Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-10-16


10 his EiccHg,y julius Coarcrse, Goc,,yior o
Vermont
sir:-During the past two years in which hav
hnd in charge the interests Ut the penple of th,
State, as connected with the Vermont Asylum fo
the Insane, ! have become convinced that ON
sdcriug the great interest which they shoul,
and must have in such an institution the know
ledge Of the relations Of the people ol the Stat,
% this Asylum is very limited A brief histor,
9i what the State has done. and is doing. for III,
Institution, and the Institution for the State
may not he ainiss.
In 1885 Mrs. Anna Marsh, Of lIindslaie. n
H., gave ten thousand dollars ~ establish an
Asylum for the lnsrnc. Mt Brattleb,rn. VI and
the same year the State by the act Of their Legi-
aturo gave ten thousand dollars to be paid in
i've annual instalments Of two thousand each
In 1896 the State granted nm additional two
thousand ddlars. In 1897. four Thousand dollars
IN 1910, twnannual instulments of two thousand
dollars. ln 1913. three thousand dollars In ail.
twenty-threc thousand dollars VII Of the above
fr building purposes
In 1862 tie center building and wings Of the
Institution were burned Il was Immediately re-
built, and again occupied in 1851
The expense ut rebuilding was about forty thou
nnd dollars. The whole c,,st oc the Institution
at the present time, including twelve hundred
acres " land is S23i SO CO. in which amount
'"' ''o'' n"H III ihteie7t VI t"thi9-hfee thou
sand.
This Iosiitution is owned and governed by A
cnrpnratin, the trustees Of which are Asa Kcyes
n. y. Wliston, Frederick lIolbrjok and Daniel
Kellogg
fy the acts Of isi0-i9 the clrooraton own
the property. and ii it ceases tp he an Insane
Asylum the state have simply lien upat, tljs
proler,y W 'le efariiy Of sbe twenty three t,
To loi5 the isHsature mado an anaaai a..
pu1yriation AZ bro ~ lnsahd d1lgrs. e. he disii.
81 I" fer ccritt " amuhg TIE inssre poar on tie
State, who were received at the Institution TINS
was continued until 1916, when il Vas 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, IL three dollars per week.
In the support OF the insane Of this lnsltu-
tiIn there are three classes
T. Those supported entirely by the State
(fmnsient)
.. rhose supported in part by the State
Estate old
3. Those whom the Institution receive, which
do not receive State aid.
OF the first class there are about eighty eight.
whose support amounts 10 Sl3, ,539 06 OF the
second class therenre ahlut IwD hundred and fifty.
who receive about sixty five cents apiece, making
the five Thousand appropriated for this purpose
The third class. Of which there are about two
state, which are self supporting or supported hy
friends or charities, with which the State have
nothing t1 do, and whom the corporation charge
what they please.
By the abNe it will be seen that the State has
pnid, nd Is annually paying large sums Of MONEY
tp this Institution, and Yet she has no controlling
iuHuence iu its infringement The only connert-
ing link between the institution and tie Stale.
except It's Legislative appropriation, is by the
election OF Cummis-i iner ON the part Of the
Sute. who is required by law 10 visit the lnst
tutiIn from time 10 time, and report what he
may see aud hear but beyond this he has no au-
thurity to suggest pr advise. as the present Cum
missioner was informed by the Superintendent nr
Inst year, though all suggestions would no doubt
be kindly received
In the opinion nf your Commissioner, the 1,-
sane Of this lustitnti1n are well cired for and
kindly treated Especially j. the present Super
intendent untring in his Efforts to make tho In
Stltutun a. Z ,Od as possible with the means at
bis control; and there has been very apparent
Improvement in the Asylam since bis accession
b the Office.
The money appropriated by the S,a,c'is Of very
great service u this unfortunate class Of persnns
lt is the belief that the people We serve will never
tire Of larger appropriations for this charitable |
purpose.
Ye' | should feel that had not fully COM
1leted my duty to this position Of Commissioner
nave much more interest in this institution, or an
'ther Of its kind IL i far behind similar insti- |
utions in our sister States, in that it il 50 Gun
tructed that no ward can he ventilated according |
% the modern principles of scntlation.
There are kept in II danp, dark, underground I
basement, from fifty to ono hundred If tie most I
inpele,s and incufabe persons Ia a place where /
he atm sphere they hreathe must bs more on
es~ imnnre, IN defiance Of x ereas cAse which 1,
yb-ersed in IL puaitiratlaR Certainly this elaA
i persons should have heaithfil and pieasans
ocality in such an institution. To 40 this
he number Of persons must he decreased or the
buildings enlarged
While the superintendent and assistant super
ntendent are untiring in their efforts in behalf
4 the insane Of the asylum am confident the
ne1icai sta j. too small T. do Justice to the large
lumber Of patients.
10 the mind OF the Commissioner the medical
taft should be sufficiently large to give ample
ime for the study Of each and every acute case
4 insanity as il enters the institution, and con-
inuing that study in reference 10 the hest course
% be parsued, in each Gaze, in view Of final cure
- the quick and constant study OF each case of
cute insanity, as we would study 10 the treat
lcnt Of all and every acute disease" says one Of
he most eminent in this speciality. The staff Of
his Institution is insufficient for this purpose.
There are at this Institution from without the
tate about 200 lunatics
Without any statistics it il impossible without
reat labor, 10 determine accurately the number
rom within this State, who are in other similar
Institutions IN other States, and others in the
tate who are at large. at the present time who
fould be benefited themselves, and safer for the
eope were they placed in an Asylum. But
rom all the information possible to obtain. il is
be belief that there are more than double (4OO)
he number (200) which are in this Institution
rom other States.
In view Of these facts would suggest to your
,xcellency, that the question be taken into con
Iteration OF more fully considering the condition
{ this most unfortunate class of people. and more
io-ely extend to them the fostering care of the
tate
Almost, if not every other State in the Union.
specially the older States, have institutions l,r
he-e poor people entirely under the care Of their
commonwealth. Is Vermont willing to be behind
a tins mlst benefeent of all enterprises?
GATES b. BuLLARD, N. D.,
Comm si0ner Of the Insane
St JDbnsbury VI sent 2l ls72