Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1873-03-25
THE ASYLUMs AT sTAUNTON.

saw there. Of the Asylum for the Deaf, Dumb
aud Blind, be says:
There are eighty-pine deaf mutes, aud thirty
SIX blind pupils receiving instruction The
| whole are under the care of Mr.. Chas. d. Mo-
Coy, Principal. a very kind and pleasing gentle.
man. Ahe 0tlod are capable of much higher
advancement IN studies than are the deaf mutes.
a tact somewhat surprising to strangers. Thev
read. some of them with the greatest ease and
precision, from the great white pages ofemboss-
| ed t.xt. and apparently with better apprecia-
tlon OF the sense than most pupils of like age
10 our common schools. As soon as the sense
OF touch becomes nice enough to perceive the
letters, which takes but little time, the pupils
are ready tor the usual course of book instruc-
ton. They are carried through the history of
Virginia, America, and England; geography,
grammar and arithmetic. In many studies
hey actually get better understanding than
the pupll who studies by sight. Raised mans
are used, showing the Inequalities of the eartb's
surface, and the globe is explored with ipnnir-
ing fingers suggestive of Coperoicas and Coium-
bus In the ages of darkness. The mind is very
retentiVe, and the reasoning power active
hathematlcs are pursued from practical mental
| arithmetic TO d,ff5rea!ia and integral csIculrs
French and music are both taught with
| 'horough0ess. In the chapel is Zoe organ.
perhaps the finest in the State, and only second
10 SIZE 10 that OF The First Baptist Church of
| Richmond. Ii was pleasure TO listen to the
| performance OF the brass band and note the
rapture OF the performers themselves. all of
whom were blind and completely lost in the
rich strains their instruments produced. The
little drummer, Ia particular, pounded away
with such zsst and giee as to almost make me
wish myself In his place. 1t was a matter of
| surprise to me now such accurate time could be
/ VI hon Dlnr
say, ''on bis own hook" Mendelssohn's Wed.
ling March was grandly rendered on the organ.
| and II Is doubtful who listened with the great
er, pleasure, the blind or ourselves.
ln the deaf mute department all was chang
ed. FROM sound to silence, from darkness to
ilght. Here were eyes at woTk-sharp, keen,
all li-seelng. The atmosphere was white with
chalk, which may be called the tongue of the
deaf mute. Here 10 one large room were sey-
eral classes rectlng, separated only by screens.
| The Instructor makes a few rapid gestures:
writes word or two upon the blackboard. and
then there is cat,er If chalk upon the black
board, OF whlcn each pupil has one, and the
question Is answered. The writing is uoiform-
| ~ rapid and excellent from care and constant
| pracnce The chief instructor in his depart-
ment Is Hlr Job Turner, deaf mute himself,
who vas educated at Hartford, and who mar
rled, If mistake not, one of the teachers of the
Institution. The sign language used here is
emotional as we'll as arbitrary, and keen OBJ
| server can gather from the gestures something
of the ideas expressed. The pupils are taug ht
suitable trades. such IS carpenterng, cabinet
making, shoe maklng, tailoring, book printing
and binding, broom, mat and chair making,
embroidery, &c. The institution is doing much
toward paying It's own way, and the evident
general good management, the cheeriulness of
the pupils, and the scruDolous neatness every-
where apparent, reflect great credit upon Can't.
AcCoy and his assistants.
THE WESTERN LUNArlC ASYLUM.
DR.. +. I. Stribing. the medical superinten-
dent, has faithfully filed that position from the
founding OF the asylum, thirty-five years siUce.
He Is assisted By Drs. Hamilton end Fisher
There are IN the asylum about $50 patients, two
thirds OF whom, from the terrible nature of the
maiady, are hopeless cases. A raving maniac,
~no was aroused at our entrance to paroxysm
OF frenzy, was for months, DR.. Fisher informed
me, regular attendant at the chapel. A yet
more pltiabie case was that Of a man who was
wholly blind, deaf and dumb, and insane The
| semolance OF q man, and yet 10 condition no
better than a worm! Another greeted me
cordially as his brother, and ioformed me that
he was born before the food. If he had said
be bad seen the Natural Bridge built. should
have been prepared 10 assent, but this rather
nonpussed me, and | moved ou to see man
who was ahectionately informing the Doctor
that be was going TO kill hin as soon as be cot
a pistol The Doctor quietly humored bis little
whims, but didn't promise bim the pistol. We
| then ascended to another department, where
| the inmates were quieter. Here was a man
| who was shedding light on the world By abori-
ously writing on bits of paper something like
| this:
The world needs light very and to do we are
| Light to progress is what very and such
To enllghten the world still more he wrote on
| bpth sides of the paper. A religious enthusiast
Informs the dootor that he vas going up at II
clock that his father was coming after him
with chariot and 900 horses. and he was to
have one j,st like it When informed that it
was past II, be calmly put it off till 2 clock.
rhe others we're much amused at this mote in
their brother eye. We passed on to another
bnildi1g, the laundry kitchen. and boiler house.
Here are seven large boilers which heat the
whole establishment and run the engines. and
| even assist in the washing and cooking. Iu the
kitchen is large French range which does the
cooking. with the exception of soups, &c In
the laundry among various approved appllancies
are set OF hydraulic clothes washers. which
| gives great satisfaction. Ali the labor in these
departments Is white, and Is regulated With
| evident order and neatness. On The hill back
OF the buildings and 50 feet above the highest
roof, Is the reservoir which is capable of ofsupply-
ing any urgent demand, as in case of fire. The
water used comes direct from the spring, some
half mile away, and is very pure, If lime Is not
considered an objection The water works cost
about $40 900 The asylum has also Its own
gas works, which were erected st cost Of $5,-
000 Attached to the institution are 100 acres
OF land, part Of which is laid out Ia ornamental
grounds, which must be exQusitely beautiful in
summer, part in vegetable gardens, which sup
Oily It's inmates with vegetables the year round,
aud part in orchard aud farm. Many of the
patients are allowed to work about the grounds
and in the shops, and this healthy labor, ac,ing
also as a diversion OF the mind, is found to be
very beneficial. A library and billiard table
are also at the pleasure of the inmates, and the
latter especially is found to be Of great service.
was sorry to see that tobacco was used pretty
generally by the patients, though it is nominal
ly forbidden In the table of expenses for 10 IL
appears an item OF SI22 for tobacco an article
which | had thought should almost be exclud-
ed from the medicine list The expense tor
postage, trees, shrubbery and garden seed was
not eight dollars more than that expended for
tobacco.