Morning journal and courier., 1885-08-14
About Insane AsyIums.

GRANBY, August 13.-We have just re- turned from the Northampton, Mass, lunatlc hospital and grounds, the most attractive portion of the town. The hospital farm con sists of more than three hundred acres under the supervision of John Merceir, farmer. We went through the garden, which comprises twenty acres. Every variety of vegetable abounds in luxuriance, free from weeds and the too common garden depredators. AL ready the farm has this year yielded one hun dred and ninety eight tons of hay, first crop Thirty-five good COWS are milked. The milk is all used in the hospital family of about 800 patients. No butter is made on the place. Superintendent Earle will have been connected with the institution twenty years the first of October ensuing. He retires from office then to be succeeded by Dr. Nims, who has been assistant for years and has just re- turned from Europe, where he has been with special reference to the responsible and hon. orable office awaiting him. Dr. Earle is about seventy-four years of age, hale and apparently as competent to superintend as ever He withdraws of his own motion, to the regret of the trustees and all others in terested in the institution. We notice that four persons were dismissed from the institu- tion because not insane. Not word of ex- planation is given. One can but wonder how four persons could be received at the hospital as insane when not so. One can but fear that there are more or less sane patients there all the time. MT. Earle submits that aged persons are brought to the hospital for treatment, at times, unadvisedly, "their lives being brought to an end, not infrequently, much sooner than they would have been had not the life of home been exchanged for life in a public institution"
 Dr. Mary Wells has been appointed hospi tai physician; sensible appointment She is reputed exceptionally well qualified for her position. She is certainly pleasant and patient woman and is quite popular Tn the female department.
 Shielding seems to be contagious at times at the hospital Says the doctor: "From the 27th of January, 1872, to January, 1880, period of eight years, there was no death here of which there could be even sus- picion that it was the result of the direct in tention and act of the person who died. Sub sequently there was period If three years, no one of which was free from these fatal occurrences"
 United States letter boxes are by law placed in every ward of the hospital to re- ceive complaints from the patients. The contents are distributed monthly by the State Board of Charities. Possi- bly, the same persons spoken of got their liberty through this means. But this may not be very good means of con veying to the proper officials great variety of deplorable facts constantly obtaining ill more or less of the Massachusetts lunatic asylums If the persons having the pa tients in charge would set forth the treat ment witnessed by them at times the State board would be the wiser and the public the better informed Apparently the North ampton hospital is neatly and mercifully kept But it would result in no damage to the patients of all the Massachusetts lunatic asylums if they could exchange hospitals once in five years or less, each one being al lowed before leaving his respective hospital to tell just how he had been treated by physi elan and attendant. We'll may the sane everywhere hourly ejaculate praise to the divine Father for their reason.