Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-24
To HIS EgceAencv. .JuEus Goa9ere

AiotitdblOI1 bIC hIlONICttDC OF the fHld-
tons of the people of this State to this
Asylum is very limited. A brief histO-
ry OF what the State has done, and is
doing for the Institution, and the Insti-
tutlon Tor the State, may not be amisS.
In 1885, Mrs. Anna Marsh, of Hins-
dale, N. H., gave ten thousand dollars
to establish an Asylum for the Insane at
Brattleboro, VT, ard the same year the
state by an act of their Legislature gave
ten thousand dollars, to be paid in five
annual lnstaDments of two thousand
each. In 1896 the State granted an adj
dltlonal tW o thousand dollars. In 1887,
four thorIsand dollars. In 1910, two an
nual ln'stallments of two thousand dol
lars, In 1843, three thousand dollars.
In all, twenty-three thousand dollars :;
all of the above for building purposes.
1n1862 the entire building and wings
of the Institution were burned. 1t was
Immediately rebuilt, and again occupied
in 1864.
The expense of rebuilding was abe ut
forty thousand dollars. The whole cost
OF the Institution at the present time, in
cl1ctrng twelve hundred acres of land, is
1924, $40, in which amount the State has
an interest of tweuty-three thousand.
This Institution is owned and govern
ed by a corporation, the trustees of
which are Asa Reyes, n. B. Williston,
friedrich Holbrook and Daniel Kellogg.
By the acts of 1910 43, the corporation
own the property, and if it ceases to be
an Insane Asylum the State have simply
a lien upon the property for the security
of the twenty-three thousand heretofore
invested.
In 1915 the Legislature made an an
nual appropriation of three thousand
dollars, to- be divided ''per capita"
among the insane poor of the State, who
were received at the Institution. This
was continued until 1916, when it was
increased to five thousand dollars, which
is continued for the same purpose at the
present time. The price charged the
State for individuals receiving State aid.
is three dollars per week
in the support of the insane of this In
stitution there are three classes.
l. Those supported entirely ov the
State, (Transient.)
2. Those supported in part by the
State. Estate add
3. Those whom the Instit ution receive
which do not receive State aid.
OF the first class there are abOut
Lightweight, whose SUPPORT amounts TO
1913, 539.O6. OF the second class there
are about two hundred az fifty who
receive about siXty-fve cey ITS each. max
ing the five thousand &r ,propriated for
this purpose. The third class. of which
there are about two hundred. coming
from without or within the State. which
are self-suppOrting, or supported bv
frie-Ti,t,s or charitief ). with whom the
state has nothing TO do, and whom the
cooperation charge what they please.
BY abe above il will be seen that the
State has paid, End is annually paving
largo. sums OF u loney to this Institution.
and yet she h9 no controlling influence
in its management. The only connect
ing EAk between the Institution and the
State, except its legislative appropri-
alton, IS by the election of a Commits
sloner on the part Oh the State, who is
required by Law be, visit the Institution
from time to. time, and report what he
may see ana hear; but, beyond this, he
has no authority to suggest or advise, as
the present Commission er was informed
by the Superintendent OF last year.
though all, suggestions, no doubt, would
be kindly. 4eceived.
In the. opinion of your Commissioner,
the insane of this Institution are well
Cared for and kindly treated. Especially
is the present Superintendent untiring in
his efforts to make the institution as
good as possible with the, means at his
control, and there has been very ap-
parent improvement il the asylum since
his acquisition to the office.
The money appropriated by the State
is of very great service to this unfOrtu-
nate class of persons. 1t is the belief
that the people We. serve will never tire
OF larger appropriations for this charita-
bic purpose.
Yet [ shouMlfeeI that had not fully
completed nay duty to this position Of
Commissioner Of the Insane. did | not
suggest that the State have much more
interest II this institution or another OF
its kiDaG 1t is far behind similar insti-
tutipnS in our sister States, in that it is
SO, constructed that no ward can be ven
tilated according to the modern princi-
pies of ventilation.
There are kept in a damp, dark, I'M
dergrOund basement, from fifty to one
hundred of the most hopeless and incur
able persons, In place where the atmOs
phere they breathe must be more less
impure in defiance of the great care
which is, observed in its publication.
Certainly this class of persons should
have a healthful and pleasant locality in
such an institution. To do this the
number of persons must be decreased or
the buildings enlarged.
While the Superintendent and Assist
ant Superintendent are untiring in their
efforts in behalf of the insane of the
Asylum, am confident the medical staff
is too small to do justice to the large
number of patients.
To the mind of the Commissioner the
medical staff should be sufficiently large
to give ample time for the study of each
and every acute case of insanity, as it
enters the Institution, and continuing
that study in reference to the best course
to be pursued, in each case in view of
final cure
1.-The quick and constant study of each
case of acute insanity, as we would
study in the treatment of all and every
acute disease" says one of the most emf
nent in this speciality. The staff of this
Institution is insufficient for this pur-
pose.
There are at this Institution from
without the State about 200 lunatics.
Without any statistics it is impossible
without great labor to determine aCCt-
rately the number from within this
State who are in similar Institutions in
other States and others in the State who
are at large, at the present time, who
would be benefited themselves and safer
for the people, were they placed in an
Asylum. But from all the information
possible to obtain, it is the belief that
there are more than double (400) the
number (200) which are in this Institu-
ton from other States.
In view of these facts | would sug-
gest to yeur excellency that the ques-
ton be taken into consideration of more
fully considering the condition of this
most unfortunate class of people, and
more closely extend to them the foster
ing care of the State.
Almost, if not every State in the I'm
ion, especially the older States, have in
stitutions for those poor people, entirely
under the care of their commonwealth.