The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1883-06-28
LUNATIc ASYLUM INSPECTED.
DIR. Denten and DIR. Burt-Liyely In
terview and Strong Facts.


It OF the lunatlc asylum would be MAJ
l. yesterday morning, a STATESMA
e representative went out there on i
C yitation of DR.. Denton, the superi,
e tendent, who had requested that pre-
o representatives be present on tn;
/ 0ccaSlon-or at any time. to ST
the condition of affairs Their
: The. reporter of the STATESDI A
/ with Mr.. j. L. Thornton, of tae Ga
Y weston News, and NJ. Spence, of tn
5 Dallas Herald, representatives of tn
t press. were taken in charge by DIR
: A. n. Denton, superintendent, and /,
!. u. Glvens, assistant superintendent
and Capt. Wilson, appointed by tn
board OF managers to make the in
spectlon as to the manner in whicl
the asylum is kept in reference t.
cleanliness and sanitary precautions
OF the inspection in detail it is no
necessary to speak. Each ward wa
visited in both the male and female
departments, and the floors, win
dows, benches tables. beds, and ev
erything in the institution Were
found to be neat and clean. In fact
it would not be catachreSticaI to say
that in every room and every com
partment was seen such cleanliness:
as is seldom seen anywhere except or
board man-o'war' s-man or revenue
cutter. The same was found to be
the case with each patient. The at.
PENDANTS said that they bathed the
patients each day, and kept clean
clothes on them, and the doctor Oen-
tom explained that when people look
ed at it properly no credit was de-
served for keeping the, place and
the patients scrupulously clean,
for several reasons. 1t
was duty owed to the state, it was
due the patients, who would be
healthier, happier and easier improv-
ed in mind and it was by far less
trouble and imposed less labor on all
connected with the management of
the asylum by making the patients
healthy, thus needing less attention,
and make them more cheerful, which
would render them tractable and less
troublesome, all of which would
evidence reasonable grounds to
keep it clean for their personal con-
Yenience. There are about 200 males
| and l67 females now confined there,
| and very few are sick-and no real
| violent ones are among them, though
some of them have spells periodically.
| AS we went through, it was noticed
that most of the patients seemed glad
to see us and shook hands in friend
ly manner, and seemed especially glad
to see Drs. Denton and Givens,
which shows the manner in
which the doctors treat them.
The plast ering has been torn off the
ceilings, and the rocks and mortar
from the door and window castings in
many parts of the old building, and
should be repaired with cement, so
that the patients cannot pick it loose.
This is promised by the managers.
Most Of the beds are on strong iron
bedsteads, with fine wire mattresses,
and would be deemed great il. xury
at hotels. But, in the second and
third wards of the female &c
partment are number of very
common pine hedsteads, and misera-
bly, stiff Slated mattresses, which
should be thrown out and something
more comfortable put in their place.
This reform is also promised.
Drs. Denton and Givens pointed
the reporter to to the cultivated fields
raising all that the asylum used in
fruits, vegetables, feed, etc.-and to
the grounds, buildings, ETC., and
showed that great improvements
have been made. DR.. Den
ton said that he had very
greatly reduced the death rate, and
the cases of sickness-and that his
heart was in the work and he'd make
success of it or work himself down.
If appearances mean anything the
present administration there seems to
be eminently successfully we are
not experts, and time will show how
appearances can speak.
After the inspection was completed
the doctor invited us all into his pri-
vate bedroom, to show us that furni-
ture that was mentioned in connection
with the recently threatened rupture
in affairs, and the following is the
substance of an interview, by the
STATESMAN representative, with DR..
Denton, and which is given almost
verbatim
Reporter-Dr. Burt says something
about your refusing to let him in
spect the asylum. How about that
DR.. Denton-O, Yes. Well, sir, that
is not true, except in part. He came
here with memorandum book and
pencil and demanded to be allowed to
inspect the asylum and report there
on to the board of managers as he
was instructed to do. / told him GER
tainly, that we were anX-
iOus for it to be inspected. And
we are ready for an inspection every
day here; there is never any differ
ence, unless we make improvements
where needed, and as we have been
doing every day. But DR.. Burt made
demands of me that were without
precedent in this or any similar insti-
| tuition in this country. He wanted
me to give him my treatment of each
patient, tell the condition of each, the
number of restraints, the number
sick and convalescent; and asked
to see the food, and what kind we
gave them-such silly questions as he
could have answered from the Stew
ards books. l told him this was more
than / would submit to, that he was
| trying to take my duties, prescribed
to the superintendent out of my
hands. This would make me simply
| the tool Of DIR. Burt, and that will
never be. He has never yet found
fault with my manage
| Ul6nu dllu
| wish to call your attention to one
more thing in regard to the improve
ments weclaim to have made here. A
most important one is in the book
keeping. We have kept records that
there were never kept before-a and
most important records. too. We
keep a chemical record, among others,
by which you can tell the treatment
of each patient-the medicine given,
the day, etc. AS the prescription is
recorded, you can look at the books
or any one can.
Reporter-Well doctor, to what dc
you attribute DR.. Burt's acrimony
you say is visible in all this affair?
DR.. Denton-Well, that is some.
thing that is only an opinion in my
mind. / could not positively say
what are his motives; and as ] am
personally responsible for all / have
said and am willing to stand by
them as facts | know, l am not will.
ing to make any statement that
cannot substantiate, and which
could not conscientiously stand by.
| deprecate carrying the matter into
the newspapers. This is state 1nstl
tuition for the welfare of which every
citizen should feel deep interest
The interest which feel in this insti
tuition rises above every personal con
sideration, and / would not now say
anything except in self-defense.
| With regard to the furniture
which DR.. Burt has made such pa
rade over, / have this to say: that il
was bought because the old was worI