, 1875-09-11
THE INSANE kSYLuM.
Treated Barbarousiy

HatleHtS treated BarbafOuSiy
We have before pamphlet issued under
the auspices of the Puget Sound Medical So
eiety, and giving details of the barbarities
praetieed upon the unfortunate inmates of
the insane asylum. These details are most
horrible, and stamp the contractor and oil
Concerned with him in the management Of
the asylum as inhuman brutes. In the inter
est of humanity We would gladly copy the
whole statement, but The space at our disposal
will only admit of the following in relation to
4 wAILA WAI.IA PATIENT.
James Atchison, of Walla Walla county,
admitted September 6, 1874, age about 45;
married. farmer by occupation, native of the
United States First attack, duration about
two weeks. Physical appearance: Tall, slen-
der, and very much emaciated F.; tongue furred,
circulation accelerated, heart and lungs nor
NAL, digestion impaired, face and body bears
marks of violence of recent origin. II have
since been informed by the Sheriff of Walla
Walla county, who brought him there, that
this patient got his "eyes blaeked " imme-
diately after being admitted; and several con-
valescent patients who were present and wit
messed the affair, Informed me that the patient
was initiated by the usual choking and beat
ing at the hands of Miller and Houston, the
attendants)
This patient manifested no tendency to he
violent, was eXcitahle, talked loudly and al
most Incessantly.
Form of disease, acute mania; caused
probably by OYER work and general i'll health
Prognosis as to recovery quite favorable
Medical treatment: The patient was put
under a mild Alternative course at the begin
ming. together with such remedies as his I'M
mediate symptoms indicated in the mean
time In a very few DAYS he began TO i'm
prove, and as his general health improved his
mind became clear, ne converse3 cOherently.
Under the influence of cod liver oil And
tonics he steadily improved, gained in fl ssh,
and in TWO weeks time had become quite
rational, eonversing intelligently on any sub
ject and Iully recognizing that he had been
insane. On the 25jh of the same month he
was so far recovered that on passing through
! the ward | found him, razor IN hand. assist
| ing 10 shave the other patients. lie remained
/ quite well until the 81 of October, when
patient, one Levi Brooks, was admitted, sui
/ f-ring from acute furiOus mania He Brooks
I had his hands manacled AMI was turned out
/ IN the ward with the other patients. Here.
| in the intensity of his maniaCal rawlings.
! rushing fran'icllly among the hor patients,
| yelling. cursing and leaping about, ns per
! sons suffering from his 70 I'm Of mania always
/ DO. he soon had the ward transferred into n
Yeritable pandemonidn. as Is usually the
case when a new patient arrives. II Is easy
I H.. IF. 4. av,-h rHY
wonld have upon cOnvalesc ng patients,
whose wavering minds are Just emerging
from 4 disease III which over excitabllity Is
the most prominent Symptom.
The next day found the patient, james
Atchison, had relapSed into q raving maniac.
! The following day when | made my rounds
! four the patient still delirious, but exhaust
ed in strength; upon his body were several
ugly bruis =, which, together with the finger
marks and HbrlsiOnS about his throat, gave
evidence that the attendants had not neglect
ed 10 administer their . infallible sedative,
in guieting this pa lent, which IL usually re-
sUr I'd 70 IN this institution. Nevertheless,
he again began TO improve IN the course OF Il
few weeks, and still had faint hope that
he might recover. ! was doomed 10 dlsap-
! pcintmaut, however, as the sequel will show
On The 2l-t Of October the ward WAS thrown
into violent eOmmOtiOa by the admission OF
another new patient, and Atchison reiapsed
again into his former condition and remained
in about tie same state for several weeks
One afternoon missed him In the ward, and
on inauiring learned that he had been put
into ell in the old Jail. There l found
him with his hands manacled, barefooted ana
nothing to protect his body from the cold but
p pair Of old summer pants and thin cotton
shirt his teeth chat:ered, and his bands and
feet were blue with cold. He had been here
since morning without food or drink Sub
iee.ed 10 all this barbarity because he had
failed TO obey some pompous mandate from
the brutal keeper, as the attendant admitted,
saving that Mr.. Harmon, the superintendent,
told him "to make them mind" conducted
the shivering wretch TO the stove IN the main
building and while warming his paisIed
limbs I examined more carefully his person,
and found upon his body numerous bruises
and abrasions, which had evidently been IN
iicted in accordance with the contractor s
orders 10 make the patients mind Is 1t
any wonder that the man Atchison Is now
) homeless maniac? But the contractor has
} gained a permanent bOarder during the re-
mainder of his term and the Territory has
; secured ward who will remain under IL
guardianship until death sewers the obiI8a-
tiOn.