Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-22
slahhnap e cgonrraL
The Treatment Of the Insane.

insane people is rapidly Increasing IN TINS
country. Most Of the hospitals public and
private. are filed and crowded with victims
of bewildered or blghted brain. Many of
the patients in them are hopelessly demented.
Many OF them are durable. So that the hos
pitfalls should be constructed and admins
tered. first. for curative treatment, and next
for the protection of the incurpblei to
guard them, both from receiving injury
and also from inhcting it on others We
have always thought that the two classes of
insane should be kept perfectly distinct.
Nothing more certainly tends to make Gu.
rable insanity incurable than the surround
ings of a hospital filed with patients for
whom there is no hope The treatment of
insanity in the future must recognize this
fact if we would have any just respect to
the principles Of humanity or to the ultimate
welfare Of those afflicted with the first
stages Of the terrible malady. Nor is 1t a
matter Of much question that mulutudes
Of cases are given over to hopeless insanity
for lack Of more thorough curative treat
ment at the outset The first object in the
treatment Of insanity should be to find its
cause and remove It. In most cases when
insanity is superinduced it can be traced to
the action Of some definite cause. The
intelligent skill Of the physician should
first be directed to the discovery of the
cause in order to the wise determination Of
possible remedies. And it is also suscepti-
bic of proof that women are more liable to
this malady than men. In such cases the
cause of the mental disease is often obyi-
ously physical and durable. But the cura-
bic disease is often, through ignorance Of
friends or unwise treatment of physicians,
developed into the incurable.
In any case of insanity, when it is deemed
advisable to remove the patient 10 the hos
ptal, the first few weeks Of treatment there
may decide the case for life. Even when
this fact may be recognized by the guardi-
dians of an institution devoted to the
treatment of insanity, it has been found i'm
possible in most cases, on account OF the
great number of patients and OF the va
ried and exacting duties of managers, to give
to each individual the attention that is nee
essary. And still more, physician and
nurse are hardly competent to meet all the
requirements Of so many different stages OF
the malady. More cures would be effected
and the lifelong misery of insanity to its
subject and TO his friends would be spared
If more direct and personal attention could
be given to each patient, and especially &c
every new patient in the hospital. And the
hope of ultimate cure would be more likely
to be realized if the possibly durable patient
was entirely separated from the neighbor
hood of those upon whom the calamity of {
deranged mind has hopelessly fallen.
Insanity is disease so appalling, and it
results are so painful aud terrible, that i
seems to be the special duty of society t.
seek to remove or alleviate it by every pos
sible means. Our present system seems t
be radically false. 1t is certainly defective
and often fatal. 1t needs most careful revi
sion, according to the best lights which ex
periencc and science can throw upon it
The most important needful change in thu
present system is the construction of hospi
tails with reference TO the classification o
patients, and giving more direct, persona
attention to the early stages of the disease
Two or three hospitals for different classe
we should suppose would be far more &C
vantageous than one large institution 70
every class.
Is it not one of the peculiar duties of
state like Vermont TO make such provision
for the curative treatment of the insane a
will be most likely to accomplish its object
There has been no year for thirty years pas
when complaint, often just and wise, ha
not been made against the institution q
Brattleboro. While many, perchance mos
of the complaints are extravagant, or hay
but little reasonable foundation, there al
still many Of them that are eminentiy trr
and just Nor is it perhaps possible for
single institution like this to meet all Il
requirements of the case If experience HI
demonstrated its ineapacity to treat success
fully this dreadful malady, in many cas-
that are at the outset susceptible of cure
it has been fairly impeached by patien
who have recovered within its walls al
gone forth to testify against its methods
peculiarly dangerous, it is obviously Il
duty of the state to make such thorough
vestigation as will show whether the re
evils which constantly excite public col
ment and condemnation can be remedi'
under our present system and il not, VIII
system should a more humane and intel
gent science provide for this fearfully I
ficted class. We do not see how eth
humanity, or experience, or science, can fl
10 instruct us, most convincingly, that O
other system, which involves the classiht
ton of patients and the construction
smaller institutions and hospitals is ind
pensable to the best treatment of tho
among US whose intellects have been tie
porarily or permanently eclipsed.
Our legislature will not accomplish t
highest duties which require its session |
less it deals intelligently and conscientiou
with this subject. 1t is well enough to p
tect fish and game TO guard the sheepfo
of the state from the ravages of dogs
protect mems property and lives from in
sion to secure the education of the Peep
but legislature has not done all its duty
it does not institute inquiry as TO
best possible methods TO be pursued wi
reference to that large and increasing ell
among US upon whose brains is falling
bewildering gloom of insanity. To
the cloud that darkens over human mil
or TO place the victim of such a calam
where science and skill may act freely
its removal is one of the first duties Of
mainly and one OF the prime obligations
Christian state.
DfsFRANcnIsED.-The Tribune thus sta
a matter which will yet come to be ST
ously felt by the freemen Of the North
has never been successfully denied that il
large portion of the Southern States, as