Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1881-01-04
ANNUAL REPOfTOF TIE MEDICAL SUPERIN-
TENDENT OF III, WESTERN LUNATIC ASYLUM.


Through the knlnesDf DR.. A. NJ. Fauntle-
roy, Superintendeat ofthe w L. Asylum we
are IN receipt of te reprt of that Institution
Tor the fiscal year ,S79-SOelthough he only went
INTO office on the f'st fast January. We have
read the report thDugbut with great interest
and 1t evidences on the,art of the Superinten-
DENT most diligentsppl,ation, laborious study,
'nought1ul considerable of the afflicted under
Ills care and OF the best aeans of relieving their
/ maladies.
Al the close OF the fiaa year Sep. 30th, 1880,
| Inc report shows that tere were 479 patients in
| the Asylum, a larger nmber than ever before
IN any one year. Durig the year l23 were re-
cetved. 90 removed, I'D % Deaths the small
percentage of5.OS of til patents treated, and
large percentage of hem died from slow de-
| seneratlve changes occurring in either thebrain,
| lungs or heart
ADMISSIONS.
| Inc report states tat nearly all female ap-
| plicants have been accepted, whilst lasge
NUMBER OF male app ants had to be rejected
| LOT the want of rom In the acceptance of ap-
pllcatlons, both Tor miles and females, the su-
perlntendent has dis eliminated in favor of the
| recently Insane, withdt regard to their worldly
wealth or honor
;AsEs.
LIE number of cassie recovered and i'm
ploVed-1n property to the admissions has
greatly exceeded exltctation, in consideration
Oh Inc unusually lars number of chronic cases
received during the fear from the ails of the
Commonwealth.
1Aihohg The reportM recoveries especial no
lice is made OF case of climacteric mania o.
Twelve years duration A result SO exceptional
aicer so many years created q profound impress
sion IN the household. causing number of
those chlonically affected to take heart
again."
COST OF MAINTENANCE.
Inc total cost of the support of the patients
amounted to S76,52507, giving $3.50 as the av-.
erage yearly cost of each patient or an average
per olem OF IS cents for each patient. This ex-
ceeos pyS cents the average per diem Of the
previous year, which is attributable to an in
crease IN the cost of supplies, as was anticipat-
ea' ana also to an augmentation of the item of
improvements during the year just closed
Yet THIS per diem is less than the average cost
OF maintenance per day of lunatics in the jails
of the State
FINANCES.
The finances of the Asylum have been man
aged with rigid economy, and on the LIST of
oct. 1851, there was to the credit of the support
account 81 ,2OO.49. The payment of arrears for
lo'o-19, the prompt payment of the amount due
on the State appropriation for lS79-S0, the sue
cess N collecting board accounts, and the dill
gence OF the Attorney Judge ]. H. McCue, in COL
lectlng old outstanding claims, to the amount
OF Y 10, are circumstances which have con-
splred TO render the financial management dur
ing the year both satisfactory and econ omical
The Asylum farm shows balance in its favor
OF III 81. "a, the garden sl6T.05, the Carpenters
shop S43l.l5 and the shoe shop $32040.
referring to the needs of the Asylum for the
present fiscal year the Superintendent says:
Assuming that the average per capita cost
Will remain undisturbed for lSS0-Sl and adding
lOO (the capacity of the new building, now al
most ready for occupationD to the average
number OF patients during last year, we shall
have $685. as the average number and 500, 859. 80
as the cost of support Deducting from this the
sum OF sl3, S59S5, as about the possible amount
o1 collections on board account during the year
will leave $4,000 as the amount necessary to de-
fray the expenses of the year already entered
upon"
LABORATORY NEEDED.
DR.. Fauntieroy urges the Importance of La
ooratory at the Asylum, which it is thought
would not cost over 81 200. He says ave are in
leed of a laboratory, adapted by construction
20 the purpose of, and adequately supplied with
he requisite appliances for the microscopic
study of the pathological changes occurring in
The brain of the insane It's of the highest i'm
oortance that the morbid changes in structure
ihould be studied in connection with the men
al phen0m ena observed and recorded during
ife. The failure gen orally to make this asso-
lated study has robbed autopsies Of their fruit
bearing purposes
EARLY TREATMENT OF INSANE.
DR.. Fauntleroy urges atlength the Importance
Of the early treatment Of the insane, and ap-
peas to the practitioners Of medicine through
out the State to operate in the effort to impress
upon the public mind the vital Importance to
the insane of early and judicious treatment.
We have not the space this week to give his
views upon this subject, which are well and
forcibly expressed, bat we hope to do SO short
ly, in connection with other interesting por-
tions OF the report which cannot fail to be of
service and Information to others engaged in
the most humane work Of healing the mind
diseased"