Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-10-29
THE VERMONT ASYLUM.
Reports OF the Trustees, superinteh-
dent and state Board Of Supervisors.


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more and moro exclusively devoted to the in
sane Of this state. The number of inmates
from other states has been steadily lessenod
TO make room for the increasing number Of
applicants from Vermont, and TO prevent
overcrowding. or the Az patients at the
date Of the report, 329 belonged to Vermont
The average number for the two years was
1852, twenty less than for the two years pre-
ceding. During the last two years much has
been done toward renovating the old wings
and improving their plan. Through these e1.
tensive alterations and improvements the re.
ceiving capacity of some Of the wards la,
been lessened by tho appropriation to other
important uses Of space formerly occupied by
seeping-rooms. The system of steam heat
ing has been completed, and a system OF
forced ventilation by the use of fan OF
blower, which has been introduced, is found
TO be q complete success. The old wood
workshop and ice house has been replaced
by permanent brick building. These nee.
essary and desirable changes give the institu.
ton a complete set of brick buildings, with
no wooden buildings in near proximity.
THE SUPERINTENDENT REPORT.
The report of DIR. Draper, the superintend-
ent, opens with table which shows that the
number of patients admitted during the two
years was l17-lO5 males and - females.
OF the lS9 patients reported as discharged, %
3G are put down as recovered" ~ were
improved 30 were mot improved" and
- died. OF those discharged % were from
other states most of whom had been long
residents of the asylum. These were dis.
charged to make room for state patients, and
all Of them figure under the head mot i'm.
proved" The curious fact is stated that the
first patient admitted during the biennial pc
riod covered by the report was the last one
discharged at the close of the preceding one.
The case was one of recurrent mania, and
the attack was the fifth from which the pa.
tient had suffered in as many years. He had
previously been retained in the asylum after
one Of his attacks during the full period Of
his convaloscence but on this occasion he
was discharged in two weeks after his conva-
lescence began. The experiment proved a
mistake. The excitement OF the journey
NUM- Ohubtu u Itlhpbc anu ne was returned
TO the asylum in just one week
One hundred and sixty three OF the III pa
tients admitted during the two years were
residents Of Vermont, and Of these 1913 were
natives Of the STATE twenty-five each were
natives of Ireland and the Canadas and p
were natives OF New England states other
than Vermont, or of the Middle states. The
largest number of those admitted were, as
usual, from the lAboring and agricultural pop
ulation-the proportion Of them being about
two-thirds. The married and the unmarried
were nearly equal in number. About one
third were committed by friends and support
ed by private means, and two-thrds by the
public authorities and supported at public
expense In the subdivision of ages into pc
RODS Of decade each the admissions were
most numerous OF patients between the ages
Of 30 and 40. In the fact that seven of the
patients admitted were under 20 years Of age
DIR. Draper finds unwelcome evidence Of a
tendency TO the increase of insanity, las
young persons unless constitutionAlly pre-
disposed, ought to be able to resist the or
binary exciting causes OF mental disease, in
stead of promptly succumbing to them"
The mortality during the two years was
exceptionally low, the deaths amounting 10
only 5.4J per cent. upon the average resident
population. The record Of the institution in
this respect is a notable one. OF those resi-
dent in the asylum at the date Of the report
lj7 were supported by the state, l4s were
chargeRble to towns and l42 were maintained
at private expense. Comparison with previ-
GUS reports shows that the numbers of these
different classes have been nearly reversed.
At the date of the last report l6I were sup
ported at private expense, l6S were charge
able to towns, and l27 to the state This ten
dency toward an increase in the number of
patients chargeRble TO the state and a de-
crease in those supported by towns and pri-
waite means, has been observed and comment
ed on in previous reports.
DIR. Draper enters into a careful and some
what extended discussion of the causes and
phases of insanity, and this department Of
the report closes with the interesting and
suggestive statement that careful analysis
of the condition of the III patients admitted
during the two years shows that hereditary
tendency was traceable in so of these, or in
- per cent. of the whole. Self-abuse, in
temperance and excuses of various kinds,
contributed to the development of about %
per cent Diseases or injuries OF the nervous
centres complicated about II per cent.
Nervous exhaustion, overwork, overstudy,
general ill health, and diseases common to
to both sexes were assigned as causes in
about 90 per cent. Diseases peculiar to fe-
males figured in the production of about %
per cent. of the ascertained cases of women.
The doctor refers to the constant effort which
is made to furnish the patients with increased
recreation and agreeable oc-
cupation, enumerates the improvements made
in the buildings during the years 1878, 10,
80, and closes with a quotation of the laws
relative to the commitment, supervision and
support of the insane passed at the session of
the legislature of 1873.
REPORT OF THE BOARD or SUPERVISORS.
The report of the board of Supervisors of
the Insane, consisting of DR.. j. L. Harring-
ton of Halifax. W. II. Walker, Esq, of Lud-
low, and j. o. Champion of Winooski,
speaks in cordial and explicit terms of the
high character and excellent management of
the Vermont Asylum, The act of the Legis-
lature of 1873, under which this board was
appointed, makes it the duty of the super
visors TO visit the asylum every month, to ex-
anime into its manage ment and the condition
and treatment of the patients, hear griev-
ances, investigate all doubtful cases, and dis
charge any persons found in confinement who
are not insane. The supervisors repeat the
well-known fact that the asylum is not q
money making institution but charity, no
person having financial interest in it, the
trustees giving their services, and lex GOV.
Holbrook being at the asylum nearly every
day of the year, serving the major portion of
his time in the interest Of the institution.
The admirable location of the institution is
referred to, both as regards natural surround