Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1883-11-23

JallS as AsVlums Tor the Insane,
The Houston Post, II few days ago,
sent its Austin correspondent on an
interviewing visit 10 the institution
for the insane, located at the state cap
ital. The correspondent did his work
intelligently and the result isl quite
interesting pen-picture OF the asylum,
the unfortunate inmates and the meth
DDS in vogue for treating them. The
number under treatment is stated at
four hundred and fifty. This is all in
teresting in its way, but there are
some other statistics in the same line
that would prove far more interesting
certainly more startling-if they
could be gathered with accuracy and
laid before the people. These are the
number OF insane persons who are not
housed comfortably in the asylum AT
Austin. The poor wretches, male and
! female, who are confined like felons
within the jails of the various counties,
awaiting the time when they can find
admittance TO the institution at Aus
/ tin; awaiting the building of the
branch asylum at Terrell If there
are four hundred and fifty at Austin
: there are more than double that num-
! Der now under restraint in. iails. The
state has failed To make provision for
them and they are thrust into the ais
/ II the list could he published il would
open the eyes of the public to Il state OF
affairs that is little short OF disgrace
to society. some time last spring the
county judge of Baxter county, appre-
ciating the need of information in this
line, sent requests to all the other
county judges in the state requesting
Information rs to the number of
ilfnatics lin each county, under
restraint in jails or poor houses,
or watched over by relatives or friends.
We are not apprised rs to the result of
his inquiry but it is to be hoped that
he will not keep the facts from the
public. They ough: to be known, TO
the end that public opinion, stimulated
10y the exposure, may act upon those
in authority and bring about broader
and more humane policy with refer.
ence 10 the care and treatment of the
insane. Hunt the earth over. and
with the exception OF II little child
there is no class that so challenges the
/ pity and humane consideration of so.
I ciety us the unfortunate who has been
+ bereft of reason. We have good
grounds TO believe that there are to-
/ day III Texas one thousand persons.
perhaps not all confined in tails. but at
least under restraint, who ought to he
under treatment in well-managed
asylum. y large percentage of these
are by no means incurable. With
/ proper treatment the diseased brain
+ could be made healthy again and rea-
son resume her sway. As it is they
have no hope of recovery. In the
meantime we note that the board of
/ managers have actually contracted for
! some Of the brick to he used i'm tbe
construction of the new asylum AT
Terrell. In the meantime, too, there
VIII he operated y hundred or more
branch asylums" throughout the
state in the shape o. the county jails
This IS humanity and civilization with
vengeance There is no help for it,
Of course, until enlarged accommo.
cations are provided, but every day of
unnecessary delay in providing these
accommodations is something worse
tiah deplorable. And having once
started in the way of reform and pro-
gres' in this matter, the state should
never stay her hand until she has
done the work thoroughly.