Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1880-01-09
Annual Report Of the Western Lunatic
Asvluf1i.

AEYlum'
We have received the report of the W.
L. Asylum for the year ending Sept. 3Oth.
The expenditures of the year amounted to
SIS, 218 ,lS and the Der capita cost OF sup
porting the patients was. reduced to the
low rate of $135,N. The new building for
females erected during the year .only
cost Sl1 ,651 IL and as it accommodates As
patients, the cost of construction per cap
tia was only $3.50, while $500 per capita is
the usual cost for additions to insane asy-
lums. The building being erected for
males is rapidly approaching completion
and will accommodate 100 patients. In
view Of the increased number of patients
and the increased cost Of supporting them
from the general rise Of prices, the Board
thinks $72 500 will be necessary for the pre-
sent fiscal year, $50, 900 tor the year 80 81
and $15, 900 more for repairs and improve
ments During the last fiscal year
Judge j. H. McCue, the Attorney for the
Board, recovered $5,3SS,4S from old
outstanding claims for the support OF pay
patients, which is an important addition
to the support fund of the institution. The
President of the Board, DR.. A. NJ. Faun-
tleroy, pays appropriate tributes to those
officers Of the institution who have died
since the last report, three i'll number.
The report of Drs. VIM. Hamilton and
E. G. Fisher, Assistant Physicians. says
that there are already on file names OF
enough applicants to fill the new building
for females, and recommends law by
which County Courts may allow for the
maintenance and care of any quiet and
harmless female patients. who may be re-
moved to q county-the allowance not
to be more than the cost of support at
the asylum, and thus room may be made
for more bad cases, until another new
building shall be erected. They also
suggest law requiring female guards to
accompany female patients to the asylum.
The statistics of the institution for the
wear state the number of patients remain
ing there during the year at 532. of which
278 were females. In table No. 3, of pa
tients admitted since the opening OF the
asylum, five men are reported as persons
not insane,; and the fact is thus explained
in the report Of the Assistant Physicians:
AS some may be curious to know now
sane persons get into the asylum. we state
that one was an inebriate, one an opium
eater. and another eccentric, all three be-
ing thought by their friends to be insane.
The fourth was suffering with the dellrlum
of typhoid fever, and the fifth, who had
violated the law, was committed by advice
of his counsel with view to pleading IN
sanity in his defence.
In the tables giving the supposed causes
OF insanity of persons admitted during the
year, we find that fright sent man and
women; Incidence, l man; religious ex-
element, men and women; the war, 4
men and 2 women; disappointed love, l
man and woman; pecuniary trouble, ~
men and women; seduction, 2 women;
intemperance, q men; domestic trouble,
9 men and II women; domestic affection,
4 men and 10 women; from loss OF sight,
1 woman, and from overtaxed energies,
men and women. Of the 532 patients,
l56 were single men, 14S single women,
"a 3arrled men, So married women, 4
widowers, 80 widows, 2 divorced women,
and men and 10 women of whom it was
not known whether they were married OF
single.