The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-13
TREATMENT OF THE INSANE.
How the Cottage System. in Part, Is 1per-
ated in France

( Mr.. Charles F. Coffin, of Richmond now in
Europe with mis- wife, visiting penal and bcnevo-
lent institutions, has written "A letter 10 Cover
nor Porter, which has much general interest just
/ now. The Journal is permitted TO make a copy
OF H. the letter being addressed the Governor,
/ under date of Paris, June 20, from Paris:
since my lasr We have visited two other asy-
! lunls n the lnsane-frst, SAINT Anne, IN this
great city. II is a some what ceIebFaf ed ASYLUM
erected IN 1867, and has now about 700 patients
! mostly poor, supported wholly by the depart
heht OF the Seine II rtquired mach red
tape TO procure an admission, but armed with "a
letter from Minister Morton TO the 'DireCteur de
/ Assistance PubJqne,' We were finally enabled
/ 10 procure an order. The buildings are new and
! well arran ged, surrounding square which IS
beautifully ornamented with grass pllts, flower
/ benH etc. Instead Of One large building there
/ are many smaller cues, connected nv corridors
| WIN this exception 1t is essentially upon the
olu hospital plan, aud little about it to
admire and nothing TO initiate. The chef ply
stefan, howeyrr, assured us that he was lradu-
any dispensing with all mechanical res.rai4 t
ana allowing the patients more liberty. He
tblnks the cottage system better for the
PARENTS ont more labOrlnus for the officers. IL
was a painful day for u.s. and we Retained au
night weary and sad To-day has been far more
| bright ana cheerful. We took the cars early
and rode an hour iuto the COUNTRY through II
most beautiful and highly-imprOvrd section
along the river Seine to Penay Nancluse
where we found an institution in delightful CON
trhst with the one visited yeste rdny, most beau
luhlY located ou u farm OF 250 acres. with
Gfduu view IN all directions. The grOuul5, high
" cultivated and ornamented with best taste, it
| looked as we approached il, more like the home
OF SOME baron than an asylum Tor the insane.
Inc buildings are comparatively new, and well
adapted, one large main hullding. for offices, etc,
ana numerous we-arraug ed smaller ones for
the patients, all connected by corridors The
patients are graded by their condition, ana each
class occupies separate house. all under the
supervision of chief ply stefan DR.. Bigot, who
sees every natleDt once Il day, and two assist
ahts, VINO also see every patient daily at differ
emit times. We fOunG Dr. Bcut a nlasU aGmirlbie
man who treated us with the greatest kindness
anu seemed pleased with the opportunity OF CIV
ing US all the Information desired There is also
upon the same premises an institution for idlOtc
children, which we did not visit.
The marked peculiarly of this institution for
the insane IA its labor. The first sight that
greeted us was company of thirty or forty
men, all insane, under the oversight of one
officer, armed with instrument of farm labor,
! gong our 10 work. am sure no one wuuld have
thought of their being insane, they looked
nappy and cheerful. They are paid a small sum
Tor their work, and have some wine supplied in
addition to usual supplies We found also a
carpenter shop, tailor, shoemaker blacksmith
ana wheelwright shops. in which all the labor is
done by the patients under care of an overseer
In each shop. Dc. Bigot bore unqualified tesri-
mony to the value of labor as means OF restO-
ration; but SAID that many of the patients would
not work; they were lazy. he snld. Everything
about the institution was bright and cheerful,
ana even the worst patients did not
seem unhappy. But little mechanical
restraint is used, and that of the
mildest kind. few rooms are fitted up out of
sight and hearing of other patients for those
suffering under parOXysns, or the "agitated"
as they called, In which they are con incd
for ehOrt time, with an attendant near by.
"Dr. Bigot says that unquestionably a model
Institution Is one with cottages for families of
from twelve to twenty-tour, all disconnected,
with maE building for offices. etc, but it
would, of course, involve more labor on the part
of officers. He thinks there should never tie
over 400 patients in any one institution, in
which case physician with one assistant and
pupil would he sufficient, with two attendants
for each twenty. four patients. He goes to the
fullest extent in recommending the cottage syS-
TEN, labor, and as far as possible freedom from
restraint, of course recognizing the fact that
this cannot be fully dispensed with He has
about 100 patients III the institution. | ar
ranged to procure outlines of plans of buildings
for yenr use. All the labor of the in
stitulion, including the farm work. (all its cloth
ing, shoes, etc, made therel is carried on
| by the patients, under overseers. We
came away feeling that had seen
an institution III which most
| important problem is being worked out, under
| man in every way qualified for IL.
1--WE shall probably not prosecute this visitation
| further In France, although we have the names
| OF several other Institutions; but having seen
| some representative ones DO NOT deem it neces-
| sary to take more time here. when we return
| to England and Scotland we shall again devote
| some time to this work.
The weather has been cool and pleasant, and
we have greatly enjoyed our journey"