Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1885-04-10
LOCAL.
WESTERN LUNATEC ASYLUM.

WESTERN LUNATEC ASYLUM
ANNUAL REPORT OF THE INSTITUTION
The present administration of the W
l.. Asylum will next week have been in
control of that institution for year, bu
the annual report prepared some months
ago and just published by the State printer
only covers the fiscal year ending Septem
Der 30th, 1884, which gives seven months
of operation under former administra-
tion and five months under the present
one.
THE PATIENTS.
On the 30th of September last, there
were in the Asylum 500 patients the
largest number ever there and nearly two
hundred more than there were there when
the patients of both Virginia and West
Virginia were inmates. Of the number
4S were from Augusta; from Highland;
from Bath. 2 from Allegheny; 10 from
Rockingham, and "a from Rockbridge
The number of patients who have been
there twenty years and over, is so; fifteen
years and under twenty, IS; ten years
and under fifteen, At; and Eve years and
under ten. 81 OF the total number "a
are imbeciles and 4 idiots.
THE BOARD AND OFFICIAL STAFF.
The Board of Directors consists of Col.
VIM. L. Bumgardner. Of Staunton, Presl-
dent; Hon. FL. g. Allen, of Shenandoah;
A. Broaddus, of Page; r. W. Burke, OF
Staunton; Samuel F. Coleman, Of Gum
berland; DR.. s. c. Gleaves, of Wythe;
Asher w. Hartman, Jr., of Rockbridge;
Henry B. Harnsberger, Of Rockingham;
W. e. Pendleton, of Smythe; J. 2. Rus
sell, of Frederick and T. W. Waller, of
Spottsylvania.
OAicers.-Dr. A. M. Fauntleroys Physi-
clan and Superintendent; Drs. VIM. Ham
ilton, E. c. Fisher and A. 81. Weir, As
sistant Physicians; e. J. Armistead, Clerk;
S. NJ. Timberlake, Steward and Mrs. e.
M. G. Hopkins, Matron.
*Since this report was made up the
Steward Office has been filled by the cleo
ton of Mr.. J. B. Harnsberger.
THE sUPERINTENDENT's REPORT.
The report of the Superintendent. DIR.
Fauntleroy, is interesting for many rea-
sons. One Is that it places on record a
fact that was lost sight of in the heat of
political excitement. 1t is yet remember
ed how persistently was related the charge
that under Democratic rule the Jails were
filled with mad people and under the Ma
Al ia oE aff ,ir of
relieved. The following extract from Dr..
FauntIeroy's report gives the plain facts
which would hardly have been listened to
in turbulent campaign, but in soberer
times, give complete answer to the
charge:
o. the applicants during the year, the
majority, both male and female, have been
admitted. AS far as possible, consistently
with the hospital or curative feature OF
the Asylum, discrimination has been made
in favor of those confined in the jails of
the Commonwealth. 1t is a matter of con-
graduation to us, and should be to the
public also, to learn that the number in the
jails has been measurablY decreased since
April 15. 1884.
1t may be parenthetically stated here,
ftHoc olana n1e7lalnisse jjuUdbt"-f0r it will
be pleasant to remember these things
hereafter-that the jails Of the Common
wealth were relieved for the first time in
many years during the early portion OF
the fiscal year 18Sl-'S2. This was made
possible by the completion OF the acest 0d-
d5tion to the male department in August,
1881. This building was Immediately &C.
cupled by patients transferred from the
old male building, while the latter was
undergoing structural alterations. This
last improvement was completed in Jan
uary, 1882, and before my retirement as
Superintendent, on the 9Gh OF March,
-s2, the sheriffs of the counties tributary
tu this Asylum were written to and re-
quested to bring on all insane persons con-
fined in their jails. The annual report for
1882 refers to this matter by saying:
.'Nearly all the patients admitted within
the last year have been received since the
lst OF February, 1882" To have fulfilled
the requirements of faithful recordation,
the administration which came in on
March 8, 1882, instead of making the above
beclouded statement, should have placed
the credit of EN- ptying the jails where it
Justly and properly belonged.
THE VALUE OF EARLY TREATMENT OF
THE INSANE.
Of the fifty four cases of recovery, six
teen occurred within year from the in
ceptlon of The disease. while fifteen were
restored to mental soundness within a
period of time not exceeding year and a
half from the invasion of the disorder to
the CAV of discharge. The shortest period
of treatment, in one instance, was three
months and four days, while there were
three recoveries after course of treat
ment exceeding six years. These results
are clearly Indicative OF the value and I'M
portance of prompt and seasonable asylum
treatment. The exceptional cases of re-
coyery following prolonged medication
serve to impress the conviction that the
chronicity of the case, in the absence OF
evidences of structural change IN the
minds organ, should not preclude rea-
sonable hope Of recovery.
A STARTLING FACT ABOUT CoNsUMP-
TON.
The occurrence Of death from phthisis
or consumption in nearly q third OF the
cases reported for the year is quite a sig
niGcant fact, and deserves more than bars
mention. It has been long recognized that
there is seemingly close relation existing
between phthisis and insanity. The not
infrequent occurrence OF the former dis
ease Instead OF the latter, III families OF
marked neurotic temperament, has been
observed and commented on. And. again,
heredity of phthisis in one generation has
been observed cropping out into insanity
in the succeeding one. The mortuary re-
cords of the asylums generally proclaim
phthisis to be the most fl squent cause OF
death. Thus there are plausible reasons
for entertaining the belief that something
like correlation exists bet ween these dis
eases. Both disorders are clearly and de-
monstrably hereditary, and it may be not
at all improbable that the inherited faint
or predisposition to tn csc diseases may be
mutually convertible, while the intimate
association between the lungs and the
minds organ, both through nervous and