, 1874-12-10
The Insane Asylum.

At meeting of the Western Washing
ton Medical Society, held in this city
about month since. a number Of afi-
davits and other evidence were pre-
sented to it, showing gross mismange-
ment of the unfortunate inmates of the
Insane Asylum. whereupon the folio v
ing resolutions were unanimously pass
ed:
Resolved, That from statements and
afhdavits made to this Society. we are
satisfied that the Insane Asylum Stella
COON is not conducted in a humane and
enlightened manner; that the patients
are not only not given such medical and
moral treatment as will hasten their re-
covery, but are positively maltreated
physically; Therefore We, the Medical
Society of Washington Territory. re-
spectfully demand, that the Governor
and Auditor of the Territory appoint a
committee of five prominent citizens Of
the Territory, three of whom shall be
physicians in good standing in their
profession, with authority to take testi-
mony, to inquire into the condition of
said Asylum, and make public report
thereon. And further, 81 81 l5T-S 81
Resolved, That the committee must
be composed of men of such integrity,
that any report they may make shall be
unhesitatingly accepted by all as trne
report and that it be Immediately pub
lishe1. as.s.+4I.
A committee was appointed to wal.
upon the Governor and Auditor and
present this matter to their considera-
tion. When that committee visited
Olympia for that purpose, they arrived
there in the evening and left On the
steamer the following morning. Their
time being thus limited, they failed to
see the Auditor. but left the matter in
the hands of the Governor, expecting
him, of course, to confer with his col.
league and communicate to him the
facts of the case. A week afterwards, it
was ascertained that the Governor had
not communicated with the Auditor on
the subject and had made no answer to
the committee. About that time DR..
Williston wrote to DR.. Weed expressing
his views, in very free and con6den-
tial manner, of the situation of affairs.
That letter was manifestly not intended
for publication. It was handed to us
by DR.. Weed to copy the facts relating
to the death of patient at the Asylum,
ane our attention being occupied by
outside matters on that day, the whole
letter appeared in print, contrary to the
design of the writer and very much to
the chagrin Of DR.. Weed, who seemed
thereby to be gnilty of betraying private
confidence. But we shal. not regret
this accidental exposition, which was
the drst knowledge the public bad of
the matter; if it results in precipitating
full exposition of the wrongs com
planned of. The insane are "God's
poor" sacred public trust, any abuse
of which should be visited by prompt
and condlgu punishment. If it is true,
as appears by the testimony presented
to the Medical Society, that corporeal
punishment of the insensate patients is
practised at the Asylum, no considera-
tions of personal friendship or party
policy should be permitted to shield the
offenders from the public Indignation
due to such cowardly crime. The
medical gentlemen who have undertake
en- the investigation of this matter, have
retained copies of all the afidavits and
other evidence of abuses in the Asylum,
which will be published if the Cover
nor and Auditor do not take some i'm
mediate measures for an efficient invcs-
tigation. The Courier expresses the
belief that Mr.. Harmon has rot person
ally been guilty Of any cruel treatment
or intentional neglect of the patients.
We can readily credit that statement;
but if cruelty and neglect have been
practiced under his management, nei-
ther he nor the Governor will be per-
mitted to screen the guilty parties.