Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1873-11-28
THE INSANE ASYLUM.


THE INSANE ASYLUM.
We have received copy of the "Re-
port of the Directors and Superinten-
dent of the Insane Asylum" for the
official year, ending October 31st, 1873.
We publish the following interesting
extracts, which We take from The
Raleigh Sentinel
"The total number OF admissions
since the opening of the Asylum on the
22d day of FEBRUARY, 1856, is ,043
the total number Of discharges for the
same time is sol Of whom 262 were
cured; 50 improved; 40 unimproved;
274 died: leaving now under treatment
242.
Upon the whole number of admis-
sions the per centage of discharges has
been IT; of cured, 25 per cent; of
improved, per cent; of ,lnimproved,
! 1G per cent: of deaths, &c per cent.
| Upon the whole number OF dis
charges. the per centage of cures has
proved, 81 per cent; af deaths, 81 per
| cent.
At the close of my last report there
| females. Of the numerous applications
for admission. we have been able to
make room for only SO males and II
females. The whole number under
treatment during the year was 1872
| males and 131 females. making a total
of 2S3.
There has been % males and ID fe-
males discharged during the year: of
these II males and 6 females were
cured; males and female improved;
2 males and l female in stationary
condition; and males and 5 females
died"
Upon the number of admissions
during the year, the percentage of dis
| charges was 80; Of cures, SO; of i'm
proved, ID; of unimproved, s; of
deaths, 26.
Here is q summary of calculations
| made:
/ list. The cures upon admission SO
per cent.
/ End. The cures upon discharge of
A per cent.
! 3rd. The deaths upon the nu nbcr
under treatment of per cent.
OF the admissions during the year,
the cause of disease is reported to have
been mental in 8 cases, physical in "a;
and unknown in 1S. The form was
mania in 81 cases; epileptic mania in +;
melancholia i'll Q, and dementia in g."
.'Of those discharged improved til =
supposed cause was physical in ever
casc. The duration before admission
averaged Is months. The time under
treatment was less than one year in
two eases, and from two to nearly six
years in the others. OF the unim-
proved discharges the cause was phys
ical in one case and unknown in two.
The form was mania in oil. The dura-
ton before admission 10 months in one
case, unknown in one, and years in
one The time in the Asylum from Il
to Is years. Of the deaths the cause
of insanity was physical in s cases,
mental in 4, and unknown in 4. The
form of the mental disease was mania
in 9 cases, imbecility in l, epileptic
mania IN 9, and dementia in l."
feature of insanity in this State is per-
ceptable upon the perusal of the fore
going tabular statements. The over
whelming preponderance of chronic
mental disease, of those under treat
ment here, as we'll as the applications
for admission on file, over the acute
uses present suggestions of a serious
character. Perhaps not more than ten
per cent. Of our present household, and
smaller proportion even of the several
hundred applications now. pending, the
history Of whose cases have been for
warded and placed on file, can, with
any confidence he pronounced curible. ~
''During the year 263 applications,
made or renewed by friends or county
authorities, have been refused for want
Of room"
'Whiie insanity, when acute and re-
cent, IS known to be as general rule
durable, when cronic it becomes one of
the most incurable Of all diseases at all
amenable to treatment. Any attempt
on the part OF the State to save money
by failing to provide for the early
treatment OF all its insane, or individ-
uals and families to delay till the neces-
sity becomes urgent, is poor economy
and worse philanthropy. This mistaken
policy has already filed the land with
class Of dependent and incurable
sufferers who are burden TO them
selves, terror to their families, and
an expense to fhe public, and whom
nothing can relieve for the present
but death, or diminish for the future,
but ample accommodations and timely
treatment"
according to the las: census there
are 779 insane in the State, which is
about l to every 300 of our popula-
ton; of these 242 are hero. while 537
are scattered throughout the State in
jails, poor-houses and private families. E"
It appears to us that these statistics
are of sufficient public interest to JUS
tify the space we have given in copy
ing them.
The fiscal year began with an indebt-
ness Of 1000 upon the previous years
report. There Will be q deficiency of
5000 or S., 600. The female patients
made 3, 16S articles Of clothing during
the year, and mended 1904 Rev. j.
NJ. Atkinson, of the Presbyterian; Rev.
DR.. Smedes, of the Episcopal; Rev.
A. W. Maneum. of the Methodist, and
Rev. DR.. Pritchard, of the Baptist
| Church, have performed regular alter.
| nate religious services.
Bishop Hennessy, of Kansas, has
| prohibited dancing in that diocese at
Catholic fairs and festivals, stating
that hereafter churches will be built
without dancing.
Nine. Theirs levees are successful
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