Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-11
made during the ye W.

Z)I
Oh emises ZU9
Un derskrts l99
Un --......'... 90
Cre ess,s -..'''''.- s1
apr unS ,0e e1
Bed and mattress cks. $500 ...,.s...,....s- 12a
Pillow and bolster ticks 1io
Pillow and bolster slips. la7
Comforts ~ "
Handkerch iefs. towels. & napk ms mined 259
This certainly bespeaks g. G, mmenda-
BILE industry among the fen ale patients,
while the diversion afforded. Isas doubt
less paved and smoothed Tire. way, IN
many instances, to healthy mentality.
ADJUSTMENTS AND ENTERI AILMENTS.
The biIliard-roo and pin alley
have afforded pleasure to lumber OF
the male patients, while ti,' females
have found h,salthfu1 amuseint Mt in the
game of croquet, in which they have
engaged in large numbers ari ost daily,
upon the grounds set apart foi the pur7
pose. Hours thus spent III The open air
in pleasurable occupation have been
highly conducive to mental luietude,
while promOtive also of physic al health
and bodily vigor-
Our library of miscellaneous works,
numbering over six hundred volumes,
is a source of grea pleasure is"d enter
tainment to the mere retiIsed inmates
of the Asylum, while the newspapers
and serials of the literature OF the day
are much sought after, and read with
avidity by majority of the . mates.
Indoor amusement is atfnr led males
and females alike. by the games OF chess,
drafts, dominoes, back gauul,n, cards.
and logomachy. The violju banjo and
flute are often heard in the male depart
ment; while from a number of piano
music ia evoked to beguiIe Lhe tediu N
of many an hour in the female wards.
During the fall, winter and ipring the
weekly dance is looked forw. .rd to with
pleasure by many, and is greatly enjoyed
by all who attend-son,e merely as
lookers-on, others as participants in
"chasing the glowing hours with flying
feet" The music and the dance are
potent agencies in disaelling gloom
from the mind, and substituting there
for lively sensations OF pleasure
tending in no small degree 70 the pro-
motion of permanent 6ien ctre of the
mind During the last winter theatri-
Gals were given once in two weeks by
SOME of the young ladies and gentle-
nsen of the city, to whom acknowl-
edgment is eminently due and most
cheerfully given. These performances
were admirably done, and were greatly
enjoyed by all present.
In estimating the dance and theatri-
Gals as potent and desirable auxiliaries
lin the moral treatment, T. trust l may
not shock the moral sense Of any. To
Those endowed with 2sae4l extre me
sensibility, the philosophy eontalned
5iM the following conplet from Pope Is
I commended
-Pieasure-or wrong or rightly understood,
Our greatest evil, or our greatest good"
RELIGIOUS SERVICES.
Every Sunday afternoon large num-
b er of our patients are gathered for Di-
vine Worship in our spacious and beau
ii full chapel The services consist OF
pl aver, the reading of q lessen from the
Bi BILE, sermon by one Of our chap-
lains and singing Dy the choir, ac-
colnpanied by the tranquiiizing music
of IL large, finely-toned organ. These
services are looked forward 10 by many
during the week, and the pleasure they
afford has operated as motive of self.
control upon many disordered in mind
but whose feelings are still respon-
sive to the yearnings of their i'm
mortal nature. AS the Holy Religion
of Christ is to the sound brain and mind
the superlative of bygienic moral inf.u
ences, SO in many instances among the
| insane, its grand truths are not without
soothing and steadying influence upon
| the aberrant forces Of the mind. And
these exercises have beyoud all doubt
proved serviceable, in numerous instan-
ces, in bringing the wandering mind
back to its former moorings.
FURLOUGH OR PROBATION.
| The practice of furloughing patients
1 was introduced by DR.. Francis T.. Strib.
ling during the earlier years of his man
4 agement of this Asylum. And SO thor
4 onghly was he convinced of the inn
\ portance of giving patient the benefit
of change, during the course of treat
| ment, by sending him home on visit
4 to his friends. that in many instances
he regarded the treatment rs unsatis-
\ factory or incomplete unless this expert
| nnent was made. This system was con-
/ tinued by DR.. R.. F. Baldwin during
\ his uperintendency. Doubtlessly some
4 among you may recall the thoughtful
and well digested paper on this subject,
| written by the latter gentleman, and
4 appended to the report for the yeas
1856. 1t embodied the results of DR..
\ Stribling's long experience. as well as
\ collated testimony to the success and
\ value of the system from many and
/ widely separated workers III the field Of
4 psychistry. have pursued the prac.
tice during the past year with most sat
isfactory results, and my experience but
affirms the wisdom of the procedure SC
| long in vogue here OF nine cases fur
loughed during the year, eight were dis,
| charged as recovered at the expiration
\ ~ f6a;r 1oouo nf ahSapco Eurlnunb he
are granted only upon the personal ap.
plication of the patients, and only. Ate
| those who have so far recovered theil
mental tonus as to be capable of self
control, though still deemed unprepared
for the rude encounters of the void
| The furlough is granted as test or trial
OF the capacity of the patient for menta
co. ordination. And I am inclined tt
believe that if the cases are judiciously "
chosen the majority will not only with
stand the tentative demands upon theil
mental forces, but their powers Will bf
enhanced by the exercise enfOrceds JUS
as the muscles. are improved by physlca
exercise.
THE IMPORTANCE OF EARLY TREAT
MENT
In mental disorders has been urged ano
pressed Dy enlightened alenlsss Ior uioi'
than half century. Statistics faith
fully gathered have shown with reason
able conclusiveness that the recoverles
ceteris pGribus, bear direct relation t
early remedial measures. Still the ut
terances of experience have been un
needed, as the Annual Reports OF tn'
Asylums clearly testify. The facts col
lated during the fifty-two years of thl
Asylum's existence, alone furnish am
pie proof of the benefits resulting from
a timely resort to treatment, From IN
opening of this Institution, July "a
1928, to the present time, September 81
1850, three thousand one hundred aiIt
four patients have been admitted. II
,3O6. which exceeded more than t'0etv
months duration on admission. the pc
centum of recoverIes is 20 81 In l,4so
which were of twelve months duratlol
and less on admission, the per centun
is $685. These figures attest mathe
, matically the importance OF tlmei.
resort to treatment, and no apology !
deemed necessary for the admonltor
, in nlU0h1atrC