New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-12-07
MANAGEMENT OF INSANE ASHLUMS.

THE SENATE COMM rTEE'S INQUIRY.
rrsr,voNy OF THE sCPEEINTRNDENT AND
FoRMFR suPKRINTENDNNT OF THE B1ACKw ELL S
ISLAND NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. OF OTHER WIT
RrssFs-A DENIAL BY DIR. MACDONALD.
The Senate Committee appointed to IN
vesgate The OF the State asyiums for 'he
insane continued its inquiry yesterday at the Metro
rohtan Hotel. senator Fowler member OF the com
mittee was present for the first time DIT T. NJ Ffahh
lin superintendent OF the City Asylum on BiackwerS
Island said that that institution lar from iauuess
but that large part Of the defects those OF con
structiou % the building, for which tile SUPERINTENDENT
of course was responsible. Ihe superintendent Vi"
net have suffcen power IN che matter OF apPo"'iNN
ana controlling subordnates. H. was satSheo 'nS' 'p
poinIments Of attendants were made fom poue"' Gun
alterations but he always tried 10 be uniuhuenced pN
that fact and would check an attendant VINO was ADou
Ia stale by whom his appointing NJ had been made Ihe
Commissl ners OF Charities and Corrections gave
leaves az absence sometimes to ATTENDANTS Will
out consulting the superintendent hes'r'ih'
was imposed mostly by means OF the canlseie
and 10 small extent, by wnstlets. There
were also niulfs" and "that much abused instrument
the crib" There four CRIBS and the witness wished
that there crib was partially hnished ana
its completion hurried for the use Of patient Win
a suicidal tendency The small amount c' space between
the bed and the wooden cover prevented patient Hou
rising Violent patients were generally put IN the
!
strength. The absolute abandonment o. restraint would
not rebound 10 TIE welfare institution but there
was ess restraint the Black Nes Island Asylum
than there five years ago. About oLehlrd Oh the
I295 patieute employed. The superintendent ana
Commissioners could keep friends from seeing patients
If necessary. family physician might see patient
bus could not prescribe for him Every letter written
b. patients 10 friends was opened, ANA # t stated mat
tiers thal did exist it not sent The witness ae-
knowle lodged that had been able to do very little med
cal work In jhe nine mouths curing which he mad Aed
Office at the Asylum OwinZ 10 his executive duties de
was summoned by the assistant phys.clans only III
special eases.
Island AS FROM 1868 TO 1871 said that the use OF
The euh Was considcIe cd necessary tVl. III oettln
cases II, had from three % 1yc assistants to treat
from 750 10 l,4OO patents When ne eh rod tle asy-
ium all the assistant ph{slci'hs were uu' Ei'uua'es'
several deaths occurred from suicide violence ana ac-
NJ. gpo Gable hving on Jersey CITY Heights testi-
cG that hcr bro,ler David Il. Halman, Who had never
Den pIn u.'', a. his s,str,s mouse in ISIS and
VS. then iaktu 10 Bellevue Hospital The witness
found aim q cell gu the grnDh heor, Strapped 10
a brd the wind Was blowing on MN through an
ON window The uext day he taken 10 &C
N9ri'. Isl4nd Asllum. pa ia ruOu Containing el.bt
60 bi- sar.s and fee' we're bound. aud a Strap
flg,tgv across his rressI. thai nc could scare ~
breaiie Thc sand that ne had contracted pneu-
ilsmia. On IN. loose, me loose" he cried. The
Wl,-cSs tined 10 Quitt Gnd hen, overcome with
emotion ~ A, treatment, hurried from the room she
her ts he had is carried her Druthrr's CORPSE down
starr. Iaa.au was taken 10 WARDS IsiaAa before lie
VS. eyauiued, tue wI.u. said.
Tie X ~ w. q. FrcncA. mission emo. owed or
Blackwel's Isiaud b' tne Pro.es,aHt Epsc'Hl CHy
sIon, ptcs niei an "rier ON "el e.asi'H ioFpi-
ding bun testify. Senator ooin s4lL iia' &c #ou.i
make the suof @la cause As az ennee i'iaf win az
car q uAac. Il. oo-crvs.i0n in the 50 nnl
The W t4cs--, 4n between two fires
S-ua.a- Wooalu--lt there Is any are about Il VI.
scnrrl somebody else aad NO y u
Dr. y X rupP touueriS assistant paysisap IN TIE
waso's As} La. SAID taat ell DAYS before is To-
1novt n 1870 .- parioil a'ec in discussion brture
me Id 8 t u.s. vi -.nept ~ tseiBr
par 10 DO. llIcAt named David y" JoDsOr. WHO laa
There and aiiYtner. ORey, Nho a-s. died tie cro.
had intense c'sara. Coz ersilon a. tne autopsy showed
era psress died in me e. 10 r .b,ruce of he -up P
inten -ert Tie engineers il7,l-ah' carried reyc
do j, ags.u II the internal Dl'chmHn comes around"
Tle wIiuess's ex animation for physician
d. A.aa NcLane Hamilton. Of the Consulting Beard
NJ lie Pou eel-e ana County A.plums said that The
sv.,.ra o. .oerestrult prev l.ea. ~
crgpt in. NJ complaints Dad originated with dis
charged OH US aud Grey pauen's A. - Europ"au
wa. found cov-iei win vermIn and feud matter The
COLONY 20 Ghrel resulted among othe4 things, III
D. ". >iIew ex superintendent Of tie Blackwers
Island said tnlt CuWini~sl"Her Hr0nnan told
Inn tlt b." g .cTl di h" isai-l ne comm s,iouers
heau wugs 90 come On C.l miSsune. He's, he
SAM. pp)srd o. iIm beeau'e TIE witness wa7
c;cdtc. V . defeating A'iA Nhtl hr ha' ID eanuda,s
for oGir of Register q nursc who WIS suspended
s-atrs 81. t- after srs, elslop by D.
srew. The witness claimed tbat Ne % ,u. ~ B9ari
OF the Wat aad AsTium.
Dr " Y. Nrite, Oi thr Consulting Board, SAID tina.
fine con ID ill If affairs Sic 1ckWePs island Asy
lnm lrnac led Dr. StrcR's resignation. Tue r.. Mr.
Mile. C.apsin O the Wards L@ld Asy Thought
flas. cou-ia. the obstacles Mon Lc mad 70
counter Dr. MacD maid deserved great lea Il credit
Dr. d acDo-a4 lid, Ia regard ?" Dr. rrnAn's aseI-
ton making MN regent ot aking palr IN
debate: " give tno most ulQla Sled Gtnial 10 tnat
si2iells A. l'i maze no srA sse- 70. MI. ever ~
Kieruau's issa que Go cause entirely indie
pcGdri5 Ga. Dc Lad hearing ~ regard 10 10 Dc
for fhe GnTnrssianeF~ ana Csu sed aiteFs ouch
hearing. do know of Tie action o. the Consulting
Board 'lr tet IpLed me 10 take cBirge OF The
BlackWelrs Island ASYLUM. Tho Board we're not az
pointed because they were personal friends OF mine bat
Ii - possible for who spent eleven OF
work, a. / have done III Institutions, 10 make such
friends Dr.. Wood. Flint and LoOms and such enc
mics D DIS. SultZ kI AID Herman
NyNNLGHr MEA I'll ER REpORC