The New York herald., 1876-12-18

WITS and. further il necessary, 10 give to
the public. /"
MRS. soRroS's STORY.
Mrs. j. T. Norton whose testimony relative TO her
treatment while in Bloomlngdale Asylum has been
before the pubic, has made sworn statement pref
acod by the following remarks-
An examination Of my case took place before Dr.
ordronaux, Commissioner in Lunacy a. the New York
Hospital, III Sixteenth street. the 18Th OF October.
-Four OF the ten governors we're present with the
doctors and nurses OF the asylum. stenoxrapher
was present, ana l have just learned that he was
hired by the Boomingdaie officials, instead Of
by Dr. 0rdronaux, supposed. DR.. Or
dronaux tells mo this and also another thing
When he dsmissed US at the close of the investgs.
ton he told that he should assemble again et the
place to hear his decision after he had read the
stenographers report; he wrote my husband, Mr.
Jonathan T. Norton, two letters to the effect,
of them stating that he should demand that all the ten
governors should DO present THIS meeting never
called although l had written him meanwhile that
owing TO the laencss of the hour. &c, did not
tradict Jane Eaton's testimony IN ono particular as
on the failure OF the meeting he said its cause was
the refusal OF the use OF the hospital by the Bloom
ingdalc officials. In the light OF the evidence there
some surprising statements in DR.. 0rdronauxs
port whether caused by delinquency In tho sionogra
phcr, how caused. has yet been made apparent
Dr. iirowh, Medical Superintendent OF Bloomngdaie
testified under oath, that patients, other than myself
bad complained 70 him Of the cruelty Of Jane
that no complaint Of her but my own had ever
reached them Another fragrant deviation from the
facts this The report speaks OF Jane Gordon
beng equally employed with Jane Eaton in attend
ing upon and feeding me. greater mistake could
belief Jane Gordon was in my ward not more than two
months OF the time that there, and during that
time she only occasionally assisted Jane Eaton in iced
ing me. During the eight months that was under
the of Jane Eaton was almost always fed by her
alone Her being assisted by any one was an cx.
ccptional thing She and l were alone together
At the time | lett the asylum many months
had passed since l had Jane Gordon.
Dr. Ordronaux seems take no note In his report Of
how often the Blooming dale officials corrobora.ed my
statement OF facts, showing my memory 10 be per-
feet even IN the very words used in many cases. also
q Nnpfn faCt nh nnnn nufh NAT hn
knew memory at fault IN relating any particular oil
his my sons visits He is reported by newspaper
correspondent TO have said ths.-"Mrs NortOn's
memory was remarkably good in relation to persons
and Things about her. but nil in regald to hcrselfo
II such state OF memory is recognized by psycholo-
gists / did not know II, and l Know that
remember that most terrible things happened to me
Bloomingdac and all the details OF them He says
that gave lew details Of the injury done 10 my
throat II l did not give enough, can give as many
may be desired. Drs. Burrell and Beown both
told me before the nation that they we're con-
vinccd that remembered correctly all that happened
TO me while in their asylum. DR.. 0rdronaux is also
reported by newspaper correspondent to have sand,
"Mrs. Norton being powerful woman, prob.
ably resisted the nurse" until such and such
effects produced, This powerful woman
myself-was SO extremely emaciated that my husband
has often said that he did believe that could have
weighed ninety pounds Many who in the
gained flesh Besides this was bound hand and ioot
also tightly the chest that could not breathe
naturally Twas much OF the time 50 weak that was
expected to die at any time. night day. This, by the
doc,or's testimony, was the powerful woman"
l asked DIR. Ordronaux myself whether l
should have been put into strait jacket, consider
ing that the doctors testified that never attempted
any violence others myseS Hc answercd:-.'Uh,
part ol the discipline OF the asylum, and can
not do any thing about IT," IL is well that should be
Known what the discipline OF the asylum lA Owing 10
being locked up for much OF Inc time alone cannot
testify, TO any extent OF other inmates OF the building
but II was the commoncst Of things to sec people In
strat-iackets have seen partly grown girl tied In
standing posture, TO post IN the dining room, for
hours at tme on many occasions She appeared
TO bo imbeclc child. This cruelty in
which witnessed in the asylum The nurses seemed
to manage the institution have lately visited DR..
Krkbrde's Pennsylvania Hospital for the Insane.
DR. Hess, one of the physicians there, told me that
they never trusted nurse to feed mechanically in
their institution They uhe doc,ors) always did such
feeding themselves There never had been in ono in
stance exception to this rule.
THE DELAY IN PUBLICITY.
Dr. Ordronaux remarked IN his report that did not
make known my injuries to the public until eleven |
months had elapsed after my return home. This is
true. The reasons for It were these:-
First my friends had great objections TO the fact Of
my insanity being made known at all They, particu-
lary my sons, boys In their teens, had taken great
closure OF the indignitics to which had been sub
jectcd. Ho thought y hard that he, among all hus-
bands in Brooklyn should be singled out 10 bear such
a thngn In consequences of hts being much sh ooked
and grieved account oil tho minor suferings blows
&C., which had undergone, concealed from him the
injuries to my throat, Notwithstanding advice TO
had revealed the extent OF my aillc,lon
he-my yhusband-reproached himself mucn for put
ting me in the asylum. thought that he should not
reproach himself at all for he opposed IL to thedas
and yielded only whom overborne by the representa-
tions Of my physician, DR.. Orniston, who assured |
HIM that at BloomingdaIe there appliances Tor
cat readily. l would say, just here that those ap-
plauces used in my casc and that the
FED. Furthermore rap,SIy became worse after NV
removal TO the institution. attribute thus to
two The principal one was doubtless,
the contrast between the tenderness with which
treated homo and the cruelty experienced there.
Tho other was the loss Of the treatment OF Dr. Orm-
ison, has peculiar comprehension OF The organ
ism OF the human mind, and Is than ordinarily
capable o ounderstandng nervous diseases To return
TO tho reasons for my conceamen, OF my injuries MY
sister, although ANXIOUS that should tell my husband
oil tho injuries 10 my throat. did not wish me TO
make known 70 tho outside world any OF tho
abuses which l had suffered until consider
able period had elapsed from the time of
my return iron the Asylum, account Of the preju-
patients. ] promised her TO delay H. II was trial
10 me to make IT public At all on account OF the diff
ierent members Of my family, who were doing every
thing to make me happy by their sympathy and kind
ness, shown 10 greater degree II p0ss ole, than
before. But | was surprised and indignant at drst
upon my recovery that SO little had bsen mado known
respecting the reaim msn IN asylums by recovered pa
tents thought should be as guilty as they II
remained silent
II my friends had known the true nature OF asylums
should have been kept al home saved the most annoy
ing and have no DOUBT had my mental
disease shortened by months. Although exceedingly
melancholy aud having deusons was, In omparison
with what was W come. out OF misery uH my 1ncar.
ceraton IN Bloomingoae My babe was born the
18th OF March did not go thcro til the I'D of tho
following January word more as TO tho sensitive
OF my friends In regard 10 my injuries
ono of my sons has seen my throat injuries 10
this day--he does not feel as II ho could
look as It, With mention OF one instance
OF Jane Eatons falsty in testimony Will close this
part OF my paper she said that driven 10 the
6atn room without clothing apparently wishing il un-
dcrstood that l not driven from II in the same
manner, whereas the fact that was driven thus
quite often, II not onener from II than to IL. Ny
sf nhin
connected with times when was driven from II than
any other way Notwithstanding that Mr.. Brow has
heard the cruelty of this Jane Eaton Others
well to myself, she still, at latest accounts
in the institution.