The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1878-04-24

the State Comm issoners have repeatedly drawn The
attention OF the Department. OF Charities and Correc
tion TO The same There rs not al the present time
sufficient number OF attendants for the insane.
The average Is. | believe. about
tho selection OF nurses and attendants should be
recty lott with the medical head of the hospital
asylum. ms be Is the proper Judge OF their quaiihca-
tions Some such measure has been suggested TO the
Commissioners IN charge Of these institutions. and
believe that to certain extent II has been carried
.what is your opinion, Comm iss,ousr In regard to
the grouping together OF The charitable aud corrcc-
| tional INSTITUTIONS? ~
81 thar many OF the evils existing at pres
ent are due 10 this believe that little Improvement
will arise from any change made until total scpara
ton is made between the two classes OF institutions at
present under the charge Of the department Tho
State Board OF Charities has direct authority 10
en- orce lis views We can simply investigate and
exam ne under OATH Tho power OF the Board rests
with exposing evils, and, hsy not corrected Ia
placing the matter in tho hands Of the Attorney Gen
eral OF the Stale. believe the present evils
TO be due 70 overcrowdng. lack OF attendants and
insufficient room 70 give the iunatics proper ree-
dom TO change the existing system complete
revolution VIII have 10 DO made. This will cost .
large sum money. Several plans have been
thought Of. bat none adopted as lar as know Tho
Commissioners OF Charities and Correction have
thought oil buying farm OF, say thousand acres ON
Long Island aud erecting frame buildings, but the
trouble in my mind about this Is that land
too away aud cannot be watched and inspected as
frequently as necessary very great objection As
been reported to the Slate Board
THE rood.
itors IN regard to the quantity ana quality OF the food
supplied TO the inmates OF this asylum received
answers Of the most contrary Character. While some
fe1 held That the food present given sufficient
in quantity but OF an Inferior description, still the
majority Of the replies told mat the TODD entirely
inadequate to build up the inmates either mentally
physically. there can be but little doubt that good
and generous diet for the insane is absolutely necsk
sary 10 give them chance to recover and that looked
at from an economic point oil view II 10 the cheapest
poicy in the ead, as At increases largely the ratio Of
the following is the dietary scale Of the Female
Lunatic Asylutn:-
SUNDAY Brsskfast-Go Zee, mush and molass.s. bread
vegetables rico pudding, bread suppsr-rsa, domestic
hash bread ana s1,ss,
2ussDAx Cote. hominy milk. bread and
butter Dnner.Meat PIE, broad supper-Isa, cheese,
WEnsIsD1s- sfsakf..s Coffee. wAs..sa sri.s. mo,
beef potatoes. vegetables bread snpper-Tes pickles.
TnURspAr-Broakfast-Co hash, bread and butter.
stew posatsss Vegetables bread Tea
FslDAr; -Breakas. Coffee, mush. sraps. bread and
i moi.ssss cake. Srs "a and butter. -'A'
sATyRDAr Breakfast cefse rice. milk, bread and but
bread Tsa-Tss. dried fruit, bread butter.
Bread is allowed ad hbitum. The bono is included
In the ration. which twelve ounces. Cabbage
carrots, parsnps AMI tomatoes are furnished veg
etubes The diet Tor the sick includes milk. beof tea
cocoa, arna rice, chickens and oysters, and
furnished The sick tho Of the Medical Su-
perintendent. From the foregoing table 1t will be
OF meat every day, except Fridays din-
ncr, ana about twelve OF meat and
potatoes Al breakfast on Two days during the week.
They receive hominy, wheaton grts or mush on tho
other i've days There be but little doubt that
increase should be mado in some articles ana al
though the scale Is perhaps liberal the funds at
the disposal Of the officials Will allow strong ei-
fort should be maae 70 increase the next estimate OF
the departmentfor supplies. This the Commissioners
themselves state to DC very necessary.
II is urged by many of the visitors that owing to The
way the food prepared considerable waste
is the result the food placed before
inmates Of this asylum in proper manner-no effort
habits OF order or cleanlness without doubt this to
certain extent is true; but II must not be forgotten
that the class dealt with are through the disease un-
der which they labor made very difficult 10 manage,
far their personal habits concerned, and that
without large increase In the number Of attendants
looked for Not alone should the dietary scale Of the
Female Lunatc Asylum be increased but also that In
every institution on BlackwePs Island.
AREA LAND.
One Of the greatest difficulties In solving the
SO as to secure for them proper accommodations IS
the trouble In securing the proper area Of land that
wil not alone gve ample room Tor the erection Of suit
able buildings but will also allow sufficient space for
exercise ana recreation. On Blackweps Island
q. the present time the area Of land avail
IL but one-sixth as largo as all authorities ON the
treatment OF insanity hold to be necessary II tho
iuluro more buildings added those al present
existing II will stiil lessen this small space In view
OF this TACT the important question comes NJ, 'fs 10
right to spend any more money In improve enis on
this place when II VIII be necessary At near day 10
abandon IL as an asylum tor the Insano?o
late report says:-
Portable quiet home in the country whore they both
work and walk freely In the and have constant
steps are now ssnx taken =. provide such homes
30 desirable result
One oil the greatest difficulties in q medical point
oil view to the present location Of the Female Lunatc
Asy " that toe patients never tor moment have
the opportunity to forgot that tncy are 10 confinement
They are never for single moment out Of sight Of
trees, no long walks give them oven q chance to
forget that they are mad. All experts In the
scene. with constant occupation, are the principal
remedies 10 BIO employed for thor cure. Az at
present located II Is impossible 10 even Try tho
beneficial influence Of two such simple agents; for,
In the hrst place. owisg TO the overcrowded condition
OF the buildings, u Is difficult TO 50 classify the tn
maes so thai the quarreisome and noisy are moro
close proximity 10 the milder ana convaIoscont cases.
Until the omnissioucrs are enabled 10 adopt some
definite plan, win The consent and approval OF tho
city authorities, any rovement made will DO only
temporary and OF no permanent benefit
In the report OF Dr. Par-ons, the late Medical Super.
iniendentIn his asylum, dated January i, 1877, tho
following occurs.--
that within the past few years num-
OF insane and that these structures have
.ns o. do os nm
the real facts and requirements Tor they did 10 may
Charities and Correction would have no officially In pro-
curing lca appropriation .: are needed 70 meet to- %
probably Increase In me namssr tue insane
vision should be n de Tor their recommendation. over
crowding ana its att Idant evils TO be rcedicd
PROSPECTIVE POPULATION.
Tho following table shows tue prospective popula-
ton OF the New York Female LuIatic Asy lum Tor
next four years. the annual Increase being estimated
at ten per cent
Actual numbcr OF patents 157S... 1,349
Estimated number OF patients 1872. 795
Estimated number OF patients iSs0............ 1875
Estimated numbcr OF patients 1881. ......... 2,172
And 1t IS estimated ny Dir. Parsons that "n tho
increase IN the number OF patients sh ouid
tue same rate as heretofore, there will be
PATENTS In this Institution within ave years from the
present time AS arc now contained In all the State
asylums Tor tue insane Of this State aud there
10 suppose that tho increase will be less
than heretofore"
THE ATTENDAxTs.
As stated by the Commissioners OF Charities and
Correction, u will become matter oil almost absolute
necessity 10 increase tho pay OF tho attendants Tor
the insane. Under the present allowance OF tho
Board OF Apportionmsnt the officials OF inc depart
mont u Is said, viii not be able TO do this unless
aiurther appropriation Is made tne unfortunate in
sano patients Will have TO wait for another
year before any relief IN thus regard - Afforded
them. Inc assistant physician. ~ 10 ciaimsd,
should also be paid lust. but moderate.