The Aberdeen examiner. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1866-current, 1883-07-12
mississippi Insane Asylum.

catherine NOlc III n. ". llcdl UNI
The stately stone building with it's
fine central tower and five turrets,
known as the State Lunatic Asylum,
is situated on the top of hill. A
magnificent park planted in blue
grass with clusters of fine trees and
long shaded avenues and graveled
drives sweeps off from the imposing
structure. A hundred or so women
were scattered over the park Here
a little group OF them chatting their
maniac thoughts to each other:
There knelt one in the sweet scented
clover washing her hands with I'M
perceptibe soup in imperceptlble
water. Still ano her lay at fnll length
under an elm tree staring up through
the uuivering tangle of leaves at the
LUMINOUS sky bending above her.
Her outstretched arms were buried
under the tail clover blossoms. Dr.
Thos. j, Mitchell, one Of the most
polished men and successful physl-
clans, has been superintendent OF the
ASYLUM since 1878. By him we were
shown over the building, from the
handsome parlor with it's fine en-
cravings to the spotless wards OF
the inmates, through the dining
rooms, kitchens and stables
There are 4G1 patients in the hos"
nital. who cost the State each per
year the small sum OF Sl46' The
asylum has an immense farm,worked
mostly by the men; enough peaches,
strawberries, melons and vegetables
are raised to supply all OF the IN,
mates. Last year 5000 bushels OF
sweet potatoes were grown. T1e
patients are encouraged to out'do
life and work as the best physic for
them. Their rooms are neatly fur
nished many of them having pretty
little fancy work of the inmates
making scattered about. There are
pictures on the walls, and BOOKS,
papers and magazines for such as
wish them, There is a fine dairy, and
plenty Of milk, butter and wholesome
food This asylum looks like some
grand old residence of a coun ry gen
tleneu, with its fine st0bles,orchGrds
and pleasure grounds Thus does
Mississippi care for her pauper IN
sane. Forty per cent. OF these peo'
pie recover their reason, mostly
among the whites.
We all are wont to talk earnestly
and grandly about a h me-life foi
women-Guy Stands ct Brcokhaver
spoke eloquently of 1.-THE majority
Of men will tell you that tits woman
duty to look after her house, yet the
statistics of insane asylumns IN the
Notrh show that the majority o
women who become crazy are farm
ers' wives, the statistics Of the Mis-
sissippi Insane Asylum, which is I'M
ioubtedly the model asylum OF th'
South, show that more Housewives
90 crazy than any other class o
women, and after them come farm
ers' wives and daughters! IL is year
and generations of driving, endless
stubborn labor that thus purishe
our women. Cooking, washipg,n
ing, sewing, scrlbbing, mendiug 10
five, eight, ten persons, year III AM
year out, Il life rs drear as a desert
> that is the main feeder of our insan
= asylums. In one room, as we mad
our rounds sat whlte~halre'
woman, bent and wrinklod and old
Il Not an eyeld even quivered as on
E noisy party stopped to look in at hel
a Her clasped hands were rough frol
I such heavy work that net even year
l OF rest in the asylum had smoothe
+ out the horny wrinkles. She ha
1 been a housewife, had given the bes
e of ner life, nay, all of her life to hus
e band aud children, shaving as only
n woman can slave, each swift step SD
t took over her own cottage HON
!. bringing her nearer to the paupe
h. asylum of maniacs. The floor of he
G bedroom in the asylum shone whit
r as scrubbing with soap and waite
e could make it, and by her bedsid
), from the door to the pitiless barre
h windows her restless feet had wor
deep hollows in the hard floor.
6 protest that in each of these hollow
f one might have found almost half
pint OF water, A sadder sight eye
never gazed upon.