The daily gazette., 1874-11-10
For the Gazette.
4 The County aims House.
nv TAvDAvpp

| CTS OF tnls county, ike ourselves, know
there Is County Aims house somewhere
IN the vlcinlty OF Wilmington, to which
are sent the helpless. the aged, the Graz
| ed, the halt and the blind who have not
the means of proper maintenance and
neither friends nor relatives to render
them material aid and sympathy. Know
ing these facts, and knowing no more.
we resolved to visit the Aims house and
see for ourselves how it was managed
Our visit was opportune, for it happened
on the Quarterly Meeting" of the Trus-
tees, and when the institution was visit
| ed by the Boards of Trustees from both
Kent and Sussex counties. who were in
| conference. with the Trustees of New
Castle county to consider the propriety
perhaps the necessity-of separate
institution for the care and, cure of the
insane of the State. .,..a.
We scarcely deem it necessary to say
that each county in this State has its
Almshouse, which is managed by Board
OF Trustees selected by the Levy Court,
in the county.
The Almshoase property consists of a
main building for the Superintendent
and family and assistants, as well as the
sick, the lame and the aged and helpless,
who here have their comfortable rooms.
Or another building devoted to the in
sane, and still another removed some
distance and thickly shaded with trees
devoted exclusively to cases Of conta-
gious diseases.
There Is also flrm of about twenty
acres attached to the Almshouse; q well
managed, well fertilized and productive
farm, which the Superintendent assures
us yields annual products to the value Of
near two thousand dollars annually
This farm is titled chiefly by the paupers,
and the produce is consumed by the in
mates Of the in Institution.
There is also good garden-to us it
| seemed a model garden-crowded as it
was with vegetables, monstrous in size
and excellent in quality. This is under
| claims to have been perfected in his art
through long service with the Messrs.
| du Pont. Pats celery and mushroom
beds were objects of especial interest.
From our out-of-door inspection, where
we found SO much to admire and COM
mend, we were summoned to partake, in
company with the Trustees and their
Kent and Sussex county guests, and the
professional gentlemen representing the
medical departments of each Board, to
| q good, wholesome dinner, which we dis
cussed with appetite while we discussed,
at the same time, the expenses and the
present condition of the institution.
Mr.. Barlow, the efficient Superintend-
ent, informed us that the maintainance
of the inmates, together with salaries for
overseer and assistants, and all other ey-
penses connected with the management
of the house and grounds, amounted to
an average of forty cents per day for
each inmate. During the year there
have been about five hundred and fifty
inmates. One hundred and ninety to
NINETY five is, however, the average num-
Der in the house at one time. OF the
whole number received during the past
year, one hundred and seventy-seven
were colored; two hundred and twenty
one foreigners; leaving only one hundred
and fifty-one white American citizens
who have availed themselves OF the use
of this grand charity furnished by the
taxpayers OF New Castle county.
We now make tour of the rooms, and
find the same general care of the wards
and cleanliness of the rooms. With an
occasional exception, the inmates are con-
/ tented and happy as circumstances will
, admit. Many of them-expecially the
| sick and agod-spoke with affectionate
interest of the matron who they say
T makes for them home with all home s
, comforts. Tho weak minded and insane
we found to be more numerous than we
) expected, and the hospital for contagious
D diseases we declined to inspect.
Il We next dropped into the parlor,
c where we found Trustees of the several
= counties in committee of the whole, dis
: cussing tho >propriety of memoralizing
| the Legislature for a State Asylum foi
the insane. So rapid has been the in
crease of this class of inmates in New
: Castle county that the available rooms
C Iunder tho necessity of erecting some
s twelve new rooms, which are now ready
l.. for the reception of occupants. The
/ number in the institution at present
v classed as insane, is tifty-two, over one
= fourth of the whole inmates. Some OF
E these cases are hopelessly crazed, Others
. arc capable of amelioration if not Of
perfect cure under skillful treatment and
J, cheerful surroundings. Wo are Informed
that the medical staff OF the house have
e been successful in a remarkable degree
d in these cases. Many considered incura
G bio have been discharged as sound il
N mind. But all the care that can be ex
n ercised here, and tho best treatmen
| possible under the circumstances, coulo
), not be SO effective as would be that O
- doctors who made diseases of the mind I
speciality in an institution set apart ex
e clusively for such patients.
VI 1t Isl not our purpose to report wha
!, was said at this conference on the sub
Il ieot of q State Insane Asylum. We wer
d surprised at the ability with which tn
If subject was treated by the speakers
n Evidently no application will be made t
a. the Legislature for relief until sue
. facts can be presented to our law maker
- as will convince them of the necessit
r. for tho appeal, based not only on tn
IS fact that the proportion of insane is to
IL large ~ be properly treated in connet
IN tion with the other wards of the couu
+. ties, but chiefly to give this unfortunat
ID class the benefit Of exclusive treatment
8, Intelligent committees were nppointe
1i from each county, who will collect sta
Ia tistics in regard to the number of insan
As within the State, the most successf,
p mode of treatment as adopted by tn
various institutions throughout the couI
= try and all matters touching the subjec
le they will also digest a plan for Stat
IS, Insane Asylum, all of which will! be dul
OF considered by the Board collectively. b'
at fore presentation for Legislative actiol
;x We cannot close this record OF our IL
"a teresting visit without an expression
~ qualification in finding our county pot
III concerns 80 well managed and the ii i
u, mates SO comfortably cared for. II
nd Superintendent appears to be indefati
ot able in the performance of his dutie
an and the Matron appears to be regard'