Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1876-10-13
The Brattleboro Insane Asylum.

Quite furry of excitement and comment
has been caused by the report of DR.. II. II.
Atwater, the state commissioner Of the in
sane, on the condition Of the Brattleboro
insane asylum, and if the report be true, and
we doubt not that it is, there are ample
grounds for criticism upon the way in which
the asylum is conducted. Dr. Atwater, be-
sides making numerous visits to Brattleboro,
has visited many asylums in various parts Of
New England and New York, and has come
to the conclusion that there are many radi-
cal defects in its management and institu-
tions. In the first place he thinks that the
insan under the guardianship Of the state
should be placed in state institution and
not in semi.oficial one like the present
asylum at Bratteboro. lie says that it has
been nothing more than one sided partner
ship between the state and a private corpo-
ration, and that while the corporation has,
assisted by appropriations from the state,
grown very rich, the state has nothing
to show for its large expenditures. He con.
cudes this statement by saying that 1.-THE
corporation has all the profits, and the state
dearly bought experience, which trust it
may profit by" A transaction similar to
that of co untry gentleman who was to
enter into partnership with a Wall street
broker. The broker telling the conditions
to friend, said, 1--WE sign for so many years.
He puts in the money, | the experience !;
when the time expires, | will have the
money and he will have the experience"
He also mentions the fact that much
smaller per cent of the patients are cured
than in former years. In regard to this he
says
81 have compared the vital results of the
first ten years-the whole of the first decade
when the number Of the patients in the
asylum never exceeded 300, with those of
the last ten years, when the number has
averaged sol, aud fnd that while the per
cent Of recoveries the first period was ~ 05
it has been only 22,70 during the last that
u.s. nearly twice as many recovered then as
do now. On the other hand while the per
cent of deaths was only S.l2 the first decade,
it has been 20.73 the last that is, two and
one-half times as many are dying Of late
years as did then, and only about one-halI
as many recovering"
On the other hand the Springfield Repub
lican, in an editorial upon the report, says
that the best Massachusetts, asylums do mol
cure as many patients as formerly, and thai
the cause was an increase of the chronic in
sane. 1t also says that considering tho
abuses which creep into public as well as
private institutions that change to a purely
state institution should be justified only OIL
serious and well.established grounds, bu
that the state should supervise everything
under its care and protection.
The next thing spoken of, is the provi.
sion made for the care and comfort of thu
unfortunate insane. In this there has beer
a great change from ten years ago. A
few of the omissions and changes are as fol
lows:
The patients are not allowed 80 mucl
freedom as formerly. There are no relig
iOus services except on Sunday, though for
merly there was one every day. The hall
arc dimly lighted, and but few picture
cheer the dreary rooms But little exer
else is afforded the patients and few game
are furnished for their amusement. Then
for literary exercises, there was published
an Asylum Journal, which Furnished
large amount of employment for the pa
tieAts," and for which they received in ex
nhnnnn nhont two hundred neWspapors