The New York herald., 1878-03-11
THE SANE INSANE.
How SOund-Mlnded People Are Com
mllted as LunaticS.
SOME PlTIABLE HISTORIES.
A Troublesome Niece Got Rid OF Because
She was "Igly.'
KITTY OSB0RNE'S TREATMENT.
Five Times Committed and Dis
KITTY OSB0RNE'S TREATMENT.
Five Times Committed and Dis
charged as Sane.
NEW LUNACY LAW WANTED.

hold patients whose minds sound, and VINO ought
never To have been comnlitcd lunatics. ana these
cases ever and anon rise 10 the surface. To commit
person to n unatic asylum all that Is ece.sary to
obtain the certificates OF Two reputable physciaps'
who have qualified as 'Commissoners OF Lunaoy, y and
the signature OF Judge As will be readily seen from
the iac,s presented farther ueow tho "repuiaole"
physician whose qua. .tcation ..commiss,o s,oncr"
beioro uec Is the mcrest matter OF form, oiion
very careless ia issuing his certificate. Tho parties
WHO are interested IN havng the poor victim put INTO
the asy iun 80 TO the physIcian tell him their own
story; menuon this lhat ecccnuicly or od1ty
as u proof OF insanity; the physician, whose MUD
Is already hall made up, ana makes Inc
most cursory visit to the ''rallent;' friendly
colleague IN tie medical profession agrees Ger
tGcalc, which he readily grants a good Zee ana
the Judge signs the ccitlca,es wthou; ever hav.
ing seen the alleged "lunatlc" who is now
hurried Oh, PROBABLY without minutes warn
ing, 10 living grave No notice has been
served upon HIM her, aud the majority oi
these unlortunates arc women, who are naturally
more dc!enccess than men, and whose very excite
ment and nervousness lend to strong then tho im-
preston OF their insanity, which has been assiduousy
created IN the physican's mind, aud tho
"Iunatc," If only kept long enough at the asylum,
Will soon become really dencntcd
GETTING WIVES.
For years the mas Ueen recognized Dy the
physcans OF the various city asyums that hus-
bands regard us tho most efficient method OF getting
rid OF their wives to them tue iunatIc asylum
But 1t VIII be sald, why docs the superinLcndent OF
the asylum not discharge such an inmate as
he becomes satisfied that she sane2 IL is
not such easy matter TO do this as 1t would appear
mt the first blush. Tho woman mas been duiy
and lawfully committed by the certificates OF Two
ply and by Judge The law recognzos
lunatic To send hor into tn, world saue
is to take small responsibility, and, besides, tuero
her nearest relatives VINO arc supposed u havo
her best welfare most at heart, woo loudly protest
against taking back unatlc" against J. opardlzing
their lives aud !imDs &c, or thoy ooclarc
poor creature Is oniy ahlictcd with attacks oil L.
sanity at ana sudden intervals, and, while sne
might act sancly months In tho asylum,
she might have violent relapse upon
the FIRST day OF her home. Thero
is u scmDlance OF truth in this which often dsarms
the Official. II Is ouy Just TO say that
the COMMISSIONERS OF Charities and Correction have
late made special efforts 10 prevent the retention OF
persons Of sound mind IN their asylumns, and that
Dr. Strew the efficient superintendent OF the Female
Asylum announced MS iont.on III both the
clses ialiy rciated below 70 discharge the sup
posed iunatics, ana Is only awaiting flvoraOIo
dsy carry this resolution INTO eiec,. ln former
years the co.nnIittal OF unatIcs 20
careless manner that Commissioner Brennan the
other day iOund MUNGER vi patients whose commit
tails were either entirely waning or perfectly "rcica
Ia Their preparation. Ohp physctn certiiei that IA
German Woman roaming aDout The strecis' was in-
sane, never even mentioning her name. All these
commitments we're propcr! licd out b., COMMISSION
BTcnpau's order aud duiy lied.
a rRoUgLEsoNE NIECE.
The ilenilJnsd Is that OF Agnes
Jane w. itnc fanny name is suppressed IN ordcr
10 spare Tue reinlives the scindai). The HERALD
u It's possesson her iull and
il parties thst appear connection WITH II,
as copies OF the medical certificates, win the names oI
the physicians, which VIII also uc inucatcd only by
initials. Asnes Is a prety, .iign-lalied, Dioe-cycd
g.rl, wno looks 10 be ABOUT twenty twenty-Vnc.
4oc G. r'A mns rs' ner aS aan sen rs % "eni
residing /, Madison street. this Guy, wno
had her committeu ssys Tue gIri Is twenty y-c gnL
The girls appearance Is 30 bcany aud size has sucn
renued, deiicatc aud yet thoroughly sensible face
that At recent musical so,cc gwen Tor the l,sa-
OF tic Biackw LIS isund fcinn.o Asy sis at
trac!ed the attention oi chamberlain Tappan aud
other VISITORS WHO were mp essed by her thoroughly
RAJ DUAL appourah1c. Dr. S,rcw lad 10 nesitancy IA
stalIDg the SIIl "A dollar Inat
nc iutcnaed 10 disch rse her at carry DAY, bong
now IN communications win people WAC wonii pro-
vIue ivr her temporary nome. ne sald ,he girl
orphan, tat bcr aunt was trcu OF Keeping mcr und
providing Ior her ana had got OF her Ny sending
hcf thcic
THE GIRLS STORY.
Ihc grl was called, and the wrter converscd with
her Tor hours, uurins WHICH time her intelligence
ana her menOry were iuily tested, nnd sue 0y IN dc
crror--in tue date of her iatn,r's dcalh-wnich
could be easily accounted Tor BY her nervous c,nui
t.on. Her latncr kept "a DlicAsmitn's suop aud died
quite youns. Her mother dicd eight
years leaving her orphan III charge oI her aunt
Mrs Il Dccca h.. tbon hitccn, ne sad;
shc twcnty-t three "My mother brou .ht
up very sad she, ''tnd e. deaf
she my aunt never let mo 80 10 strangers and
never TO hire out servant UnioituJatriy
Mrs. l.. tue one aunt tOi qlarrclnug about
with my otncr aunt, Mrs E1 socta Si., at Nor.
ris,nia. Bolh wunted 10 have me. ana lil-iccing
arose from that. went To MorrIsana, aud thcn
Mrs. Reoecci l.. sad mad talking
aUCut her, very ugly, &c. 10 tell you
The truth tis aunt Of mirc IS proud woman. oi hard
iccing, and when went back IL her she would often
s-o'd me ieiriOly Tor not dong rs she toid me
Sac claimed that domestic her house aad
shVud work Tor my hvng, ANA whcn did moi do
anytnips she hao expected me TO she would scoid
ne. AOJut two months ago became very Ill wth
rhcuinasisti. Ii Wac On tuesday. she brought Two
physicians INTO the mouse, who asked icw ques
tiOas whether 1 was ttuuDlrd wan nv kIGncys or
headache and then went OIL eav.n .ng twO papers Oa
frIdiy my aunt took ms 10 5ccvuc, and tno
daJ : Surdny, 1 was taken over to the asylum.
My aunt told me that sho paid the physicians
$40 apccc.' The da,s mentioned Nv Agnes
agreed perfectly vita thc record, whicn showed that
sne was committed saturday, February 'One oi
the doctors, KNOW, wrote la that paper that al
ways sad an idea .n.t people we're 'iandering me
lao tru.n VAS that only 30 "i my aunt, wuo,
know, nsd vccn tlikns about mo and certain young
who had tod some stories which did not likc"
CEKTFIcArks.
Upon examination IL found that the Gates
upon wbich sho was committed we're as ioows:-DI
j. H. IL. certified :-'shc lmagiues that people al.
ways speaking III vi her," (iiVw many people would
be lrec II such nagnihgs acccp.eu sufficient
grounds Tor locking thcm upY) 'shc vii. jump out
ol night aud talks ana cries Tor no
reason" (ii,tn'r bad tu,ng iOr tue thousands
OF people wnO talk their sioep every
night OF ihcir hves.) Tho second certificate Is also
admirable specimen OF the kind oi reasons
that are deemed sufficient to lock up anybody IA
unatic asy lum.. Dr. |. ID. >. ccttincs ''tbat sho
inagincs persons with ,wLom she comes IN contact
are sisuucriYg her. aud thai 10 nl And upon this
ground DR.. > was willing conlne ,hs he,pcss srl
among rayDg maniacs. The date Of the certificates,
wnIcu are formally approved by Judge Dononuc Jan
uafy 20. perfectly agrees van tho day mentioned by
Agnes whicn the ''cxaniuauon" was midc--a
Tucslay. January ~ was Tuesday. Rather good
memory Tor luuatic one wOuId tnlak.
n 1nH AuSrs REASONS.
n Mrs. Rcbocca H., The aunt nad Agnes com.
mitted was visited yesterday at ncr rooms, the
tnra story oil Ittic brick mouse IN Madison street
MIS-. l. Vas iOuuu TO tittlc, tnin, wcnzcncd
woman VINO was chtifcly ready 10 g,ve The
reasobs WHY shv had Agncs lockcu Up Shc
pleasantly smiled sno sai --sl'il tell you
Tue Story and then you'lI that II she isn't n-
same sh. is us'y ana snc Is ugly snc ought 10 DO