New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-10
INVESTIGATING ASYLUM ABUSES.

CONCLUSION OF THE WORK IN his CITY OF THE
SENATE COMMITTEE ON ASYLUM REFORM.
The Senate Committee on Asylum Reform
Concluded It's Iapors yesterday. The asylums
at PougAkeepsie and Middetown will be visited next
wcea. h. insutdt,Ons at Utea ana AuDur" WIN po
examined later. rhe Rev. W. e. French, employed az q
missionary Oh 81 .ck wells Island by the New-lOr"
Protestant Episcopal Missionary Society, was recalled
Yesterday TO relate any abuses which he had recorded ID
his Diary covering a period OF eight years SER
wee on the Island In tho BackweiPs Island Asylum
he said there were nurses VINO hau pV'n
Amounted through pot cal influence without regard 10
fitness or framing. Eicn was IN charge Of about
seventy patients upon whom almost any cruelty could
ma A,c-d nv nurses or officers Patients were locked
IN ile,r rooms. and with the halls locked no deed
would be beyond belief" The testimony OF patients III
tetgent enough warrant confidence In their state
mets would be believed when denied BY the nurses
TIN r, were witnesses the fact that patients VINO cx
celd IN emrol iery and knitting were cOuhned in the
asylam for weeks afterhey cou have been discharged
=, order 10 secure their services that KIND OF work
Jane Barew. nine years insane, was Kept TWO years
after her recovery and served as domestic and some
times AS nurse. M French SAID the woman made ire
ment REQUESTS TO be released. Another woman. four
,ears 20 was kept In the asylum six months without
causs. The witness attributed her detention to the
fact that an insurance policy on her fathers life
was about TO be paid. Mr.. French induced
her friends TO take her OUT OF the asylum
A woman who had been detained after her recovery
and who was living Ia this city, wrote nun that
there were and fortunes inflicted IN the IN
stituton too horrible mention and that ON annVer-
ssrv DAYS patieuts felt their detention very keenly.
Within the past two years, the witness was Informed
recently nurse left the institution from indignation at
the cruelty who held patient III cod bath
until her face was vid. The Commissioners we're IN
formed of the case hut the whose name Is water
house was still retained the asylum An abuse com
4
greater or less degree, was the balhing OF several
patients in the same water Mr. French was Informed
that on one occasion patients were washed IN the
same water. At present two patients would often be
washed together The water not changed for other
patjepts IN every instance, but would be eptrunning
Dr. W. b. Goldsmith. assistant physician al the bloom
ngdale said that that institution was controlled
nv me authorities Of the NewYork Hospital and that
the assistant pnyscisns appointed on the recon-
M ndalon OF the superintendent. de thought tnat
there erroneous impression IN regard 10 the
fnnctIons OF "A Lunacy CommsslJn. 1t should consist
mainly % experts insanity. although the ehicf duties
cient freedom present regard To the correspondence
OF patients The forwarding OF letters II was true De
witness did not think many letters should b. sent
were suppressed Letters written by panent should
Dr. George NJ. Beard then presented letters received
from experts in nsan regard the English Lrnacy
Cmm ssloners DR.. Stephen Afford wrote that before
their appointment many abuses had exs.ed In asVlus
tl re vas no official inspection and The treatment OF
patens was often barbarOus. To-day every patient was
Visited regularly and could write to the commissioners
| at any time and there many cases Of recovery
DE- Mudsley also approved he work of the Commission
The witness said tnal from me testimony OF Tue ciy
| those institutions than In all the asyiuns oil Great
Britain 49,. ,,,.,. -. an,
| senator Fowler-Do you think that thirty or hity
patients in restraint out OF 200 or 1900 In an asylum
| form large proportion
The witness added That increase Of insanity IN the
stae greater than the Increase OF popnlanon ana
civilization advanced II also became more boPeiess