The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1879-04-02
SENATE COMMITTEE.
Investigating the LOngyiew Asylum
Management.

The Longview Asylum investigation il
dragging its slow length along. Up TO thii
time there has been no evidence that woulC
intimate that the management Of the insti
tuition was wrong one. On the contrary
everything goes to show that the manage
ment under DR.. Miller is a model one.
The slings at DR.. Miller by one OF the
morning papers and BY men recently dis
charged from The Asylum have all come
back to the authors. The Committee pro
ceeded at the usual hour to-day with the
investigation.
DIR. Z. &. Comegys testified that he had
not much experience in treating insane
persons. He thought the best way 10 treat
the insane would be according to patholog.
ical conditions. He said that it is question
able whether cold baths should be used to
correct a filthy habit.
The insane should be given only light
work to do
Charlotte Horseley, an attendant testi-
ned that she came to the Asylum under
DIR. Bunker. She never saw any ill-treat-
ment of patients; she saw one patient
Francis Ritter subjected to two cold baths
OF minute each; the effects were beneficial.
The witness never saw Sallie Easley mall
treat any patient Mary Scanlon is vio-
lent case. The witness had heard her use
vulgar language in presence OF other pa
tients, She never heard Sallie Easley use
foul language.
Nellie AnSon, an attendant in the sew
enttl ward, testified that she used warm
pains on patients She never saw Sallie
Easley pull patient by the hair nor Mary
Scanlon being abused. The class of patients
in her ward is of the incurable kind.
III, w, ii. MpRaypnl6c tastiEoI that bo
had been an assistant at the Asylum with
Dr. Lansdon in 1861 and 1862, and had been
Superintendent of the Asylum for six years.
The application of cold baths are beneficial
IN cases OF hysterical mania; it is a danger
GUS remedy if used too long the time of the
path should be about thirty seconds;
the witness never used the cold
bath in cases Of insanity; he did
not think that bath at $50 tempera-
ture would be injurious to patient to cure
HIM OF filthy habit He did not think
the use of wet towel over the
mouth of patient who used foul
language was justifable 1t would
be better to put the patient in solitary
confinement. Labor, if not too long CON
tinued, is beneficial to the patient and
should be encouraged. Patients can in a
great measure be controlled by kindness.
There is no punishment resorted to in
any asylum. The straight jacket coaiine-
ment, etc, are merely for the protection of
the patients and Others. He thought the
crib was good for patients who were sick
and would not keep on their clothes.
DR.. Jas. 7. Whitaker testified that he
had made no speciality of treating insanity.
La cases of epileptic patients cold baths
should not be administered. In other
cases cold baths would be beneficial.
The bath should not last longer than or
minutes, and should be of temperature
of from 500 to 100. He would recommend
punishment where patients had
violated the rules. He would
use cold baths for the purpose of cleanli-
ness as we'll as for correction. Classifica-
tions OF patients as now carried on is highly
proper.
The Committee then adjourned.