The New York herald., 1879-11-23

The petition presented in the State Senate by Sena-
tor Mccarthy, of Syracuse, from prominent physi-
Clans lawyers and other citizens of this State, III
response TO which the committee referred TO was
appointed. recited number of pertinent questions
which it proposed to make the features OF the
inquiry into the management of the asylums some
OF the points suggested. 1T was claimed. resi- upon
exact evidence others can be substantiated by re-
sponsible members of the medical profession, ana
as regards others. strong circunstantiai evidence
can be adduced. 1t was proposed to ascertain by
the sgners Of the petition how many of the follow
ing questions could be answered under
oath:-
Glow many days in the year is the Superin-
tendent actually on duty in his Office or IN the
wardsr
"How many days in the year is the Superintendent
away from his asylum engaged in private business.
in medical or medico-legl consultations. attending
upon courts without order from the Attorney
General or other proper authority"
Does not the State Tor city). in giving tho super
intendent falr or large salary make contract Tor
the use or his whole time. usual vdcatlon ex-
ceptedY'
'How often in a week does the Superintendent
and speak to every patient under his charger"
"How many patients i'll the asylum arc seen only
once month or less often by the superintendent"
"How frequently does the Superintendent mako
unexpected visits to his wards? How often does he
make tours between midnight and morning to OBJ
how nurses and watchmen perform their duties?"
"How many patients are actually under the super
intendents own medical treatment?"
"Does the asylum possess. and do it's medical off,
GERS really use. such common instruments as the
Thermometer. ophthalmoscope. @thesiometer. dyn-
namometer, sphygmograph. microscope, faradc
and electric batteries, tho speculum and uterine
sound?"
'ls feeding by force always done by a medical
officer or in his presence. as 1t should be?"
us the superintendent consulted whenever forci-
w pto RESTRAIN. is anu ~ tne auration man
dd M @ -; , y. IN. .s , ~ aes.l'ia. uuiy re-
missioner in Lunacy and OF the Courts?'
his,~ M lha oes 20 h ie Sapern'eaaens M ayat
tions with general physicians and surgeons and gem
tlemen eminent in the several departments OF medi-
cne?"
'Do you ever employ the barbarous and injurious
'ien.s :. . " aas ali, nao"n ~ as criu.
q, % 'nS, ~ s; - n ever snp,oyeo
~ or as assis'%n' Pny siclans OF acthe as
sis.an. SAL pny ~, sicians!
80 ,;s aie ~ M IN Lunacy give any nonce
~ ~ m oos W 'ne OFFICIALS oi an asylum NC ID ABOUT
TO ..aap inspect. tx. cu,;.s,o ..,.,.o
,,,,, 'Ie 10; t ,' eser 'isi'uu %. asyiums ~
the very eary morning in order to determino or the he
"s ..nn tna vu ~or; ~ ;nS., 49, n. ~ ..,.
+;o s.h tno to.ssaoner ever 80 ABOUT an lns.,tu
, tlon WHOM company OF Ut any rate wltnout
s or osnei onour wnose presence can prevems
rec On .ne par' o anu patients.
"How frequently are inspections made in the va
rious asyums and how many days in the year is the
ia Plt BUSINESS not Aeeiti-
na1Sly a.Ie appertain,n. e , u " ~ n's ONCE! c.
M ~. , s.e go, 49, pay ins .no Soinissoner
tail M .aAo Son.l %.s lor ns "AoAe 'ne GUS
..tv.ss 'noa'O tha n,asaNt pT"m,,,,ss, ..oa :;
~. w.. W p III, V1liaissionor I us, apPolu.eu ~
ssri9. ncoorauee . WIZ. tle Jaw wncn requires the
canuua.e aor sns Posi'ion 70 nave Deeh physician
VI oApo1Aeno.
III. ,,ati.,nr Va HNp iSAMrtniESchD'
p~s,.ton, ;,.ta,. AZ 40 s.a.eu:
pupoi in'onuen's v. nsune asyIums are neariy
witnou. , eAception nor CHOSEN from among medical
inen Ia ~ mno nave pursued sPecai stuaes IN heuroiosy
AZ none auo aoroso anu whosare wen trained physs
clans, put from among assistant physicians Oh
asylums, VINO alter having Deen oadIy chosen nave
p"sseu q AuAoer VI years Aumureu III al lustalu-
Ion. -
Assstant Physlclans OF ssylums future cano,uates
80 ~. .o po:..aon y. oaPorin.onuen'l are ueariy a.,
way ways ien Jass issuea from our 100 eienentary nea
Pi.aAs wv con oe enter eo oniy Dy severe conPe,
s. .ase eaainanI' .neir quauncations are not SUI
M l..s " any ses.' wncn III sne tnes arc
no, iurhlsheu Win Msans OF study tnedicai Jour
Auls, oooAs auo instruMeutsl. aAo inevitaoly, as
years 90 py .ney forget what genera medlcne they
Aao" On Rlauua.ine. =,
AssIs.ant pty tysicians;r,noreoVer' are overworAeo
anu wre.cneaiy paio. Lneir time Is taken up ny
VISITING LOO many patients' ny wrtihR ihterminaDie:
useless histories Oh cases ana ny various "oncaa
uueies' SUN as taiAAne ny the nour VIII
friends or patients. receiving visitors. &C.
ano ie.sess 1Syiun unoer oea.e nanase
,, rion. ~ ~ Ills 0.aee nas oaiy TOUT ASST s tals
pny toi oe.ween saA nunureu ana seven nun
~ ~ @ -. son..aA sa, nospitsi, .ine Doiiev uo
OF .ne NeT iorA nosptAl, every DIVISION OF from
i1rs 70 eien.y pasn.s ~ oneeteo oy one atienaing
pns siolAa Iwno Ieaiy secs MS P1tients ua' anu
three assstshts al Rrauuates, seiected from anong
,Us.o " az "a .. t ~ sevulo , pa t,. eA =;
anarI hr;.i .har. % uo Dotno w i a - tna as.I .n. ~
@ s o. -. ~ ; . 'oao ~ ~, - - Ans'lo asy iuiAss
sy y 49, -: oa.s o4u..ans III III VI
a.rt tnt ~; s t s ~ 20 20 81 orioe
our insana - , or r ;,I, ,tsr"n., is, ~ ioney
ou. nsaue asS iuius aro iuuinerently omcerea'
hysolprv =, tna ~ sn1 new ana
concerned with insanity.
ouperintenoents ana tneir assistants. with nardiy
modern methods OF tliaynosis and ~ most tmortam
examination. Few of them able to read In the
.ne invaiuaoie contriDutonst 20 insanity ana
scientiac phvscians for the insane - ".N NAo''o-'
"The little pathological work which been done
IN our asyiums at enormous cost mas been OF the
home and abroad With the liberal aid ~ race;ves
from the State the pathological laboratory in
our yiums oiu NOT Iurnsh the materials ior sue
best ESSAY on the natholog,cai anatomy of nsapitv
offered in England last year.
'In some of our asylums the pernicious practice
OF allowing undergraduates, accepted without bond
hde examination. to act assistant physicians is
tolerated. This is highly unjust to the patients.
who have right to medical attendance in the legal
sense, and also to practitioners outside The lunacy
laws of 1874 provide that practitioner certify
to the lunacy OF patient unless he shall have been
three years in the practice of thus
happens that this experienced physician's diagnosis
and certificate in measure subjected to the