The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-10-13
The Weston Asylum.

lhe regular annual +4eSH"b " N4S
Board Of Directors Of the West Virginia
Hospital for the insane, was held at
Weston last week, and DR.. NJ. F. Hull
hen, one Of the members who was in at
tendance, has our thanks for information
relative to their proceedings.
1t will be gratifying to the readers Of
the ISrELLIGESCER to know that by the |
recent completion Of a new section Of the
hispital, all OF the white insane in tho
State can be accommodated. Unfortu.
nately the Legislature has not yet made
provision for the care of our
coIored insane. Humanity and econo-
my alike demand that this should not
be postponed any longer than it is absO-
lutely necessary to construct suitable
quarters for their reception. To cOnfne
them in the county jails from year to
year without medical attention or hope
Of restoration to sanity is cruel, and in
financial sense, expensive. The Board Of
Directors, however, at their last meeting
passed resolution to be submitted to
the next Legislature, asking for an APP
preparation Of $4,000 or 100000 to ena'
bic them to put on the Hospital grounds
a separate and detached building to be
used for this class Of patients, and to be
under the management OF the same
corps Of officers in charge Of the
main building,
The Superintendent in his annual re.
port to the Board shows that there were
in the Hospital on the first day Of OctO-
Der, 1874, three hundred and forIy.iyC
patients; that there have been admitted
up to the end Of the fiscal year ffty.two,
making a sum total Of four hundred and
six. OF this number forty-eight were
discharged from the books. The greatest
number Of patients in the Hospital dur.
ing the year was three hundred and fifty.
seven, and the lowest number was three
hundred and iorty.fve; the daily average
in round figures was three hundred and
fifty. On the 3Oth day Of September,
1875, the Hospital records show one hun
dred and ninely.ionr males, and one hnn-
dred and ffty.fve females, together three
hundred and iorty.nine, under treatment.
We are pleased to note that the Insti-
tuition still maintains its we'll deserved
reputation for economy, as will be patent
in the accompanying figures. The cost
for keeping each patient per week was
S2.40l or Sl2j.lS n year. This includes
all expenses-salaries Of officers, wages
Of attendants and domestics, food, medi.
cineS, clothing, fuel, etc.
From tho statement Of the number Of
insane now In the Hospital from the vari.
Gus counties Of the State, We learn that
Ohio has 90, Wood IS, Harrison 10,
Berkeley IA, Marion IS, Greenbrier H.,
Jefferson 10, Kunawha -, Lewis II, Ran
dolph 10, Taylor l2, and the remaining
counties less than ten each. Clay, Nc.
DOwell and Tucker have no representa-
tive in the list, and they should be glad
thereof.
The Superintendent directed the atten.
ton Of the Board to the fact that since the
date Of his last annual report there have
been number Of nonresident insane
wandering about the State. As rule
they are unable to give any connected
history Of themselves, yet there is every
reason to believe that majority Of them
at least have been used to hospital life
and discipline. Now, can it be possible
that these patients were discharged from
other insane hospitals, with the eXpecta.
ton that West Virginia would fall heir
to them2 looks very much ns II this
might be the correct solution. Some time
ago we noticed in tho Baltimore papers
that Maryland had been imposed upon
In the same way. It is time that this
disrcputublC practice should be discOun-
tennnced, and we hope that we shall have
no cause to refer to the subject again.
Let every State make ample provision
for liz own unfortunate insane, which is
certainly nothing more than justice de-
mands at their hands.