Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1876-07-13
A Tour Through an Insane Asylum.
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Tour Through an Insane ASy ylum
Correspondence Of the Alexandria Gazette.
WASHINGTON, July II. lS76.-Recelving
an order from tue chairman OF the GoverDmeol
Asylum Investigating Committee to the Super
inrrudent of the said asylum to allow the bearer
Ind lriend-two newspaper corresp )ndentS-to
Inspect the interior workings and management
of the establishment, We drove over to the
Government asylum. It's
A GREAT STATELY PLACE,
built of red sandstone, standing 10 the midst OF
superb park. The pleasure grouuds are laid
out With taste and skill, serpentine walks bor'
dered with flowers, ourving in and around the
lawn. The view from these walks Is one OF
rare loveness; the whole country lies at your
feet, and the scene is one OF ever varying beau
ty: cities, villages, farms, ruius, creeks aod
forests lie nterming d, aud every object Is seen
with panoramic fidelity, and trom this point
the Potomac river appears TO the greatest ad-
vantage.
Entering the hall and sending up our ere.
dentisls, We were received most politely by DR..
w, n. Morrcll, who informed us that Dr..
Nichols, the Superintendent, was away 10 Phil,
adelphia, but that it would give him great
pleasure to accede to our wishes, and that We
were at perfect liberty to examine everything
and everybodyin the asylum, and so We started
oo our tour.
We all koow what an absorbing fascination
there is 10 Charles Reades novel of "Very
Hard Cash" and the dramatic force and power
with which the dread mysteries of the mad
house are worked up. Few Of Us Gao read that
romance withou. having 40 intense and utter
loatbiDg towards those cruel brutes, who op
press aud ill treat the poor helpless luuatcs
10 ,h"ir power, and whose reason and sense
are like ,
And |, for one, thought, and think Still, that
there is 40 punishment too severe tor cruel
keeper or malignant attendant, who can i'll use
those poor creatures that appeal 80 strongly 10
our protectioo and sympathy.
| had listened to much of the testimony 10
the asylum case, and went strongly prejudiced
against the present management, and was
determined not TO be put off by fair words, nor
bought by courtesy and civiity, ADD after l
tell what | saw aud heard, any one will see
what my conclusions are. | certainly made
more minute and thorough investigation than
has ever been accomplished, and l speak OF
what | saw without fear or favor.
Uuder the guidance of the Doctor and MIR.
S. B. Lynn we started to the wards, aud opening
a door on the right of the main entrance, We
entered the first floor, where
THE MALE PATIENTS WERE CONFINED.
The architecture of the asylum is simple.
Wide passages run through the bouse, aud on
either side are the rooms OF the inmates Que
room is exactly the counterpart OF the other,
and every one is lighted by large window
looking out 10 the park. Entering them We
found them clean, 10 fact it is very easy to keep
them 30, for there is 20 furniture but the bed,
which is a wire mattress, aud cannot barbor
vermin; the sheets and pillow cases we're white
aud neat, the E ,or was oiled, and with the
slightest effort perfect cleanliness can be OBJ
tanned.
The patients on this f,or are of the
lower order Of humanity, and they talked
and acted like perfectly saue people. They
roamed up and down the passage, sat 10 the
chairs, or lay on tho floor. A few would oom,
and beg to be let out, saying that they had
completely recovered, but by talking With them
little while their crazlDess would soon De ap
parent. | examined all the rof m :, and one or
two only we're 10 bad ndition, and there we're
two or three sick In bed without any nurses
and surrounded by the other pstlents, who
rovel 10 aud oui the sick room without let or
hindrapce. This was the only real negligence
| saw OH this ward.
There were macy types of madness apparent.
The morose, the melancholy, the cuuoiog. the
idlotic, were all here, but the majority we're OF
the kind known as the lis,less; that wander
unmeauinply up snd down the ball, or lay slug
gishly on the a,or. A vapid don't care expres
son is ma,ked on the faces Of them all There
was one, 40 aristooratic looking old gentleman,
who imagiued himself the President OF the
Umlcd States, (hkc Mr.. Hayes, aud strolls up
aud down the passage with look of Drotound
wisdom, and he, poor soul, doubtless adding
his brao over some perplexing questioo OF
State policy. 1t was 10 this ward that the un'
fortunate member OF Congress, the
HON MR.. MELLIsH, OF NEW YORK,
was once cou6nei. HIS case was one of pecu
liar sadness; he manifested for some time pre-
vlous to his incarceration hlghtness OF de-
mcanor that alarmed his friends, and then sp-
pcared 10 the Washington Chronicle 10 near!y
column of the most seuseess, unmeaolng' 40
surd, jiuylog rhymes that were everlnvented,
even by the brain OF crazy mao. Mucn 10
Glguation was manifested al the acton OF the
Morning Chronicle in publishing these lnes,
eveu though it was paid so much per Ilne
tor their Insertion. Mr.. MelIish made stout
resistsnc,, aud it took several men to conquer
him. He was boroe off at last, u skiug faces aud
dcstortug his features 10 h!dsous merrlment.
That night he was under the care of one at
teudant who was not relieved for seventy hours
aud, of course, exhausted "a u-e asserted her
self, aud the result was the oVertaxeo
Nurse slept, aud during that time ooe OF the
most horrible eveots took place that ever hap,
pened in even that palace of horror>-a mad
house. MIR. Mcllish had al irresistible and 10
sane desire 10 swallow everything be could lay
his hauds on. The wearied watcher being dis
turbed by choking noise awoke and found
his patient
HAD SWALLOWED FULLY oNE-HALF OF A
SHEET,
aud was already black 10 the face from sutfoca'
tlou. He was saved from instant death ou
died day or two atterward.
We went through ward after ward. and ex
amined every room aud patient. Here were
all kinds Of madmeo-the laughing, the suiieo
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