Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1878-11-22
The Report ofIhc special COmmi-Sion
on the Insane.

The special commissioners on the insane in
this State, whose report TO Gov. Proctor we
referred to three weeks since. were appointed
by Gov. Fairbanks last spring under a reso-
luton of the legislature of 1876, authorizing
their appointment and empowering them ito
inquire into the statutes now in force, in re-
lation to the confinement and treatment OF
the insane in our State, and see what changes
are necessary, if any, in said laws; also to
enquire into the treatment of the insane and
determine what if any, legislation is necessa-
ry." These commissioners were DIR. Middle.
ton Goldsmith of Rutland, DIR. o. F. Fasseti
of St Adams, and W. II. Walker, Esq. O
lawyer, of Ludlow, Vt. These gentlemen
paid their first visit to the Brattleboro insti-
tuition in their official capacity on the goth OF
May, as noted in our columns at the time
several subsequent visits were made and
asylums in one or more neighboring States
were, we believe, also visited. stenogra-
pher was employedto take down the testimony
of the officers and several employees of the in
stitution, as given by them under oath, and
the services of Mr., G. A. Hines of this vii
lage were called in requsition for the pur-
pose of making careful and exact drawings OF
the buildings and their surroundings, these
drawings showing, not only the general plan
of the buildings, but the precise location OF
every room and its size in feet and inches.
These drawings which comprised several
large sheets, were autographed and set
furnished to each member of the Legislature.
The report of the commission appears in the
form of three individual reports, one by each
member-the commissioners us a whole by
mutual consent indorsing what each individ.
ual member has said. In these three reports
DIR. Goldsmith, the chairman, treats of the
construction of the asylum, the air space
ventilation, food, etc. DR. Fassett Of
the medical and other treatment Of tho
insane, and MIR. Walker of the lega
points pertaining to the duties of the com
mission. The report is so voluminous as
whole that we shall not endeavor to give E
complete abstract, but only to touch upon
the leading points presented, whether of crit
icism or otherwise.
DR.. Goldsmith's report is almost entirely
devoted to q consideration Of the subject OF
air space and ventilation, both in genera
terms, and with special reference to the Brat
tleboro institution. From testimony drawn
from hospital experience and from the eyi
dence of experts, Dr. Goldsmith concludes
that 1000 cubic feet of air space is the mini
mum which should be allowed to each in.
mate of an insane asylum, or other similar in.
stitution. The air space in the sleeping
apartments of the Brattleboro asylum he fig
ures at 29l 1874 feet, and from this he con
cludes that, while the actual number of pa
tents and attendants during Inst summer was
SOP, there Is really room there for only 29l
further than this, figuring upon the means fol
ventilation, he concludes that the space il
only sufficient for 149 persons. DIR. Gold
smith also criticises the construction of the
asylum, from the fact that the trend of the
buildings being cast and west, there are ma
ny rooms which do not have the full sun
light
DIR. Fassett, in his report, concludes tina
the institution is overcrowded that, Will
greater means at their command, the officer
could, with advantage, give greater attention
to providing the patients with occupation ant
recreation, thus doing away with the necessi
| ty for mechanical restraint in many cases
that the number of attendants is too small
| being only one to eighteen patients, whereas
he concludes it should no: be- less than one t,
| ten and he also thinks that the medical at
| tendance is insufficient, from the fact tina
both the assistant physicians were young mel
OF inexperience in the specially of insan,
treatment when they came to the asylum DR.
| Fassett believes that there are at least 700 in
sane people in the State of Vermont, and tina
the State should at once provide means TO
the accommodation Of 400 more patients.
Mr.. Walker, near the opening of his report
quotes the figures given by the trustees o
the asylum, in which they show that the act
ual cost to the institution of keeping the pau
per patients from its foundation up to thi
time, over and above the sum paid by tn
State, has been Sl39, 709.37. "A great ,rron
if true" he says, in way evidently intendet
to indicate his distrust of the correctness o
the estimate. Considerable space is devote,
by Mr.. Walker to questioning rs to whethe
our existing laws for the admission of patient
to the asylum aud their discharge therefron
are not such ar to allow the wrongful detention
of persons claimed to be insane. Upon thi
point he recommends the passage of a Las
providing for the appointment of a board O
supervisors of the insane who shall have pow
err to visit and examine every asylum in tn
State and to discharge any person whom the
shall find wrOngfully Detained. Mr.. Wake
also thinks that no person chained to be in