New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-08-09
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLooMlNGDALE


Mr.. WOOD alone voting ID the negative
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BLooMiNGDALE
STORY.
RyPoRT OF THE INVESTIGATING COMMITTEE
THE INSTITUTION DEFENDED.
The Board of Governors of the Society OF
the NewYork Hospital held their regular monthly meet
ing on Tuesday. The alleged Encouragement of the
pvscians and attendants connected with the Blooming
dale Asylum for the Insane, embraced in the aldayts
published exclusively in TIE TRIBUNE, having been
brought TO the notice OF the Board special committee
consisting Of the Boomlngdale Asylum Committee three
members Of the Board of Governors and the VoeIresi-
dent, the President of the Board, John c. Green being
absent from the CITY, was appointed TO make thorough
investigation OF the charges. The Committee met on
Wednesday at the Asylum buildings Although apphca,
tion made for the proceedings they were deneu
THE TRIBUNE which nevertheless finds space ID TINS
issue for the ful report Of the Committee wheh is "S
follows: u H.
The Committee have investigated with care all the
allegations which have been made, ana they s.atS
seryedy as their most SINCERE ana soDD dtyon which
affect the character OF the lnsutullon' " % I,s
E Ia SI 1S an9 pr Bu for many years dur
ing which they have been Ia almost uaIy lhOi @ ~
with them, and they believe there are no s g. ~, oT
tcir profeeiop more conscientious faithful IN Tue per
Torrance of their duties or more eh'ou ~ ,cr an
sent from the Institution except for health OF in the m
terests Of the Asylum and III every case ny 'Do
As reSaTds Inc patient who makes the charges tho
Committee would state that ne has once peIOIC uUSn
natien in tho Institution under regular commitment,
and dis charged on account OF the temporary amer
Grafton Of his condition. eS So b friends have been
urred by the medical staff of the Asylum, LOT seVeial
6Nbs mast n trv the experiment of his removal once
and i'm the mean time he had been placed on pa
role which gave him all the freedom compaupe WIN
rs Ie'aaninS In the institution. Members of the Asy-
INN Committee have seen and convcTsed with him every
week and been aware Of any desire on MS part
~ leave the institution more than is ordinarily ex
sod
have sufficient intelligence 10 be conscious oI the IT,
In the case Of Miss McC--. to which reference has
been made they would state that she was taken several
months ago under q regular commitment, as case OF
Charity M about onethird the cost OF her board She
received at the earnest solicitation OF her sister, VINO
supports herself and her with the needle and III the hope
OF I'M carly recovery As this did not prove 10 be the
committee had for some weeks past decided to remove
B beer 70 a aS RRe eF dSsTs Oh D"A"'
In regard to the general reliance to be placed the
testimony the former attendant referred To- the Com
mttee only deem necessary state that he was dis
charged from the institution under charge of nemper-
The charges of violence to patients are after careful
inquiry proved to the satisfaction Of the Committee 70
be without any foundation in fact beyond the haucnd-
tons the diseased minds OF patients ana on ihis SUI
iect the Committee claim. for reasons which VIII appear
later in ls report that they are competent TO Judge
Ta charges Of social irregularities they als0 ny uiS
believe no occurrence OF such character nd'Ih6 az
No one ACQUAINTED with the institution need be tod
foundation the wards being kept scrupulousy neat
as any means known to the COMMITTEE VII allow rs
regards the table, 10 has always been thei Intention mat
should equal that OF any trstcass DoaTdlngLOuse
elsewhere and they believe inns enataeer lSs AWAY
been sustained the cost OF the support OF each patent
exclusive Of rent, being nearly VA, week, WIN every
proper economy. -- D., a.. .-..-s-.
The Committee deem may be proper for the satisfac
tion of the friends OF the institution 10 state what knd
OF supervision il IS subjected TO- IGG Bloomnguale
Asylum branch OF the New oLH HosplIal, Is gov
eried 10y committee Of six OF the Governors, two
OF whom are renewed atihu"y, nV oS goiS o or'
not beng reehgOe lot the sp"ce ol ono . yrt 49,
This Committee meets az the Asylum once every month";
and spends an entire day y careful INSPECTION OF dne
institution in al its branches AZ TINS meeting every
commitment is reported with full details as well as every
discharge decease Of patients Wlth ne1ca report
Of EACH The Committee visits every "aIu, anu IaCh
member sees personally the condition OF each patient
This Committee is also subdivided into weekly COM
mitee Of two members one OF whom Is IeheNSu PeE.n
month. This subcommittee visits every ward OF tnc
Asylum IL the same manner each week. Ihelr yiiH,s
are never notified and are made at Their own seecuoh
and hour This weekly inspection has never peen
oI,; but once and then by series OF unavoidable
accidents6 since the Foundation q the INSTITUTIONAL
further inspection in the same form is made by
separate Committee of two members OF the Board OF
governors not belonging TO the Asylum Committee, one
OF whom s renewed each month Finally, the President
and Vice-PTeSdent Of the Board OF governors eaeh
make a monthly inspection OF the Asylum visiting like
tie Committees every ward and seeing all the PATIENTS
and q special report OF each OF these COmmltEes ana
officers is made 10 fDe Board OF Governors Of the Hos
m these visits so often repeated and so constant the
members OF the Committee become acquainted with the
patients and converse with most OF them IN the course
of their rounds. 1hey are accompanied " OHo vi
more of the physicians, and by the matron ana
warden I'm their departments; and they see the
attendants at their ordinary duties. Ihey state u as
their deliberate conviction that no more careful IN
spectiOn Is possible than is thus gwen tnat no
injury or violence could be done 10 the patients OF which
they would not see the eyidences thar no ahenauOn
could exist between the patients and attendants without
its being apparent TO them, without It's being brought
Ia fher notice by the patients themselves In fact no
such staten Of things does exist Inc RELATION DeIWeeh
the patients and attendants Is friendly ana courteous
INC habtual demeanOr OF the attendants TO the patients
is respectful and complaints are, as RUE maze Dy
the patients where they not manllesty under the
effects Of illusion, and all complaints OF patients are at
once investigated The Committee in position TO
udpe on this point and they state unhesngy tlat III
their Judgment no institution boast OF more falth
fn OF deserving o. aItenaans nuiDeT VI WHO'LL
have ia c6nsequence been in the INSTITUTION many years
n remains 10 speak OF the manner in when pdllsJlAs
ere admitted into the institution This is regulated by
law Before any person can be received as patient ms
friends are required to produce the cOlnlJnent OF
MAGISTRATE based the Cerncat6 OF TWO pDyhlCldhs
An such are eligible and all such are received as lar as
fbe accommodation and circumstances OF the Asylum
admit of this the Asylum Committee are the Judges,
and 10 is on their permits alone thsi pauens are au
nted The amount OF board charged IS xed as far as
with reference to the AFFINITY OF the paept 10
paw and as matter Of fact more than hai the patients
pay less than the cost OF their board ana there are
always more or less VINO IRON various Causes e AepV
The ASYLUM Committee have felt that it was due to
themselves well to the friends OF the PATENTS that
hey should make this statement conscious that, how
ever far their rr tce may have fallen short OF per
feet system the welfare OF the unfortunate class VINO
are under their they have always consclen0usy
their best for the faithful performance VI the trust
imposed On them.
ROBERT LENox KENNEDY, Vice-PTesident.
THOMAS HALL EAlLE
JACKSON s. SCHULTZ
JOHN f. WILLIAMS.
WILLIAM III. MACY,
JAMES II. BANKER, A.,,uv.
ID. GOLDEN MURRAY, : Con,yyni,,ae
OTIS ID. SWAN
W.