The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-02-25
HOuEs FOR rNEBRI.fTEs.
Theories OF Treatment Misleading Reports
VIVA, IL Done At Fort Washington.

TO THE EDITOR OF HE SUN-Sir: Inc ar
tclcs recently published in THE SuN ON this
question lave attracted wide att, ntion. On the
hypothesis that drunkenness is constitutional
innrmity inherited perhaps. at all events dis
case induced. it is well worthy OF the most pa
tent and exhaustive study. Such study is be-
slowed upon IT in some, at lcast. of the homes
and asylums for inehrIaies. In these retreats
or in most of them, tho existence of a functional
disorder Is assumed. and the patient is treated
accordingly. 1t has been too much the GUS
tom. however, with the supcrintendents Of some
of these institutions TO publish statements of the
number Of persons permanently cured. This
il rs absurd us to say that the dcprayed man
who has got religion will never return to sin.
| Yet the Superintendent OF the Washngtonlan
Home at Boston, DR.. Day. ut one time Superin-
| tendcnt of the State Asylum at Binghamton. re-
ports that in the year $40 cases wore treated. OF
which 90 wero readmissions. OF this number
2l5 were permanently cured. " to his certain
knowledge" and Go wore greatly improved.
| This is certainly n remarkable showing. An
other instance Of this looseness OF statement is
| found in "A letter from Boston published in The
| in all the twenty years the Washingtonan Home
| had been in existence there never had been
| death in the institution Yet tho first ten annual
| reports of the WaShlngtonlan Homo then rs
| now under tho superiutendency OF that cNpe-
| riencod gentleman DR.. Day, show 80 deaths
and the duration Of their residence in tho In
| stitution being only % days.
Some inehriate asylums are conducted on the
religious principle They assume 10 "A certain
| "Atnnt, the cAarac ter OF monnstic or conyentual
! institutions, religious exercises being con-
| steuty heidi at wlich al are obliged to be pres
ent. Tho theory is that. II man cannot be con-
| NHrtn from lutemperan'c ly means OF religion.
| ne must remain drunknrd. In TINS sense the
means relied upon ar" supernatural; personal
restraint, With OCCASIONAL doses 81 narcotics and
! % -auisole ia ease OF Jim Jams. being the only
| human adJuncls employed. Again in some
| Il1"cs the inmate. no matter what his previous
| Nauu~ OF actull 'ohdtloh, - mol a. pN-d l,phul
| in any form. Instead, he II given choral and
| other ant-thcti's az "A certain risk. 1t must be
| confessed. To- MS lie. inns Is notably the case at
the state Asylum at BlnghamtOn. where, how
ever # report be true. tho inmates need never
| be without liquor or morphine provided they
have the wherewithal to procure IT, In fat.
more than one person who spent some time at
| BinghamtQn informed tho writer that there Is
| at present in that institution club OF morphine
| oatsrs who are prepared at any time to initiate
fatal drug. This can be vonchSd for mt any time.
| In other Institutions, again the " timing down
| process Is employed; that Is. man is given
| moderate amount oil stimuidut every day-nut
| sufficient. in tho judgment - n competent
| physician, 10 Increase his condition OF ulcoho-
Ism, while, at the same time. relieving the
| natural craving. This system is pursued. with
| great fairness. mt the lnnhriate Home at Fort
| Hamilton where drugs are used with the most
extreme caution, ana only III cisos ~ nrtcssil IS.
Another great and vital difference IN the
| mode of treatment IL the duration Of the en-
| forced residence Ia the asylum. According to
| tue reports of the Boston, Philadelphia. and
| Chlenso Institutions. tho average duration Of
| Residence H. exceedingly limited, Just enough,
| in TACT. 10 allow a man To recover comfortably
from spree and start fair with the World
| again. On the oiher hand. tho ru' 40 lug-
| hamton and at tho Kings County Home is that
| an inmate must lo restrained within the
| grounds Of the institution form period of not
less than three months Al Bnlamton how
| ever tho grounds Hre extensive. and the in
mates can roam into the town Tor liqii1r al thDn'
| own sweet Will. At Fort Hamilton ihe grounds
| IRE fenced in with stout palms about ten feet
| nigh. and the policemen sec that tho patients
Tho site OF this Long Island institution Is
| simply unsurpas sable. lfloyeysrenrry. salt air
| from the ocean. and thoroughly he'lthful sur
| roundins7 car have any effect IA On" cure of or
game iut.fuperdnr'. then the average inmate Ut
| the Fort Hamilton Home has great advantage
| oyer those IN less favored Institutions. The
| Homo ~ stately. BRICK structure. with
stone trimming. i've stories h-h, - II - on
| rising ground within riile-Shot of Fort Hum
ilton, and almost within "A hi,cuit-toss OF the
shore oi the upper bay. II stands IA the midst
Is he i,ey Mr.. wlitA ''0 s'' ''-''i'"'N'
Years ago Brooklyn's practice was 10 cast inc
into ihe filthy pe-tholr in Raymond strrrt dig
nii"d with the name of county Jail or t. send
them out 20 herd with thieves or burglars at the
! llWnu.h peulirntiary. As city missionary or
Mr. Wil1ft came across ,.ises OF his .nrt which
| APPEALED 90 his sympathies. By dnt OF years OF
iapor ana constant agitation Of the su1in 1T IN
the pune rress he orarriel his point som,
Kings County lnebrates Home" This Rev
DIR, WHEY IL "a lliuo man with grit enough lor
! "a gum. I've ms II kNt n perception OF human
nature, an indomilpble VIII. and great heart
these tAfee qualities butt the present Home.
| WIN Wt7 open ~ lour yrnrs ago.
| IL" tenure ul me treatment employHd, be-
| 1'uvS ,l "re"IS mentioned, II sesrGsHllNe
! ~. pn"i - 5trH' = lvltilh 81 lllt bN.lblAS =
T, "a,n' i'r n'W{ HrrNgl patients, 10 when
lt ,,s W., oh anu il',I SIS li.N' N'N-s lur
,t ~ 7e' 'l rom AMONG ,ll' m
MI nert irrih," ,n.,, u.rt i'tlU l,nl,u .,
"i,no nj ~ ar y 'r, i'' ~ wv ,, ,7 ii',N AZ
NV M ,' W. V',' ",lt .,' Up, ,PI"N,Hh'u u, 10
I'M NH 80, o'n ii''nT' ~ slii,'e', us
ttn - Ode t.,ti, ' T." 49, ~ a. ~
ra..iyini, u,.t s,,,l, lnorI ,, d,
ns tll,,v ,.'t,, ,', tr Xii hV'r ,
Will urtI ' ',, 49, i,, ',. ir
I stitr, thut the average number of resident pa-
49, ~, VIZ 'i''"" ~ "t"lp il.u l""t q, any
Lnmtnn cNrrWel '''"
In nn' years with an average resident fami-