The New York herald., 1876-12-19
A Lawyers Experience with the
BlOomingdale Asylum.
EvADING INVESTIGATION
How and by Whom the Con-
Germ is Managed.
ABUSES AND THEIR REMEDIES.

vclopments in the OF Mrs. Norton the character
and management OF institutions for the and
1ncmcnt of insane persons have become matter OF
great interest," and the experience of tho lecturer
given below points out OF the ou,ragcs perpe-
traicd IN them an the means OF remedying them
Alter reviewing the manner OF governing such inst
tulions In European countries Mr.. Townsend to
his experience on the subject in this country
AsYLrMs
Before snmmng up lie said, what would appear by
the evidence OF all who have had association with this
class OF patients to be their conclusion how such
patients should bs governed. oy what character OF
persons controlled he would call attention the
in which such asyums conducted In this
Try 1t was unfortunate that tho same opportunities
we're afforded to hero for examination as
arc given in England. There. superintcldents seem
anxious to be considered progressive, and when
RACES perpetracd asylums there, they arc, If
possible the first 10 demand examinations and
socltous apparently OF relieving themselves OF any
odIum attached and OF seeing that the abuses are
rcciiled Here, tho opposite rule seemed to be IN
vogue. II II was intimaied that an outrage had
Cured IN asylum, Immediately all avenues 10 IN
formation closed; If possible, denial mndc
that any such thing had occurred II the matter
public grave ior such disposition to be
made OF II, then ii pooh-poohcd being q
dclusion under which tho patient laboring
of the will OF the superintendent the board
above him were expected lie tho case
through or their positions Woo TO tho attend
ant, male or female, whose conscience tender
when such trial was imposed upon them. The
superintendent, when charges OF outrage
spoken Of gives hts opinion that such things are
impossible. The s.Board OF Governors who know
nothing whatever about the case and generally
less raise their eyes at the audacty OF any com
rive credit from their names, and then proceed TO
sulogzc the superintendent and all their employees
lnt comparatively recent period this was the result
" complaint mace by patcat, and the poor dear
leoplc shook their heads aud said, .What terrible
lime these poor doctors must have, surrounded by
Dach people,"
TOWARD REFORM.
1t was hoped that some redress would be obtained
whcn IN 1874 appointed by the Governor State
Commissioner in Lunacy, with salary OF 81, 600 and
fund N 81 coo per placed at his disposal for
incidental purposes. The act by whch ne ap-
pointed and it's amendments empower him 10
anime into tho management and conduct OF asylums
for tho insane public and private and The officers OF
1he asylms are directed to give him The
patents ami all information that he may require. lie
has power issue compulsory process Tor the
ntenarce OF Witnesses and the production o papers,
administer oath aud examine persons under oath
pll cases where complaints are made before INN and
Iherc reason 10 believe that any person IS wrong
July dcpriyeu ms liberty or Is cruelty, negli-
genily or improperly treated in such asylum,
whenever there ipadcquate provisions made for
thclr care. supervision and sale keeping, and is his
duiy 10 report the facts II the shall be proved
his satisfaction. together with his conclusions thereon,
10 Justice o. The supreme Court, who shall thereupon
grant the necessary relief.
rmK GoMalssoSER's ACTION
Mr. Townsend then criticised the action OF the Com
missioner III the OF Mrs. Norton, already detailed
III our columns, and expressed his opinion that the
Office created through the agency OF officers of
nsynms. and gave as ms reasons Tor so believing
Flts the conduct OF tho examination OF Mrs Nortons
present tnis case 10 Justice OF The Supreme Court
ne was bound by law to do II they
were proved his satisfaction. Under this
head Mr. Townsend coniended that there
no contradiction Of Mrs. Norton's testimony,
that the wounds IN her mouth and throat
ilclcd tho hands OF an attendant mt Bioomingdac
and that 10 man OF ordinary judgment could look AT
those wounds without being satisfied they were in
nictcd in most brutal manner Third, because from
conclusions based upon professional experience aided
BY The testimony 81 entirely trustworthy persons, he
believed that some OF the asyums IN this state
simply sinks OF outrage and nlqulty, and cal
cula,cd the insane than the mechanical pro-
cesscs IN vogue the last century. He recon mended
the abolition of the oiace saving OF $4,000 year
10 The slate and by that means the patients and
Their friends would DO relieved once OF tho Elusive
hopes tney have entertained that their wrongs
TO righicd BY the original act OF 1874, by which
,his Commissioner was confirmed, he was directed
from time time TO report the results OF tho treat
mcni the OF other States and countries,
rcther with such particulars as mi sht deem proner
But as II shut on tho last chance which our own
s.expercnced physicians might ever have induce
meni toward progression through the experience OF
hrn TO report upon what his opinion was
Of the conduct Q, affairs in lhls State
pniy. Mr. Townsend said he would adhere
any future transactions TO tho old writ OF habcas
corpus, winch nc had always found encacious, not
only ia bringing benefit 10 the sufferer, out exposure
to tho wron sdocr lie then presented :hcm several
cases had within his professional care and
stated hat from these cases they could learn how peo
pie may De lurcd into asylums, tho kind OF who
called experienced physicians the sort OF attend
ans 10 whom patients are intrustcd the brutality 10
which they may Ue subjected, tho character OF tho
places in which they may DO confined, the food aud
kind OF exercise, mental and physical, ,hcy may ex
pect; the difficulty they have Of getting out without
The Intervention OF the writ OF habcas corpus and
how easy is IL get out when that formidable engine
is presented 10 the inspection OF officers oi insane
asylums.
The frs, nsauccd occurred In September, 1860,
ana was Il at Of n gentleman who confined In the
BloomIngdalc Asylum. lie was confined, as Mr..
Townsend subsequently learned. for having become
possessed OF a secret The divuging OF which might
create havoc with the affairs oi prominent man.
This gentleman wrote to him IRON the asylum in
PLAN and busnesslkc way, requesting him TO call
upon him to the end thai he might lake means to effect
his release. Mr.. Townsend called at the asylum and
requested 10 him. He was received with courtesy
by Dr Brown but was refused admission ON the
ground that such a meeting would certainly excite
Tie patient and his mental CONDITION would
not warrant IT, Not familiar at that time
with the tactics OF that institution be lott but soon
receiving another letter entreating him not TO bc
humbuggcd, he called again and was again refused.
Mr Townsend then applied for writ OF habcas corpus
and had 1t served upon the Doctor Belofe the writ
was fc,urnabIc the gentleman on whose behalf II was
obtained appeared at Mr.. Iownscnd's office, stating
that he had been paroicd upon his honor 10 return
Seeing through this purpose Mr.. Townsend directed
HIM TO to the asylum and thus force the Doctor
10 bring him into court, which the Doctor did the
return day Unril Judge McCunn threatened to order
an examination into the circumstances OF his conhne
ment Or. Brown would admit that he was sane.
lie was discharged.
~ UxwoRTHY
The next occurred in March, 1870. The location
the same asylum. This Application was made by lady
seventy Two years OF age, who said she detained
there by wealthy son, who desired 10 AVOID the cx-
pcnse OF her maintenance This Mr. Townsend subsc-
Ix dforp rod a
nganst her son. who then made proper provision tor
her support. His application al tho asylum 10 sec her
was met with same bland smile, but was refused
upon the ground that her condition was sucn that an
would be too exciting TO her. Again he re-
the OF habeas corpus, and upon The day
before the return to his office IN cab with
her baggage alone he had tho pleasure OF rcstor