~ IL pubeeat might interfere with the legal proceed
a afters have been received this office FROM George
NloII were attendants at the BlOOmngdale Insane
JIusa Mr.. Irwin wishes TO correst the statement
nade m THE TRIBUNE in connection with his AFFIDAVIT, IN
which IN vas asserted that he left the Asylum
of the aroItes witnessed there He says that he had
hsteTmined than year previous 10 leave the
INSTITUTION as soon he cOnld procure other
.in0loymeDt on account OF the indignities
10 which JafeDts were subjected daily He claims iur
thor 10 have made statement In hs afdavit which
b. by dozen persons aud thst be has not
desGnbed one~eDth OF the atrocities which he Witnessed
He makes other serious charges against the physicians
and Attendants at the Asylum. but se the allegations are
ret la the form Of affidavit The TRIBUNE declines TO
give them yabiejty.
Jbe IettsI from John w. beDDe" 'bd'sSshiv acbes