The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1881-12-22
WasYar,1 Lafsattc ASYLUM.

Western Lunattc Asylum
The biennial report Of DR.. A. NJ Fauntleroy,
Of the Western Lunatic Asy-
lum, for the two years ending Sept. 80, 1881.
has been furnished u.s. It contains much that
is interesting in regard to this great public
charity
The Superintendent states that the medical
retrospect is, on the whole, a very gratifying
one, affording, as it is believed, unmistakable
evidences Of the Asylum's advancement in
usefulness and public utility. The number OF
patients admitted was two hundred and eigh-
teen, making the unusually large aggregate of
six hundred and sixty-six persons present, and
under Asylum care and treatment during the
past two years. 1t appears also that the num-
Der in the household increased steadily from
the beginning to.the end of the biennial term,
the two years exhibiting chronologlcally 463.5
and 1856 patients as their daily averages-the
second year exceeding the first by 90 patients,
and closing with A more patients than were
present at the beginning of the first year.
Ninety-two persons have been discharged as
recovered and fully restored to mental and
bodily soundness, with renewed capabilities
for employment of and usefulness in life.
Others-fourteen in number-have been re-
turned to their friends and families much i'm
proved bodily and mentally The recovery
rates for the past two years appear respect
lively as 39.9S and Is 26 per cent. Of admissions.
These results are deemed more than satisfac-
tory in view of the fact that in the admissions
of some years past, the chronic insane have
figured largely, whilst the recent and violent
cases haye been few. The mortality rate may
be regarded as exceptionally low-viz., about
four in each hundred under treatment during
the past two years. The percentage is lower
than that of the previous years, and lower
still than the average on the whole number
treated since the opening of the Asylum in
1928. This low mortality rate may be accept
cd as evidencing the freedom Of the house
hold from forms of disease malignant in type,
while it Is happily silent regarding many cases
of bronchial and gastrointestinal disorders
which occurred respectively during the winter
and summer months of both the years includ-
&c in this report, and also of the large number
of cases of Rotheln German measles), which
occurred during the second year. The obituary
table shows that the deaths were luainly of the
old residenters, and that the cause Of death,
with few exceptions, was organic and degene-
rative disease of the heart, lungs, brain and
nervous system. The record is again re-
markable in that one death occurred a. the
advanced age of seventy-one years, after a
residence of forty years in the Asylum, two
after thrty-five, two after thirty-four, two
after twenty-nine, two after twenty eight and
two after twenty Years-while the aver
age residence in the Asylum before death is
eleven years.
The experience OF the two past years, like
that of all the years gone by, loudly proclaims
the Importance of early treatment to the IN
sane. Siaty.fre out of each hundred have
been restored to sanity Of those admitted be.
fore the disease had endured year, while the
proportion of recoveries to admissions has
fallen as low as taoenty, where the admissions
haye been deferred year or more
The Superintendent states that in the dis
elimination between applicants when all could
not be accommodated, he has not hesitated to
give precedence to the more recent over the
chronic cases. He also states that when the
chances of recovery were seemingly equal, he
has uniformly Disseminated in favor of the
poor man rather than the rich, knowing that
the latter could readily command treatment
elsewhere, whilst the former, if precluded
from the benefits of this State charity, would
be virtually relegated to the class of incura-
bles and made a pensioner for life on the
treasury of the State
The supposed causes of the insanity OF
those admitted into the Asylum during the
past two years are given in one of the &C
companying tables. As heretofore in the ex-
perience of this Institution, physical causes
over the moral in the causation
Of mental diseases. This fact is affirmed alike
Of the males and OF the females. Ill health,
heredity, and abuse of alcoholic and narcotic
agents occupy, as usual, a prominence among
the physical causes Of the disease, while do
nestle trouble, family afflictlon, and other
moral causes are here presented as genetic
agencies in a number of instances, both male
and female, though apparently more active in
their baleful influence upon the female sex.
The Superintendent notes, as having a
seemingly collateral bearing upon causation,
that, as shown by the statistics in the admiss-
ions both of males and females for the past
two years, the number of unmarried exceeds
the married. This observation is in accord
with the previous experience of this Asylum,
and also with that of others.
The biennial term closes leaving four hun
dred and ninetytwo patients under asylum
care and treatment. OF this number thirteen
are convalescent; thirty-six are deemed cura-
bic; while the remainder are considered as
doubtful, and most probably incurable.
FINANCE
The fetal expenditures for the two years
amounted to 1857 ,587 70, of which $5s. 223.O2
were for groceries, $11 1924 for improve
ments, and the residue for fuel, clothing, sc.
Of the receipts $15,482.9s of old claims for
board were collected by the vigilant and active
attorney, Judge j. H. McCue.
The expenditures on support account for
the year 1890 amounted to SIC, 525 OF, giy-
ing $165.10 as the average cost of each patient,
while the like expenditures for the year 1880
81 amounted to $S1 ,O6272, making the per
capita cost for the year $16676. The differ
ence between the per capita of the two years
cost of supplies during the year l880-S1. The
outlay for the year 18S0-S1 only exceeds that
for 1870 90 hu sA 527 az althonnh the aa;l,r