The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1882-08-25
THE ASYLUM.
DR.. Young Makes a Statement,
and IntimateS That Some
one Does Not Tell the
Truth.
Editors Herald:

| MY dGlCHGiOn 1dN lllS UCCA tdlICI
to an article in a recent issue OF the
Salt Lake Tribune, and signed by G
A. Tucker, on matter pertaining tC
the lunatic asylum, which asylum
Mr.. Tucker says he had authority
from the governor Of the territory
to visit, in answer to The above
statement about his authority,
! will only say: The governor had no
more right 10 authorize Mr.. Tucker
to visit that asylum, which is my
lpriVate property, than he had to au-
thOrlZe him to visit my dwelling
! house or Office, and no more right
than he had to diSfranchise $4,000
OF Utah's best citizens, or to author
iZe A. G. Campbell to go to congress
and represent the people Of Utah.
Mr.. Tucker goes on to describe
the building and grounds, which de-
Scriptiun will do. Then he comes
to describe the interior and the in
mates of the building, which is de-
cidedly stretch, like his authority
for the visit. Mr.. T. describes the
interior and inmates as being all
filthy. This is the gist of his state
ments from his observations"
Now, Mr.. Editor, 1 was at the
asylum the Sunday just prior to the
gentleman'S visit, and cannot see
why he should give the institution
such wholesale condemnation. Poor
we are, and humble the institution,
but we do pride ourselves on the
cleanliness of our unfortunate
patients. Yet, while this is true,
some truths may be accredited to
Mr.. T., for there are three paraly-
tic patients, and one syphylitic, in
the institution, who are chemically
filthy on account of their paralysis,
which makes them helpless in the
matter of controlling their bowels or
their bladders, so that their cloth
ing and surroundings are liable to
be soiled any hour of the day, and
the OdOrS of these discharges are
constantly with them.
With the exceptions of the above
mentioned four patients, the in
mates are kept comfortably clean,
though not very well clad; yet suffi-
GENTLY well for this warm weather.
Mr.. G. Says he has visited a number
of asylums and makes Odious COM
parsons between them, but my i'm
preston is that he has only visited
the parlOr5 or reception rooms of
these institutions, or that he has
visited institutions kept for the
higher class of insane patients only,
for, if like mine, his visits had eX-
tended into the domain of asylums
inhabited by the pauper insane, he
would have observed e'er this
that at times they smell badly. Mr..
T. goes on to state that some were
heavily ironed, which statement IS
not true; that there are two or at
most three patients upon whom we
have to place light hand or
feet Shackles before taking them
from their rooms for safety to
themselves and to the keepers, is
true; but we have no heGUy irons
about the institution. If the keep
ers ever use a cane or a stick, 1T is
against my expressed orders, only
in their self defense.
/ will say in regard to the visits Of
the physician, they are only made
as often as in his judgment it is
Necessary to make them.
AS for the commissioners, they do
the same, and are at liberty to visit
the asylum oftener or less often. as
seemeth to them good, for there is
no statrte governing them in the
matter. AS for the asylum COM
missioners consulting with Drs.
wilkins and Shurtliff, of California
whom MIR. I. seems DESTROYS Of
bringing into notoriety and by his
able endorsement lifting them into
fame, l will say the commission
9rs of the Utah Insane Asylum
have already held long and frequent
consultations with two medical
gentleman whom l am proud to call
my friends, viz; DR.. j. NJ. Bene-
dict, of Salt Lake City, and DR..
Walter r. Pike, of Provo City, two
gentlemen who 1 firmly believe are
the peers of any that could be named
by Mr.. Tucker as his acquaintance.
Now a word for the ungentle-
manly and uncalled for attack upon
myself by the editors of the TTib-
U7le. Their heading of the article
above referred to reads Hell in
Utah." Now, Mr.. HERALD, who
has shown the greatest desire to
create such a condition Of things as
'sHell in Utah" the editors Of the
Tribune or myself? And do you not
think they are as fit subjects for in
generation in the Utah Penitenti-
airy as DR.. Seymour B.Young? l do.
[ will bring no railing accusation
against them, but will borrow a
quotation for them from one who
spoke as never man spake when he
said to the evil one: ''The Lord re-
buke the Satan.
have the honor tOsub5cribe my
self respectfully,
Your Obedient Servant,
SEYMOUR 3. YOUNG.
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, August
| %, 1882.