The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1880-12-30
Western Lunatic Asylum.

ERATIoNs OF TIE INSTITUTION
The annual report Of the Board of Directors
and Of the Medical Superintendent of the
Western Lunatic Asylum has been published,
and we are placed under obligations for an
early copy.
The operations of this noble charity are Of
peculiar interest to many of our readers for in
addition to the interest which all should fee.
i'll the great work of aleyiating the suffering
OF that peculiarly unfortunate class of our fe,
iOWmen, the location of the Asylum i'll our
midst, and the almost daily intercourse We
ENJOY with many of its officers, and not few
OF its patients gives to it specially local
character and enlists our sympathy in a mark
ed degree
The report before US is the first made by the
present efficient head of the establishment, Dr.
A. NJ Fauntleroy, who succeeded the lamented
Dr. Baldwin, as Superintendent. 1t is marked
by clearness and vigor of style. which rem
ders even the dry statistical portion attractive,
and makes the entire paper entertaining read
ing. A page from the report, on the estima-
ton and treatment of the insane, will no doubt
prove of interest. In remarking upon the
principles underlying the treatment and gov
eminent Of persons afflicted with the terrible
malady, the doctor states that lunatic is re-
garded as neither more nor less than sick person
whose malady is seated in the brain-the organ
first in physiological dignity, and highest in
grade OF development in the human organism;
| The centre of inteleclion emotion, and Volt
| ton; linked to and associated with every part
of the body; by ascensive morbid interaction
its disorders may be occasOned or intensified;
while from descensive morbid influences, the
whole body, as well as the head, may become
morbidly implicated. Therefore, of all the af-
fections in the long catalogue of human ills,
insanity is regarded as making the strongest
appeal to our common humanity and the kind
ly ministrations of the healing art. There be-
ing no specific treatment for insanity, each
case is dealt with upon its own merits, and the
remedial measures employed are varied in ac-
cordance with the varying pathological states
and evident needs of the individual The
hygienic treatment embraces the essential con-
ditions of ventilation cleanliness, vand album
dant Authorization, as being as necessary to the
comfort and welfare Of the insane, us of the
sane. The medical treatment demands tribute
from the entire domain of medicine At the
same time special attention must be given to
the incalculablc benefits arising from ihe en-
ployment of what are called moral means. DR..
Striking has well and aptly said-"They are
universal in their application, and productive
Of good wherever used. Being the offspring
Of the Christian religion, prompted by an en-
larged benevoence, and directed in their holy
purposes by the light ofscience, all are brought
within the sphere of their influence, and by a
genial warmth impaired, are revived, reno
waited, and often saved" The term, moral
means, embraces conventionally any influence
not medical which may be brought to bear,
directly or indirectly, upon the thoughts, emo
tions and will These means, though subtle
in nature, are regarded as producing physical
impressions upon the nervous centres. They
exert an influence quite analogous to that OF
pdsslge n0t20n, when employed in surgery to
re establish the motions of stitfened Joint OF
| limb. And the evidences of reliance upon
these measures appears in the account submit
ted OF the employments, exercises, amusements,
end religious services in which the patients
have participated during the year.
Many entertaining details are given in the
report. At the beginning of the fiscal yeal
1S79-S0 there were AS patients in the Asylum
of whom 231 were females and 211 were males
During the year there were admitted 1858
females and 40 males. The whole number
treated during the year was 571-273 females {.
and 206 males. Ninety-two of the inmates
were removed during the year, some Of whom
were restored to health and discharged, others
were sent away unimproved and 80 died. Sta
tistical tables, showing many curious facts
connected with the insane, are given for the
year just closed and also tor each year since
the opening of the Asylum. They possess an
appreciate value as formulating the results OF
! the years work, and from the readiness with
Which they may be compared with the statis
tics Of similar Institutions they are especially
interesting to those engaged in the solution OF
the problem OF insanity. From these skeleton
outlines OF the years active work in the medi-
cal department gratifying and cheering evil
| dences Of the continued prosperity of the Asy-
lum are disclosed A M1yer natnJer Htun ere,
| before in any one year have enjoyed the COM
forts and the remedial Influences which abound
here through the beaeicent provision Of the
| State.
| The Superintendent congratulates himself
on having been able to accommodate, during
the year, all but a few of the applicants for adj
mission. The male department has been util
lied to the utmost, but for want ofroom many
who applied were rejected. In all cases, pre-
cedence was given to those who had become
recently insane. In explaining this descrimi-
nation the Superintendent says that good sense
and good feeling sanction it, because early
treatment greatly enhances the prospects of
restoration to reason and useful citizenship.
| Considerations of humanity and of economy
alike require that the hospital feature of the in
stitution should be fostered; for just in pro-
portion to the thorOughness of its service
would the number of chronic insane diminihs
i'll the commonwealth. Crowding the Asylum
with the chronic and hopelessy insane would
doubtless lead to the exclusion of the recently
insane until their own cases would become
chronic and incurable Thus il would be shorn
OF its curative capacity, which is eminently its
highest function.
The number of cures in proportion to the
admissions, has greatly exceeded expectations,
in consideration of the unusually large number
Of chronic cases received during the year from
the jails of the commonwealth. The admis-
sions tc the female side of the Asylum have
exceeded those into the male department
simply because of the ampler accommodations
on that side of the establishment. The num-
Der ofreceM cases admitted into the female de-
partment has been relatively small during the
year, which satisfactorily accounts for the
lesser percentage OF recoveries among the fe-
males, though they exceed in number the
males under treatment
In the table OF expenditures the total cost of
! 20