The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-08-03
SCOTTISH AsYLUMs.
Another Letter from G. f. Coffin Descrip
tive of the "Lenzie System"

The following final letter from G. F. Coffin, of
Richmond, to Governor Porter, giving his obser-
vations on the Scotland insane hospitals was re-
ceived yesterday, and Mr.. Coffin and wife are
now expected TO arrive home in few days. The
letter, which is dated at Glasgow, July 10, is as
follows:
We close our hospital visitation by seeing two
of the most prominent in Scotland, near this
great, beautiful and prosperous city. The first
visited was the Barony Paroohiat Asylum at
Lenze. 1t is for the poor and is wholly sup
ported by one district of Glasgow 1t is most
pleasantly situated near the quiet, pleasant city
of Lenzie, and has altogether a farm of 400
acres. IL is recent institution, first opened in
1875, and has been under the management of
DR.. Rutherford, an adept in his profession, until
very recently he accepted a call to Dumfries
The buildings are large, substantial and expen-
sye, In this respect rivalling many OF our Amer
lean Rsylums. II has been considered the
representative of the open system, there being
literally no locks, bars or fastenings OF any kind
and no mechanical restraints being used except
occasional seclusiOn for q very short time In a
separate room. They prefer, even with excited
patients, TO send them out for exercise under
care OF an attendant. They use very little mar
cotics or sedatives, and rely wholly on personal
attendants and moral force to keep the patients
in subsection. Escapes frequently occur, but
they do not look upon that as sufficient reason
for depriving all the patients from personal
liberty.
1 have procured and will send you their an
nual reports, containing very full details as to
their methods. etc. You will observe that the
government are very enthusiastic in their snip
port of the "ont-door" system. Labor is a great
source of MEDICAL treatment. All the work on
the farm. grounds. garden, etc, is done by pa
tlents, well as all the mechanical work OF the
institution. The domestic work is performed by
the female patients, of course under oversight
and care of attendants. They have $40 patients,
and, while the institution misses its old superin
tendent, we were much pleased with it, and felt
that they were working out practically the prob
lem of greatest freedom to patients.
This afternoon we visited another institution
OF entirely different character, "The Gartnard
Asylum" near Glasgow, under care OF DR.. yell
lowlees, well known to the profession
Unfortunately he was not at home
This is chartered instttu ton. sup
ported ny "pay PATIENTS" beautifully situated
and most finely surrounded. We found the as
sistant physician theoretically opposed to what
he called the "Lenzie system" and yet his
patients were all ont of doors with very few ex-
cepticns) and large number of them at
work; Others were passing about the grounds un-
restrained
To us the difference seemed to be that while one
asylum professed to keep the doors locked, the
other does not. Both are thoroughly on the
open and free system. Indeed no other would
be thought ofin Scotland now, and 1t has become
Dny,a question IF details in the management
we sa,. ZONE on the 26tn, a.1 nope 10 report
'n uetail soon after our arrival.