New-York tribune., 1872-09-13
NEw-uAMPsHrRE LUNAcY LAWS.
From me Concord Monitor.

NEW-uAMPsHIRE LUNACY LAWS.
From T1s Concord Monitor.
Considerable excitement was recently raised
in NewYork by the discharge from the B3onlngdae d
while perfectly he was confined there Tor long
tom Of the afda,ts OF man and his Wife, formerly
attendants in sau institution detailing cases OF cruelty
came under their observation, as wen by the suing
out OF wrts of babeas corpus by the former gentleman
Of the Asylum with whom he became
quainted during his incarceration, ana VINO are
alleged by him to be perfectly sane. Thereupon Gov.
Hoffman appointed a commission to examine into the
condition OF institution and the treatment OF pa
tients therein PENDING TINS eXcltemeht ana Iheso pro-
ceedngs for Investigation, Mr. julius Chambers, one OF
the reporters o1 IHE NLW ioAA s NJ Win M ,m
TO test the suhcency OF exisng laws or ne
OF the against commitment TO madh0use as well
to procure reliable evidence OF the managemehs M oi
the institution, Iegned INSANITY was 1Aaneo % ~ nS9
skifu physicians all OF whom pronounced nun clearly
insane and was duly tS Worn 70 eeeate yis bOO of
two OF those physicians and the oruer OF d
police Justice made in due form of law The full state,
ment Of all the proceedngs ior ms anu & TI
all that he and suffered verified by oath as pun
shed in THE TRIBUNE, is ecitlng great deal OF COM
ment from the newspapers IN various portions vi @ rno
Inion IL is well said that perfectly sane man, ul-
der the excitement and caution necessary e11ens STU l
NeyYork at the time on TINS very SUBJECT can De pro-
nounced clearly insane by five reputable physicians ana
be regularly committed to madhouse on tho sworn eer
tfcae OF two OF those pny selans tha1 taey na e
fully examined his mental condluon ana t9e oIHea Vi
Judge 1G Rs Gsf he u vo
ently insane by the experienced Phy yslcian oo OF
signed TO confinement and treatment which might well
destroy reason the aged and nhrn or nervous ano
aCns the Vaccinations OF reckless and interested rea-
tyes who NAV desire rid themselves OF their presence
Hence THE TRIBUNE and some other papers urge tnat
no person should be committed to asylum as unac
but upon the verdict OF Jury ipanele%I pane 81 y Wy o
are defective requiring only an examination under
oath by two competent physicians, connrmed Dy tne
order to the commment OF any persen 70 an InSane ss
ASYLUM what shall be said OF the law OF NeWhampshre
which authorize the parent guardian or friends of any
insane person to commit him to our asylum without
any examination by physicians or any 9rder @ a OF any
ia furnished for his support while there II competent
physicians and judicial officer may De deceived OF
bribed the sane in madhouse, Is there
NOT thousand times more danger that interested
prineipled relatives and professed friends may do III
A REFORM DEMANDED.
From The Norfolk Virgntaa, Sspt .. =,
THE NEW-YORK TRIBUNE has contributed O
remarkable sensation to the newspaper literature OF the
day in its reports from the interior OF private mad
house, aud we feel confident that us disclosures WI re-
managers OF the Bloomingdale Asylum are very
much disgusted and OUTRAGED az tne manner n % IN nh
will not pause discuss this question when sucn issues
OF presented for It's consideration as those gwen
by the reporter HIS statement is made WIN no % eeor
at word painting He ignores any sensational enece
outside the grim facts which he states WITH severe
6revty and the readers whom he addresses VIII not
be diverted fcom these py the dehial M . Sl us u.
know that perfectly and intelligent man was com
mitted To the Asylum that he was made 70 sleep III
cell where he heard durlEH eacn VI stay
shreks and imprecations OF violent madnen tcat
ne was subjected various irritating Inconvenience
and In short the treatment OF patients which ne
witnessed barbarous in many particulars and better
| calculated 10 make sane man mad than madman
| sane How he obtained his Information Ia nothing In
comparison to the gravity OF the facts stated and we
are greatly mistaken in the humanity OF the Governor
and legislature NewYork II this business Is not made
the subject OF special investigation, with view 10
| complete reform of the present system.
ANOTHER "sANE LUNATIc."
| From TIE Boston Post
| A case which came before the United States
District Court Burlington, VI, last week, shows thai
the insane asylum are not alone In the popu
lar suspicious OF misnanagement. A venerable and IN
| Arm clergyman, named Rev. Peter H. Shaw, who form
ery preached Northed Mass and In several place<
in Vermont sent TO the asylum as an insane person
In 1851 by the Overseers OF the Poor OF Barnet. W.
Hs case came up writ or haoeas corpus
| Thursday, praying for his release the ground
| that he IL SAME. Mr.. Shaw was allowed 10 plead
| his cause and denied most positively that he ha'
ever been insane He said that be was hurried away
the asylum while q Wat ~ Barnet. with the co a
niyance he thinks OF relative who has centro OF
| annuity belonging to him. After impartial ant
searching involving the confession by tho
superintendent that the old man had committed
an insane act daring the five years of his confinement
in the asylum the Judge decided 20 release Mr. Shaw
Internationally accompanying his decision with soms
remarks OF appropriate severity This case enforces the
lesson Of BloOmngdae and points ~ the imperative
cessty OF careful revision Of the laws and custom
| governing unatle aHy)uus.