Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1876-01-28
'THE MIND DISEASED"

! ARE THERE-WHERE THEY COME FROM
WHAT BROUGHT THEM THERE-HOW
LONG THEY sTAY-SOME INTERESTING
COMPARIsONS-DEAT PAY Pa
TIENT QUESTION,
&C., &C., &C.
The report of DIR. Robert F. Baldwin,
the Physician and Superintendent of the
W. L. Asylum, furnishes some interesting
reading. with the tabular statements &C
companying it which include the two years
ending on the 3Oth of September last. We
make up from it the following interesting
summary:
WHO ARE THERE.
The table showing the civil condition of
the patients shows strong argument for
married life. While there are 1872 single
men there are only 80 married, and while
there are 113 single women there are only
SO married showing-to force the argu-
ment little, that marriage saves just one
half the people in the world from the
lunatic asylum. Bereavement of their
life companion seems to affect the gentle
sex more strongly than men, for while
there are only widowers, there are "a wild
ows, going to prove that women feel their
loss with and 81 more violence than
men. These differences, which will be
new to DR.. Baldwin, are at his service for
his next annual report.
WHERE THEY COME FROM.
In the honor of furnishing patients to
the Asylum, Augusta county and Rich
mond hold equal rank each, having sent
IA in the last two years, and the following
counties the numbers named, Albemarle
6, Rockbridge 6, Frederick 5, Bedford and
Shenandoah 4 each, Rockingham, Pulaski,
Wythe, Washington, Hanover, Loudon,
Pittsylvania, Fauquier, Campbell, AM
herst and Alexandra each, Allegheny,
Appomattox, Caroline, Franklin, Henry,
Louisa, Powhatan, Page. Russell, Roanoke
and Tazewell 2 each, and Botetourt, Bath,
Bland, Cumberland. Charlotte, Clarke,
Chesterfield, Carroll, Dinwiddie, Fluvana,
Fairfax, Grayson, Henrico, King George,
King William, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg,
Nelson, Orange, Prince William, Prince
Edward, Patrick, Scott, Spottsylvania,
Smythe, Stafford, and WestmorelaId l
each.
THE LARGEST CONTRIBUTORS.
The number of patients admitted to the
Asylum since the year 1928 has been 2,614,
the largest contributors being Augusta 215,
Rockbridge 1O2, Campbell 81, Frederick SIS,
Loudoun "A, Fauquier Is, Shenando ah go,
Spottsylvania 80, Richmond City 85, W ash
inton co. SO. Wythe 80, Orange 80, Louisa
81 and Hanover %. The West Virginia
counties that used to send the largest
number were Ohio Including Wheeling)
40, Berkely %, Hampshire 26, H arrison 81,
Jefferson 43 and Pendleton %. In the
whole time there have been patients ad-
mitted from other States, one being from
as far North as Connecticut and another
from the extreme South, louisiana
WHAT BROUGHT THEM THERE.
The causes which brought them
show great variety among the known
which are set down at 81, while the I'M
known are Sc. The chief cause during the
last two years was ill health from which
p men and. % women lost their reason;
next comes pecuniary trouble which sent
20 men and s women to the Asylum. Men
seem to stand trouble best as we see that
only seven of them were driven mad by do
nestle affection while Is women went era
zy from that cause. They stand domestic
trouble better too for, while only 3 men
gave way, the reason of II women was un-
hinged. But.love gets them, for under the
heading of Glove" to which the unroman-
tic and business-like Superintendent adds
disappointed &c.," we find that four men
lost their heads while only one women suf-
fered-a practical tribute to the value of
knowing how to firt. When a man tries
it in his.bungling way it lands him in lu-
matte Asylum. In the matter of ielding
to religious excitement they are about
even, men and women being there from
that cause. There are Is women VIII o are
there from overtaxed energies while there
are only men. Actual laZines5 is one Of the
causes of insanity and we find three vic
tims-two women and one man set down to
the credit of Incidence The war has put
six men and two women there, and there
are two victims of seduction. Among other
causes we find l from exposure to the sun.
from exposure to the cold, from loss of
sight, lone a woman) from the use of
narcotics, and 8 Zone of them man) from
fright.
THE HEALTH OF THE INSTITUTION.
Since the establishment of the Asylum
| in 1928 the average of deaths among the
patients has been 5.51 per cent. The lar
| gest number of patients there was in 1854
when there were .464. The highest rate OF
mortality was in 1928 when it was 13. SS per
cent, 1910 when it was Is. 10 per cent, 1868
when it was II per cent. and 1864 when it
was TO- O5 per cent. The lowest rates were
in 1884 when it was 2.5 per cent, 1880, 81,
'33 and IA when it was 81 per cent, 1887
when it was 2.6 per cent and III when it
was 2.S per cent. Among the 2e deaths in
in the last two years, one was 80 years of
age, one rs, one II, one 6S, one IS, one SO
and one 50 years.
THE CHANCES OF COMING BACK.
Out of 2,27S patients admitted to the
Asylum since 1928, 267 had been there be-
fore, 81 had been there twice before, IA
had been there three times before and 4
had been there four times before. OF the
discharges in that time ,125 had been dis
charged recovered, 24O improved and 155
unimproved.
THE DURATION OF INSANITY AID THE
| CRITICAL AGE.
| Ofthe patients in the Asylum II have
been there 80 years-a life time, 20 have
been there 20 years, 4S have been there 10
years and only 146 been there less than
one year. The largest number, SO became
insane between the ages of 80 and 40 years
which seems to be the critical age. From