Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1881-07-18

In nothing has our civilization been
more faulty than in the treatment Of the
insane. Our systems OF management.
even where the best results have been OBJ
tanned, to say nothing of those of an in
feriOr character. have been unWise. and
full Of evils which have reflected anything
but credit upon ~ a. a people. Attention
has been called repeatedly to this subject
by eminent phy .iciaDs who have made il
a scientific study. and attempts have been
made in the interest ot n more rational
treatment OF this class Of unfortunate. not
without some good results but As yet al
vance has been but trifiing, where reform,
10 be Of anv value must be thorough.
During the past summer a significant step
forward was taken By DR.. George VI.
Beard, an eminent physician Of this city,
who. after an extended visit 10 Europe, in
which he carefully and inteiligently -tud-
led the a.ylums and asylum systems OF
Great Britain. France and Germany, en-
bodied the fruits Of his investigations in
an able paper, which was subsequently,
given To the public through the pages of
the Boston Medical and Surgical journal.
These investigations have awakened fresh
interest in the subject. not 10 be suffered
to die out, let u hope. until some Of the
deductions of this intelligent observer
have been practically tested.
The conclusion reached by DR.. Beard.
after an investigation of a most searching
character j. that in the methods OF super
vision and in the general care Of the in
sane, in both public and private asylums.
Great Britain stands first Oi all nations.
Next To Great Britain comes Germany.
not far behind and next to- Germany in
order OF merit comes France The essen
tial difference in the treatment OF the in
sane in those countries and in the United
States is. first. in the strict governmental
supervision practised. The United States
stands alone in leaving the insane 10 de
pend wholly upon local uperintendence.
Here they are without any governmental
supervision: in the other countries
named they are the wards of the govern
ment, which exercises guardianship
over them It is made compulsory up
on the English commissioners not only
to regularly visit the institutions. public
and private. but to visit each insane per-
son who is kept in care for pay in any
private house and these visits must be
made without any warning and they must
see the patient when they come. and they
must inquire into and report upon the de-
tails of his life and treatment. In the
case of wealthy patients-so-called chan
Gerry lunatics-that j.. those who have
property, inquiries ol the most minute
character are made; the commissioners
are charged to find out whether the pa
tients have all the cigars they want. all
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RESTRAINT
Another most important feature in the
best asylums of Europe is the reduction of
mechanical restraint to the lowest posi-
BILE minimum. and the employment of la
Dor instead IL a therapeutic agent The
extent Ia which Labor Is employed seems
incredible. not only washing. cooking.
cleaning. and the immense farm work on
the grounds. but also various trades being
carried on by the patients of the asylums.
No difficulty seems to he experienced in
getting the unatics to work. and rs a gen
eral rule they are founnd to accomplish
rs much a> and, in some cases. very much
more than persons in health DR.. Beard
states that out of AZ private and pau
per male patients in the West House of
the ROYAL Ednburg Asylum. "254 were
profitahly employed One hundred and
eight. four in outdoor work. * rs trades
men and rs assisting attendants. The
objection of friends of the patients to
having their insane friends and relatives
compelled to work is not met with in
Europe. rs in this country, and therefor.
no such prejudice has TO he
overcome. OF 5ll pauper patients in the
ROYAL Edinburgh Asylum. of both SEXES.
only eighteen men and twenty-eight
women were prevented. by their mental
and moral condition. from being en-
Moved" This utilization of labor is car
riej ont in detail. not only in England but
in France and Germany: more thorough
lv and successfully it would seem in Eng
land than in the other countries What
ever can he said or has been said or will