The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1879-08-23
THE STATE INSANE ASYLUM.

Interesting Data About the State n
stitution at Jackson.
We received yesterday q. letter from the
Superintendent Of the Insane Asylum AT
Jackson, L., containing very interesting data
about this institution, and We gladly give it
publication:
JACKSON, La, August ID, 1879.
70 the Editor % the Democrat:
Your paper OF the fourteenth Instant con
tain3 my letter in reference 80 the Insane
Asylum AZ Jackson. From some comm ent5
OF yours On TIE letter I fear you misappre-
hended facts concerning the asylum. r you
will allow fae will make q fey statements
When the present Board OF Administrators,
appointed ~ Gov Nichols, took charge Of
the Institution they found the buildings and
fences in miserable state ri diiapidation
The supply OF food and clothing was very
scant, and the credit OF the asylum was 50
Tow that the Superintendent was Obliged to
become personally responsible for supplies
There was q debt OF $4,000 hanging oyer the
institution. Since that time the whole estab-
hshment has ben placed in q good state
OF repair. he buildings have been supplied
WITH new furniture aud bedding and new
cooking ranges have been substituted for the
Old cooking stoves. The inmates have been
supplied with an abundance OF wholesome
food and comfortable clothing. BY putting
the Institution upon a cash basis the board OF
administrators have reduced The expenses
nearly 80 Der cent. Fl y0l will compare our
reports with those Of other asyluas. you will
see That It costs less to support q l}4natIc IN
this institution than LII any similar institution
In the c nited States The expense Of sup
porting a patient in the Southern asy!arn5
varies from S432 20 Der capita, III Maryland,
to 5163 ID Mississippi. IA Northern &5ylufns
the average rate il higher. II the adjacent
State or Texas, where the necassaries q life
are abundant, the per capita expense IN 1873
was S345 10, and III the Virginia asylum for
colored patients, the cost per capita was
$50.
The reason Of our reduced rate Is 10 Be
found III the location ana surroundings Of the
asylum. II u situated IN the high pine mills
where the air Is fresh and heasthfGl and the
water is pure; hence there + little sickness.
We own about 500 acres OF land, consisting Of
woodland, pasture and cultivated fields. Our
fire WOOD Il derived from The land OF the asy-
lunl, and we raise All our corn, potatoes. etc.
The garden attached To The asylum y the
finest in tnis part OF the Stat and furnishes
an abunfanceof vegetables for all the inmates
ct the institution. During the season Of peas
and beams we gathered more than five barrels
OF each per day. We had an abundance of
strawberries for all who needed deli
cacies. or waternelons We have gath
cred more than tige hundred In q day.
Most Of our patients are fond Of outdoor
labor, and we find it very advantageous 70
health. Labor IN many cases promotes r.
covery. r q patient is averae to labor there
Il 10 cornpuisIon. Many patients, on account
OF bodily infrnities, ARR MT engaged II any
Of the emnIoyneat5 0f the Institution and
their cure 10 retarded if not entirely prevent
ed ~ the despoHdtIcv and ennlI naturally
produced where the mad has no resource e1-
Cept bfo0ding over TIE inc1n genieaces end r.
strictiDhs VI confinement. For this class par
ticu!arly, VIZ heed musical Instruments,
games and other means of amusement, which
we are not able 70 procure without depfiying
the patients 0f absolute nsce5aries
We are engaged at present in making brick
and hope in time to 20 enlarge the Institution
AZ to accomf1 odate al the insane OF the State.
We are moIdiag brick oy hand, but II We were
able to purchase p machine We could soon
make brick enough to complete the buildings
according to the original design, and more
than double It's present capacity. What we
need ID more house room, and this can be
furnished here at less cast that At any other
local4 ~ the State, because We can furnish
a large th4rt of the building materials and
labor On The premises. We do not need fine,
imposing, snowy buildings, osIt neat, COM
Portable, permanent ones.
We have recently purchased q staaa en-
gna and now only need washing apparatus
to complete our domestic arrangements. All
the washing for the Institution IS now done iH
the rltest manner on the old tub and wash
board.
y / viii conclude by saying that the debt for
the payment Of which the Constitutional Com
Fenfion made provision was contracted long
before the Nichols board tcok charge q tae
Institution. The present energetic, Jadicous
and economical board has not Incurred one
dollar Of debt and does not propose 20 go De-
yond the appropriation made for the support
81 the asylum Respectfully,
j. w. y ONES, SUPER lt5HdeAb.