Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1879-09-17
THE DANTILLE ASYLUM.
VISIT TO THIS INSTITUTION BY MISS
DICKINSON AND A LOOK WITHIN
THE BUILDINGS, APPOINT
MENTs, &c.


THE BUILDINGS, APPOINT
MENTs, &c.
Miss Susan Il. Dickinson has been
making q visit to tho hospital for the
insane at Danville, and she writes as
follows to the Press concerning the in.
stitution and what she saw:
LOOK WITHIN.
wonder if any one ever approaches
an insane retreat without feeling of
oppression, almost Of dread, sense of
unutterable sadness, q question as to
what one shall see and find to shock
and terrify them. At my own first
visit, after going through tho offices in
the centre building, part OF the kitch.
ems and the grounds, found courage
only for going INTO one of the queter
wards. But on another day, deter
mined to take no one else's account,
went back and visited the entire build.
ing. On the first evening, as we walk
ed through the grounds, the screaming
from one Of the excited wards, coming
down to our ears through the open
windows, gave me a shrinking feeling
of pandemonium being near at hand to
Paradise. Alterward when, walking
through that very ward, one OF the
patients began screaming as she sat
rocking to and fro, apparently from
the simple necessity OF giving relief to
some overwrought nerve tension, while
one or two Others joined in the chorus
and the rest, apparently, took no
notice, the intense feeling produced by
hearing this without seeing the suffer-
ers, was Quilted down at once. There
were the broad wellventiIated CORR.
dors, their walls covered with prints,
engravings, water co!ors-with their
ends one immense window, command.
ing all the beauty of the outdoor scene,
with the quieter patients scarcely look
ing up, some of them busily intent on
paper or bit Of needle work. There
were the neatly.kept rooms on either
side, nearly all them single dormitores,
where with woman's and house
keepers nature instinct, | had becn
prying into the condition of bedsteads,
mattresses, bedding, as well as into the
condition Of ventilation, and light and
heat. Into several scores Of these, in.
to washing and bath rooms, clothing
closets, steam heated drying closets,
into ward pantres and dining rooms
at meal times-into the rooms for TEN.
porary confinement OF the most dan
gerous patients at most dangerous times
Il went that day. Not to crafty
any mere curiosity of my own or Of
others. But it is the most natural and
reasonable desire on the part Of the
public TO know how oil institutions are
really conducted. Aud to those of us
who have seen, who know anything Of
the way in which, in even the best or
dered county almshouses, the insane
are kept, it is point recognized to be
of tho gravest importance that these
unfortunate wards Of the State shall
not be lett to the tender mercies of
almshouse insane accommodations.
The consigning them TO such accom-
modations in the majority Of cases is
TO consign them to lifelong misery,
without hope of cure or alleviation Of
their disease. The State will have q
better right to call itself civilization
and Christian when it shall by law
prevent absolutely the confning of the
insane poor in any but the proper hos
pitals provided by the State tor their
care and possible cure.
BAD ECONOMY.
Knowing that the poor directors of
some OF the districts very near my
home OF the last three years have, on
the plea of economy, taken from this
very Danville hospital the insane poor
for whom they are responsible, my ex-
plorations were the more minute in
every possible point. Not least so was
this in the matter Of expense so strong
lily urged. The price of board for
every public patient is three dollars
per week, including all expenses, OK
cept that of clothing and the replacing
of bedding or other property destroy
ed by the patient. There is the posi-.
bility OF cure in a large proportion Of
cases--thc almost absolute certainty
of alienation In all-the securing OF
all possible comfort for even the worst
Iincurable. All of these things are lost
by the shutting them up in the places
which each county can provide for its
poor. And even where there is no
stinting of food, no physical maltreat.
mcnt in the almshouse, 1t IS disgrace
10 every community which permits its
insane poor to be shut out from every
possibility that can be attained for
restoration or relief
THE BUILDINGS, APPOINTMENTS, ETC.
Let me try now to give little fuller
picture of the scene and buildings
which have grown fairly familiar to
my own eye. The long building faces
about 20 degrees to the south OF west.
The blue stonc of which il is built, and
which is seen TO advantage in the
smaller houses belonging to the hos
pital, is in the asylum building itself
hidden by being rough cast and trim
med with Goldsboro brown stone. The
centre building is over 200 feet deep
by GO feet in width, and IS four stories
Might've stories in front OF the wing
connections. There arc long lateral