, 1875-01-21

INaANE Asylum INvFsT1GArloN.-The
report oS the Cor mittes appointed to
investigate the charges sRains' the nan
aeenent Of the Insane Asylum. it ia no
reflection upnn the character of the
gentlemen composing the, comnitte~-to
say. ia not what the public expected or
the ip'erests Of humanity demanded At
their hends. The main. and almost sole
matter Of tie report ia devoted to the
vipslication Of Mr.. Harmon from any
personal act of cruelty or intentional
wror g. and while admitting that wro''gs
have been csnniind BY attendants.
not a word in uttered in ct ndemDation
Of snch acts or = suggestion that per-
sonsl violence or corporenl punishment
IN not to be ADMITTED or tolerated in any
respectable institution f0r the caro- and
s1esfm~Ht Of Inxnne. nurea~nn,g ssA
irre~peaxible human beings. The *
cuse that no mole force in choking
pounding and kicking refractory pa
tienta. wAs use than was necessary to
reduce them to subjection. is admitted
by the committee as conclasise. and
the matter of pnnishine patieus~ IL ief.
I'M it was before. ~ the dis -resion Uf any
passionate or brutal keeper it may b.
for the interest of Mr.. Harmon to en-
ploy for that purpose. "''
The vindica,ion of Mr.. Harmon and
bis character as hn0mue and well~
meaning nan it, jast what we expected.
and what sli his personal aeqn.intaucss
wonld bear witness 10. The inveSiigs-
tior was not insfigated in anv hostility
to him, but to elucidate and determine
the workings Of the system of farming
ant the care and keep ping Of the iutii'
gent Insane, requiring Of the cnntrnct>
or no kno vledRe or experience fitting
him for the delicate and important trust.
and NO responsibility beyond supplying
their ply sical wsnts. and aad-r no con
troll To the physi ian in regard to ~anita-
nv reenl.tions. and at liberty to employ
such assistants ~ he chnoxes, With Iess
regard to their mental than their mus
cular force. 1t was in this view ihst
III. Medical tincirty demsnded an in
~..saig ,ticu of charges of daerant wrong
pertasnine to ths pr sent system, crrti-
fed to bv Drs. Hs nmenway and Will
liston. and appointed . committee to
present the matter to the Governor aud
Auditor. That was the only connection
waich the Society bad in any way with
the matter. The Society and its CON
mi:tes we're ignored tAresshout the
proceedings. wers not consulted In the
appoiutDent of tho committee Of in
vestisaiion or notified of the time OF
meeting. THAT Dss. Hemepwsy aud
Wiiliston. the prcsecuting Witnesses
who were present. declined 70 subsian-
tiats the chnrges upon which the Medi-
cal Society took action in the matter. IL
unxccountahle. Thus it happened that
ther" was NO investigation. bnt simply
a one sided presentation Of ths matter
BY Mr.. Harmon and his friends and .
friendly report by the good>natsred
gentlemen who wers enjoying his hos-
pitality ON the occasion. Nothing Of
advantage to the public or to the nnfor-
.pnate jdsane has come Of il. and NO
ones opinion will be changed BY the
report. The newbers of the commits
tee arc all fair-nindsd aud honorable
men. who undoubtedly made feir re-
port OF the facts before them. upon the
hypothesis that Mr.. Harmon wss on
trial for personal deriliction. and under
the impression thst they had no nthcr