The New York herald., 1879-11-23

the crib being feet long and 8 feet wide
DR.. Hammond went on to say that within period
or ABOUT year four homicldes had occurred in the
lunatlc asylum on Wards Island. In one instance
patient was beaten to death by attendant in
other an attendant was killed by patient i'll third
a patient was thrown off the wharf and drowned by
another patient aud in fourth attendant. who
was probably almost insane himself, ordered to
give hot bath to lunatic who was paralyzed and
after getting him into the bathtub and turning on
the hot water the lett the wretch and
he literally boiled to DEATH In this asylum also
the Utica crib is habitually used.
"in regard to the organization Of lunatic asylums.
said Dr. Hammond IN conclusion, "there is much to
be said and 1t is just here that the reformation must
begin il we expect TO do much toward alevatng the
condition OF the insane. The absolute and irrespon
sibe power OF the superintendents must be taken
away There must be resident physicians internes
to carry out the directions OF corps of visiting ply
scians and surgeons constituting the medical board.
No reasonable person can doubt the advantages of
such change The feeling of mystery which the
public now entertains in regard to insane asylums
would disappear; there would be body Of
the institution and its inmates. and with
other duties. There would be a warden a
steward. whose duty it would be to look after the
turnips and the visitors and the politicians the
legislators, and who would thus relieve the medical
administration OF some Of the most arduous Of it's
labors as at present organized. Formerly, when the
subject Of insanity was but little understood by the
great body OF the profession. there excuse
for the existence OF the superintendent, but now
that psychological medicine forms part Of the
riculum OF all the more prominent medical schools,
when there are many journals especially devoted to
it, when even almost every number of the
general medical periodicals has more
articles this subject, and when the best cOntri-
buttons to the science come not from the officers of
the asylums, but from those who have nothing to
do with such institutions, it is time to change all
this and to do away with an Office which is simply
reminder OF the ignorance of former age. do not
believe there is single asylum in the country which
could not be supplied with competent medical Off
Gers to the great advantage OF the asylum. Acts of
tyranny and oppression on the part of attendants
would be almost impossible and there would not
be- as is now too frequently the case attempts on
the part of the asylum authorities to smother in
The reporter called at the residence of Dr. Spitzka
who was also witness before the committee at
Albany in regard to asylum abuses. He said. in
answer to the reporters question, that he will
ing to give some OF the testimony that he offered to
the committee.
SIMPLY MEDICAL STUDENTS
"It was stated in our complaint" he said. "that
there were employed attending physicians at
young men who were simply medical students In
one instance the superintendent said this not
true and that only one student was employed in
that capacity at his asylum. Now / know OF
ten such cases in that institution during those
years and can give their names. This was
easily proven for whereas tho annual reports Of the
ins ,itution mentioned these young men M. D.s
the medical college reports gave their names as
students. IL. Ptkn. Blackwelrs Island. was
not physician when appointed to Lis present posi-
ton OF assistant ply sician. He was simply medi-
cal student. The assistant superintendent was also
medical student when he received his appoint
ment. There were eight others. who have since
signed Most OF them graduated after their appoint
ments.
'Two years ago there great deal OF excite
mcnt over the outrages in the asylum on Black
wells Island and in the asylum on Wards
Island. where Odenwald and Harrison and
others were killed. That year the Commits
an order forDiddng their employees. whether
chaplain. physician. keeper or nurse to con-
took place in the asylum. For time after this
order things ran smoothly and there
that arsenic case came up recently on Blackwell's
Island and that was whitewashed. This
caused by che grossest neglect according to the con
fessions OF the physicians in charge. They say
what they please. but the fact remains that enough
arsenic to kill all the patients in the asylum
left with ignorant nurses hardly more intelligent
than the patients themselves. and probably less in
teigent than the patients in their normal condition
II have seen myself outrages perpe,rated at asy-
lums visited city asylum and saw two patients
in q Utica crib dying. One of them was suffering
degree that in his worst periods Of excitement he
could not get on his feet. I made post-mortem
examination and found a cerebral hemorrhage. just
the thing to be caused by the crib On Wards
Island they have cribs. stratjackets and cells
and use them with no sparing hand, bat. whether
imposed upon harmlessy oxcitabe patients. In one
instance u murdcrous lunatc. whose attacks of
citement were always preceded by clear foreboding
signs (the Harrison inanslaughter easel, and who
was allowed to associate with the WORKING
party OF patients, struck keeper. who was inexpe-
rienced, fatal blow. and in spite of all para
phernaia of drugs and cells neither nurses nor pa
tents are protected. That order of the Commits
sioners OF Charities and Correction explains why
outragcs are rot made public. / know that acci-
dents will occur under the best management. that
patients and their friends may tell remarkable tales
that may not be true, but know OF my own knowl-
edge and from tho inherent nature of some of the
that they must be true. The asylum abuses
political favoritisn and not medical abil-
ity are the determining factors In appoint
ments. There is large city in the
world, not even excepting Constantinople. where
there is such poor treatment of the insane in New
York. While there are 400 insane women in the
asylum on Blackwcll's Island aud 900 insane in
the asylum on Wards Island there from 800 to
500 male lunatcs and 500 to 600 female unatics who
crowded into tho Alnishouse and somo other
buildings on Harts and Randalrs islands, Deplor-
able the condition OF those in the sylums what
must be the condition OF those who are crowded
out?
'"rhe State Commissioner in Lunacy who re-
ccives salary of $4,000 and 1000 for travel
ling expenses. reported that the Auburn asylum was
in an adm rabe condition. Six months later the
superintendent In charge died. DR.. Carlos Macdon-
aid was appointed his successor. Daring an official
inquiry that took place afterward Or. Macdonald
himself testified that patient was shot in the
elbow by his predecessor; that patients were irc-
quently padded and hung up by their wrists for
Incredible periods Of time in ono instance fourteen
days, and that the former superintendent habitu-
ally carried a revolveri He also testified that tho
bedding used by the patients was literally swarm
ing with vermn of the most disgusting description
and that the food was such that no ono could it,
no other provision being madc for the sick than
81 understand that the Commissioners OF Chari-
ties and Correction came within three votes OF being
indicted by the Grand Jury two years ago when
those outrages have mentioned took place.
~ am reminded just now OF an illustration of tho
manner IN whch our testimony at Albany
ccived. Mr.. Herman testified that as assistant
physician in the Asylum on Wards Island he was
asked TO sign certificate OF death for some lung
complaint where the patient had been beaten to
death by attendants aud had twelve ribs broken;
that was the Odenwald case, believe The commit
tee said they would not hear the testimony, and
II Mr.. Kiernan had not simply outyellod Mr. tiood.
win IL would not have been heard. Even then the
committee did not inquire whether such allcga-
tion true"
care not some insane patti, nts injured by seclu-
sion in asylum?"
.'Ccrtany. There are many whom It is nonsense
to scclude III asylum. There was a Mrs Dckoy.
who kept six years at Bloomingdaie, and IL SHE
xvaa ut mi ie
fault of the asylum She has been of the asylum
now a year aud half. Many nurses say they
can't stand asylum work more than six months and
% multitude of patients are injured by asylum in
generation. On the other hanu there was Dillon.
who shot guest Mt the Westminster Hotel. He was
clearly insane. and his insanity was of such char
actcr that 1t couldn't be cured He was placed frat
In the Utica Asylum and lived like prince, his
apart tmcnts being elegantly fitted up. Then year
later he went to a homeopathic asylum aud was there