New-York tribune., 1879-12-19

alas one Of tbe most common IL has this peculiar
misfortune ete With IT, that u Aeurives NE -uhTer
of powers OF aeprOtecton He isseft choice as to
the OF treatment. ana furnish t"sii-
mony - a rria character to tAe treatment when
ne uHdergo,s Being inuocen he be treated some
vha BIKE c-imuai deprived of liberty. incnrceraied
secluded AID made subject 20 RESTRAINT aui 20 t ne
uruf .f which orly professional experts are sup
tc proper iratDr- The grratrsi reliance Eiust
Df rcp sed ln go. Judgment. kndnes. aAa ski oi fh
prof,s ipnal administrator To whom THIS i, pless ani
Nreeh-d class ot safrrnrs Is committed Il i- ailrsrl
ial our American a-yiIm- are hr'nd me Dest a9iums
n ohti conntuns IL Is alleged that There j. more rr-
lucc lnon force lan IS approved h. eNperL- ~ ~ 1-.
l. y alleged thnt lh'y 40 no come eoneh uhlrI tn' 'l
and critic sm S the medical profession IN general ana
iDut yeid ~ ile -'its whcA tAey od-4t 2" .uInl1l
towards The ir. crrafs Of medical science. IL j.
alleged even tHat there not sufficient acqnhini-
"l 'h hiAlh' ai thrre are ar edEeu as-s ms i'' ~
adequate and insufficient srsidenr medical Inspectors
am not able 10 prove these assertions. am not Dcre
even 10 1nGorie then nor does my interest in tLe u
leei nor nv presence mere DEPEND ~ the least upon
ihrir truth or tner falsehood should be CAD 70 oe-
il't" tHi u'sc ohafEes arr tNaEs Ili'u. n, -
J. deeper than The truth oi any q these ALLEGATIONS
nj of insanity and 0fpublc asynms b. the nature OF
the case one thar demlnd- perpetual reorenng; that
az soue imperfect stage. and that anxious Vigilance II
required 70 prevent evils in The ysieu WHAT - needed
ognzed ssiii, and VINO viii have power to remedy all
abuses.
ADDRESS OF Dn. sroRRs.
A letter then read from Samuel f. Seward Of
Boston. and one from f. B. sanborn. The Rev. Dr.
storrs. OF BrOoklyn then spoke at considerable length
the general subject OF the treatment Of the insane
In tie of his remarks he condemned the mSGagc
ment of the Kings County Asylum which he charac
terizcd a. about tlc worst ou the face OF the earth
ADDRESS OF Dr.. sTGUIN
DR.. f. C. seguin then spoke from professional view
OF the subject. large proportion Of the insane h.
said, cared tor in magnificent buildings. Tne
system adopted these institutions il almost as bad as
the archit ctural design. Tho number OF patients In
fl4aa fr.r IN Np
single medical capable Of properly looking after
sucn va-t numbers are placed under their
c17c. Ole of the most gldrlng evils Is the
congregation and association or the acute and
cur1hle pdteuts with the incurables The acute
and ,urabir insane are Ike other sick people They
qnire careful medical attention, frequent visits and all
the details Of hospital care a. well ~ good food stlm-
LIANT and costly incidence WIN necessary amount %
clot ing ana special nursing on the othrr han 'r lu
curabes rfquiic simply 90 ne taken care or but thrN
should also have occunauon ana diversion In hiost
fn class paenfs they being LETT To wander aDOu the
corridors OF tn'ir gloomy places OF abode
Oue objection % thr institutions on tue Island Is the
proportion OF asss On Wards Island the proper
on one assistant physician to twenty patients and
little Ove- On BacAweI's I-lanf there Is one ASSIST
ant pnvsiciau ~ $50 palenfs-say nearly 200 And
seems % me-. looking back npon my hospital experience.
inat tais allowance of work for one medlcai man D..
really supcrhuman. unless we suppose that he merely
uegects large number OF them.
| Will pass on now another fundamental defoct IN
the uanagcu oi a-y luus and It lot easily
tr,f h. fb. ns tic,ucv nf fn4 medical ski Now our
general hosplt ls supplied with the best medical
/ n,u that can be De- secured; the most prominent
/ men IN the medical prOlesslon-O Derafols pro-
Ss-o~- vrifers-some of rhem Of \ fiunJI repI-
tauon besides. there are house surgeons
ami house Dhvsirans who are lected IN competitive
examinations. When ev IN the hospitals they are
strictly subordinate TO their superiOrs. In the insane
asvum the assista selected appointed By the
/ suaerufendenis upon recommendations merely. In
Few there are examinations, nut these examinations
cfnuot he COMPARED with the tes required IN the
er,l hospitals. When tney enier tile as luns what
liant ,bvsic,n - pl,cei i1 tharc. 81 a Division or A
wing. 8ul lucrntcn cent with him ana gives
a. t,. ,,or. ,,,,s r.ct to MA bad SELECTION of a.
s-taut physicians II is tnat Win hardly exception
s.tanf. Anrr ne L1s been an assistant for two In
some instances ten fifteen twenty years he made
a sun, rntendeut or another ast lun Ana hr
Is appointed ON the recommendation that be mas
been for -uch long time an assistant Whr
there nurses who can clam exp neuc" a. ue. Ihe
qualification should bee high personal character and
sn -ccnIiur education 10 the xt place, snpernteu
deut- should be- relieved % aFge part Of Their nan-
cal and executive dudes Through this multiplicity oi
labor the patents iuh r.
The RESOLUTIONS.
The following resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Resored, First That a seriously detective system
exclusive care OF officials OF psyluns. and IL shoud be
this country wherever II exists, as It has
Resolred, That Lunaey Commission. modelled some
nt On lne plan o the l-nnacy Commissions thar h~ve
been In successful operation IN Great Britain and
w rbe d,ri,s M stcb comnission sh mid be per-
maneuty a. supervis asyiums, b0tl public and
private 10 attend to complaints AMI controversies ana
10 standard OF ciesc study aH4 tratmtnt oi
BesoIeed That a committee be appointed by the chair
m4u ucrtng fC drylse pilu Tor th' organiZ-
LEGISLATURE ulil for IL crrAlnu ald 20 advise
With fac Governor AID state Board of Charities
SELECTION o the members Of sucu stale Commission.
Irs0f~c4. Finally, thar tA4s meeting also car
nesfly recommends the organization ola National
committee appointed take steps Tor the formation
Of sucn an ASSOCIATION.