The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1876-01-27

TENDENT,-We have received from DR.. Bald
win. the report OF the Board OF Directors and
Physician and. Superintendent OF the Western
Lunatc Asylum, for the fiscal year, ls74-o.-
The tabuas statements embrace the period
from October 1st 1873, to Septeihber a0tl,
1875, and, show that there were in the asylum,
at the commencement OF the two years, 1874 pa
tients-xnale, 1871; female, l53. Subsequently
admitted, 135-male, 10; female, 90. Total IN
the Asylum during the two years, 4s9-male,
2G0; female, 200. OF these there We're dis
charged. as recovered, 73-male 40; female, 20.
As improyed--mals. S; female 6. AS not I'm
proved-Inale 2; female l. Died, 26- male, l5s
female H.. Remain, 356-male, 1873; female,
| 1853.
| The number of patients at the close of the BIZ
ennial period is greater than ut the beginning
| by %. In his report, DR.. Baldwin states that
the per centage of recoveries has been above
the average, though below that OF the pseyfous
biennial period, which was in excess. The
mortuary list exhibits reduction in the rate
of mortality, and the exemption OF the Institu-
ton from disease Of endemic or epidemic char
acter. The greater number OF deaths were
among those who had been insane rnalsy years,
and laborcd under incurable or organic disease.
Three Of the deaths we're the result OF those de-
plorahie accidents to which Institutions OF tliis
character are peculiarly liable. The first was
| produced by a fall from window on the 3rd
OF June, 1874. A female patient managed to
unfasten and open the protecting blinds of her
window, and fall from it to the pavement be-
low, distance OF twelve feet. She was found
in an unconscious state, and died in short
time; whether she fell accidentally, in attempt
ing to escape, or leaped out with suicidal i'll
tent, cannot be known. Two suicides have
been rccorde during the past year, occurring
under entirely different circumstances and in
different departments; they well illustrate the
fearful uncertainties and anxicties necessarily
attending this class OF patients. The first, a
female patient, aboring ,aitler meancl Ola.
was put to bed as usual, in an associate aor.li-
tory OF five beds, and hypnotic was given her
at two o'clock. The night nurse visited her
four times, and at the last visit found her dead.
| She had hung herself to the head rail Of her
cot, with strip torn from the het-spread, with
out attracting the notice of the other four oc-
cupants of the room. The second was male
patient. who had strongly exhibited suicidal
tendencies, but had reached stage Of improve
ment when it was thought advisable to grant
| him the privilege Of exercising during the day
| in designated portion Of the grounds He
broke his parole, left his limits, and before dis
covered, had hung himself to q tree in a seclu-
detl part of the orchard
| As illustrative of impnlsive insanity, the fol-
lowing instance is cited by the Supe ri,itencnt:
| IA male patient was admitted last spring,
with the evidence OF this procliyity upon his
person. Special instructions are given his at
| ten,lant; he submits Quietly to discipline,
and is apparently SO rational, that arpiehen-
| sion begins to slbside. One evening his sup
| per is placed before him, and the attendant
| steps into an adjoining room for rlOment, and
is horror stricken. when he re uris. to find his
patient covered with blood from frishtful
cash across his throat, Inflicted with small
fragment OF the looking-glaSs hanging upon
the wall. l said to him some days ALTERS My
friend. how long had your attendant left you?
He replied. 'as soon as he left the door,
sprang to my feet, broke the glass, and inflicted
the injlry, yielding to an impulse that was re
s>tess. THIS i inpulsive insanity. or the iin-
| pulses Of the insane, Of which we daily have
more or less cause OF apprehension We are
informed by the best authorities that the surest
way to prevent suicides is to keep your patients
| under never cea>ing surveillance by day and by
night, but under our system, this cannot be
done. We arc compelled to rely, in Il great
measure, upon the imposition of mechanical
restrain is. which, besides being isuEicient are
objectionable as lctartling recovery. But there
| is Il time when surveillance or mechanical re
| straint must case. Your patient must
be trusted. The moral element must be
brought into play-and this is really the NEST
critical period of all. However, when we eX.
anime the records Of this or similar institutions,
and compare the number Ct unsuccessful efforts
at suicides made every year, with those that are
successful, we have reason to be thankful, and
to conclude that if these institutions had been
established for no other purpose Than protec-
ton from self-destruciion, they have not been
in vain.''
Discrimination in the admission of patients
is made in favor OF the durable over the iilcura-
BILE, and other things being equal, in favor Of
the poor over the RICH In reference to the ia
| BILE Of applicants rejected" DR.. Baldwin
| says:
''Nonc can close their eyes to the important
| fact therein exhibited, that che insane unpro-
vitIed for in hospitals are accommodating in our
! State. We have not hesitated to continue the
! discrimination long practical, and so much
complained Of by 81 eritfs and others.
| Our reasons have been given fire.
| quently and fully in our former rcl orts, and
| with due respect, allow me here to add, that
should the Legislature at any time veto this
wise and humane measure, it could only he
| done under all enactment which should be en-
| titled AN act to perpetuate insanity i'll Vir-
ginia.''
III reference to tile admission of patients the
| report says:
''There is 70 competition between the rich
and the poor, and no necessity for it. For the
fact has been clearly demonstrated that the
present institutions, by eXclE'ling ircurabe
cases. can receive all the recent and durable as
they occur. therefore. | hope this fact will
be understood and appreciated-tlmt a mans
means, has no bearing upon his reception here,
but each case stands alone upon its individual
merits as to durability; and would here call
attention to the following figures as corrobora-
tive Of the above statement. Within the past
year we have received applications from TWEEN
ty-fnur pay patients. OF these, fifteen have been
rejected and nine admitted. OF the latter,
six have already been discharged and three are
still with u.s. These fifteen rejected pay pa
,ients would have been, in all probability, resi-
dents here for some years, and would have in
creased the annual revenue of the Asylum by
4,5O0 ach year that they remained (ltsthe rate
Of $500 each per annun). The last of this
hot tai