Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1883-04-06
THE TRUE LESSON OF THE
ASYLUM POISONING.

THE TRUE LESSON OF THE
ASYLUM POISONING.
The finding Of the jury of inquest in the
Asylum poisoning matter, made public
last Friday morning, was the result of
what impressed US from personal observa-
ton as patient, careful investigation of
many days duration by calm and fair
minded body of men. On the evidence
elected we do not see how any jury could
point to the authors Of the deaths with
that unerring certainty that the gravity
OF a formal verdict should require. Doubt
less the jurymen. like other citizens. hold
many different theories about how the
calamity occurred but as these theories
are rather matters of opinion than convic-
ton, they wisely adopted the finding
which they gave to the public. Our own
theory after hearing the whole of the evil
dence is that the druggist of the Asylum.
DIR. Butler, did not make mistake. and
that the author of the act was some hon.
icidal lunatic who had gotten possession of
the fluid extract of Aconite.
There is one outgrowth of this disaster
which ought to be repugnant to us all. and
which is SO likely to bide, by the dust Of
heated discussion, the real and original
question, that we should be unanimous in
vetoing it; and that is the attempt to
twist this affair into quasi political is
sue. From the flrst there has appeared
strong desire peryading considerable
portion OF the public to saddle blame on
the officers Of the institution mainly be-
cause Of their politics, and an equally un-
reasonable desire pervading another por-
tion to prove them blameles on 20 stronger
grounds than that they were party friends.
So rapid is contagion in partizanry. 80 lit
tie does the heated partizan wait for in
formation, other than that tour side" is at
stake, that some of our contemporaries at
a distance have fallen into the most alb
surd errors concerning it. The Richmond
Wing, Coalition, exultingly proclaimed
that the Superintendent Of the Asylum
was DIR. VIM. Hamilton, Bourbon Fun
der appointment Of many years expert
snce' and our Democratic contemporary,
the Norfolk Landmarks got things so bad
~ mixed as to locate DR.. Vaughan as the
successor to DR.. Fauntleroy.
1t is grave mistake for the public to
confound bad system with the appoin-
tees whom that system places in position,
and become so busy in seeking to depre-
ciate the merits of the latter that it loses
sight OF the iniquity of the former. The
gentlemen who now have the administra-
tion of affairs at the Asylum are not pub
lie enemies, merely because of their diff
ference in politics with any former admin
.istration; nor does this difference make
them liable to the charge Of being iguo-
rant adventurers. DR.. Hamilton, the Su-
perintendent, who is more familiar to our
readers than the other physicians on the
Asylum staff, being 'snatiYe and to the
manor born" was practicing physician for
years before his appointment and as such
member in unquestioned reputs of pro-
fession the rules of which are SO strict as
to be often regarded by the outside public
as absurd. The Assistant Physicians
whom We had frequent opportunities of
seeing and hearing during the inquest, i'm
pressed us as intelligent gentlemen fully
posted on their profession, which is the
general practice Of medicine, nor have We
ever heard that in the communities from
which they came. they were regarded in
any less favorable light. The public feel
ing that has been aroused should not be
directed against these gentlemen, but
against the system which put them in po-
sitlons with which they were unfamiliar
in place of men who were regarded as ex-
perts in the management of the insane-a
system that unhesitatingly demanded that
the State charities should be made auxili-
airy to political party. Changes have
occurred in the Asylum before; death
has made them, designations have made
them, but no former officer of it, that we
know of, was coxcomb enough to believe
that after him came the flood. The wrong
was in sweeping off whole band of trained
officers and filing their places with IN
management that such change is posi-
BILE.
1t is not impossible that this calamity
might have occurred under any former ad.
ministrations at the Asylum; other disas-
tiers, even to the burning of the whole
institution, have occurred at other nd
reputed to be we'll conducted establish
ments, in this country and attended
by even greater loss of life-but the effect
Of this new system is to raise possibility
to the level of a probability. This is Lot
general statement based on vague infer
ence but upon specific evidence elected
by the jury which was disbanded last
week. That evidence was not printed in
full at the time. nor will we print it now.
for it would be unnecessary and cruel
to rrint the names of irresponsible and
unfortunate men in connection with q
horrible crime only to show that they had
the opportunity, If they had chosen to
avail themselves of it, to have been the
authors. That evidence, and we have Just
read the verbatim notes of it, showed that
unprecedented liberties were allowed
patients which were wholly incompatible
with the security Of the medical Office and |
its vicinity, and which never would have
been allowed by officers thoroughly famil- |
lar with insanity. Does any one suppose
that an expert Superintendent familiar |
with tbs treatment Of the insane would |
not have warned his inexpert staff against |
such license as this? Does any one sup
pose that an expert staff would not have |
advised an inexpert chief against the dan
ger9 But who was there to give the warn.
ing of an expert2 The Superintendent |
had been there but twelve months, one Of |
his assistants the same length of time, |