The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1873-11-12

i George WYthe, Dudley Digges, Jr., Thoma
4 Eyerard, aud John TTaseweH, Esq. - ~
4 The. Directors received, the buildfu,
elected james Calf g Kecepr Of he Rospisal,
turned over the building, &C., 10 hinE orc
vided that he should receive such salary a
the General Assembly should decide hss Sci
vices merited, and advertised that the inst
tuition was ready for PATIENTS
The first two patients were received on tn
18th of October, 1773, and sthe Keeper
ordered to call in DR.. John Siqueyra to visi
the patients as often as might be deeme,
necessary.
| The cost Of the building was G1,070, an,
of the material imported from England
.El8S lbs. and Cd.
The speaker gave interesting details o
the action Of the early Boards Of Director
Tor " Court of Directors" as they were tbel
called), which contained men of wealth
leisure, and benevolence, smong whom wer,
the most prominent men in Virginia.
He brought out the fact that many of tn
early directors were clergymen (Bisbol
Madison having been for long time presi
dent Of I" the Court ")-that this was IN &C
cordance with the custom still existing ii
England-and that for many years after th
Revolution in this country cIergymen wer.
prominent IN directing public institution
for education and beneyolence.
| He raised the question whether the prac
tice now of excluding ministers of the gospe
from participation in the management o
public institutions of learning, or of charity
| was either just In itself or sound policy OF
| the part of the State. He insisted that "tht
progress which leaves religion in the rear is,
| as has been well said, d progress, like that o
| our first parents in Paradise, towards know
ledge indeed; but at the same time towards
DEATH"
Mr.. James Gait continued "keeper" til
| bis death, in 1901 was succeeded by his son
William +. Gait, who held the office till hi!
death, in 1926. In 1871 the functions o
keeper and physician were blended in ONT
Office.
DR.. Alexander Dickie Gait (whose father
had been, with DIR. Barraud, physician tx
the asylum from 179J was appointed physi
clan in 1903, and was succeeded by his son
DR.. John n. Gait, in 1841, who held thu
office Of superintendent and physician unit
his. death, in May, 1862. "Thus, three EN-.
nent physicians-father. son, and grandson
have had charge successfully OF this institu
ton, and their name, all ornament to society, tt
science, and to humanity, has been associated
with this hospital since its foundation il
1913"
The speaker paid graceful tribute to til,
memory of DR.. John NJ Gait, and then said
DR.. John Gait Williamson, relative ant
valuable coadjutor of DR.. Gait, was connected
with this asylum for period of twelve
years. They were pair of noble broth ers
Loving in their lives, they were not Ions
sundered by death. DR.. Williamson diet
few weeks after DR.. Gait"
During the occupation Of Williamsburg
by Federal garrison the affairs of the asylum
were administered by military authority
After the war DR.. Henley, DR.. r. M. Gar
rett, and DR.. A. 4. Peticolas, were each il
turn superintendent. The latter was sue
ceeded by DR.. D. r. Brewer, the present
incumbent, DR.. John Clopton being the as
sistaDt physician.
"Thus long and honorable line of ply
sicians has conducted the affairs of this no
bic charity for one hundred years. Of the
present administration 1t is needless to speak
1t speaks for itself. 81 monunentunl re-
Quiris, circumspicf.'"
The speaker contrasted the small begin
nings with the present status of this insti
tuition as fit type of the progress of science
and especially of that branch of medica
science which relates to the treatment o
insanity, but insisted that We should no
depreciate the skill or beneyolence of tn,
oldentime, from whose experience, and from
whose very errors, we have learned 81
| much.
He maintained that there could be no rea
progress in the great doctrines of religion o.
the great principles of benevolence, bu
| only in means by which these may be eX
| tended and made more effective for the goot
of men.
He spoke next of the great progress of in
stitutions for removing physical evil, ant
| especially insanity.
He paid an eloquent tribute to the medi
cal profession, and spoke Of the large amour
Of gratuitous work they perform, and citet
| DR.. Alexander D. Gait rs noble specimen
of the good physician-one whose deeds O
charity were so numerous that there was
tradition on the peninsula that he was pait
by the state to practice among the poor.
| he related an anecdote Of how upon on
occasion DIR. Gait declined to leave patien
| whom he was then attending at the call of
| very wealthy gentleman who sent a Secon
| time and offered in vain most eXtrayagan
fee, and of how it turned out that the doc
| tors patient whom be declined to leave a
| the call of wealth and influence was an old
] drunken, free negro, pauper who was SUP
ported from the doctors own table.
He gave most interesting sketch Of in
sanity and the method of treating it in al
Gent times and the days just preceding ant
subsequent to the founding of thi
ASYLUM, and quoted from the classic
and British authors the opinions enter
ttaiped of it.. He showed that while tn
ancients exceled in poetry, the arts
&C, they were very far behin'
ia medical science, and especially in treatin
diseases of the mind. He contrasted th
treatment of the insane in other days, eve
down to the present century, when chain;
darkness, solitude, and stripes, hiicons erie;
| and foul odors were necessary ACCOMPANY
ments of every asylum, with the comfort:
attractiyeness, and kind treatment OF wei
regulated asylum now. In this comEariso
he cited tales of horror connected With put
lie and private asyIums under the old 81:
tenn. and drew vivid and attractive pftur
of the well-ordered asylums of the preser
day. ..... -. -,
To those disposed to cry out against til
vices of these times, and sigh for the goo
old days." he would say that while 1t cous
not he determined definitely whether cliM
is now more prevalent in proportion to poi
ulation than formerly, it is certain that "
notice it more to correct, restrain, and II
form it. 49,. sci -.
He spoke of the prominence now assiSne
To works of charity, and expressed th
earnest hope "that time is coming whe
commerce, civilization, and religion sha
achieve victory over violence, and war
viewed as q relic Of barbarism; when q
assembling of nations arbitrating question
between independent States may seem