New-York tribune., 1885-03-16
LETTERS FROM THE PEOPLE.
sTATE CARE OF TIE INSANE.
WHERE ENLARGED AsYLUMs ARE NEEDED.
x CLAIM OF rHE HUDSON RIVER COUNTIES
Evils on TRANSPORTING PATIENTS LONG

,-,,s op TRANSFORMING PATIENTS LONG
DISTANCE.
~ "A. Ed.tor Of Ths TrsbHme.
S,R: In THE TRIBUNE of March was pup
/. ,,.hsd communication from Mr.. william IL e.o~Ar
one Of the State Board Of Charities, ON the sup'ec' "
sa.s Care Of the insane in which no shows that tno
Iard 70 which he belongs has not approved tne pro
o.tou 70 erect buildings for the accommodation o tuo
chrone insane at Poughkeepsie, Is naa peon s'"I
TIE TRIBUNE but has approved similar piopO''so wa
40 srsct such buildings both at the Willard Asylum anu
st the Binghamton Asylum 30 far as n'' ,o ., ..
,rs ,a.t. arc as he states them. But upon tnc man
os,sst,on fnyoiyed-what provision should tne e'a'e
,naro for the insane and whore f-there ID something
moro to be said. -
: There IL need for further ACCOMMODATIONS Ior
the chronic insane Upon that all arc agreed All
enc st,,a asvlums are crowded tine separate
eonntv institutions are nearly full and there are
many In the who should be better
The State has hospitals for the treatmento oi n
ACUTE or curabe, insane, but only two asyiuis ior o
care Of the chronic, or presumably incuraoie' A
former are more than sufficient for all OF the sonte'
, that GLASS were placcd there Tho latter are entirely
and chronic patients who might AZ well Do
cared for In thsm at greatly reduced expense 'ney
had the room are left In the Hospitals ior the ao
insane providing those who should have the peneh'
of their treatment and increasing greatly the cost 70
the counties that are compelled to pay fer their support
In view Of this need the State Board OF Charities recon-
euds the building of additions to the two existing asy
luns for chronics, at Ovid and at Binghamton' Ins
managers Of the Hudson Rver.state Hospitassnd inc
authorities of most Of the counties OF Eastern view
yorR with all due respect to the State Board OF Cnar
ties dissent from this recommendation and claim that
the nav accommodations should be provided In the
eastern part Of the State whore here are now non sno
not In the western part where there are more aesoy
than the population Of that section requires.
The counties lying along the Hudson River or near
thereto contain more than half the population OF the
State They have Also according to the census mucn
larger number of insane than the whole western anu
northern portions. In them are located two state
HOSPITALS for the treatment OF the acute insane at Mid
dletown Poughkeepsie. but no institution at all
for the care chroncs The two asyums for the latter
are both at such distance that the expense and d-
Guilty Of Transporting patients to them from the Hudson
River counties is serious tax, and involves inconVen-
ienees not to say dangers. that should be avoided
Hnnireds of patients transferred every year from
tho Hudson River State Hospital to nghamton or OVID
1t easy in either to carry them to Port
land. Maine, or to Washington, d. c. They cannot Do
taken to either place. from any point on the Hudson
between New-York and Albany. In a single day. but are
compsed either to arrive in the night or to be kept
over at some point en- route There several changes
OF cars which must be made. and any person VINO mas
travelled in company with the insane knows that the
excitement disturbance caused by such change and
BY every interruption to the journey are highly detr-
comfort their attendants and to all around thsm 1t
nay be assumed self evident proposition that no
insane person should be transported In public
conveyance single mile further than is absolutely
necessary The asylum should be located as near as
possible to where the patients Other considerations
beside and danger also unite In establishing this
axiom. The people who are sent to asylums for the
chronic insane mainly paupers. They and their
friends poor but the latter ct least rean feelings OF
Affection aud like to be able to and to know some
thing of their wives husbands brothers or sons who
have been stricken with the terrible adcton OF in
sanity. When patients are sent away to distance the
members Of the family know that the separation in most
cases final The decision that they must CO. in order
cost TO the county like the sentence Of death
they will each others faces again. Every such
transfer brings forth flood Of sorrowful and bitter
leave-takings and passionate remonstrances. They
have to forced away, and their friends not less
reluctant to have them depart This mss be a mere
sentimental reason but has seemed to worth while
20 spare those whose cup Is already full enough this
additional trouble, when 1t just as well be done as
not.
The state needs moro accommodations for the chronic
insane tut such distant and places
A Ovid and inghamton The asylums thereare Ilenty
large enough for all patients who from that part OF
the State The Place where the buildings should be
erected in the east the banks Of the HUDSON The
managers Of the hospital at Poughkeepsle have no
desire to add their responsibilities but the State
water works and sewerage have been already provided
and pail for amply sufficient for institution four
times great as the present one the organization,
administrative Offices and appliances and medical stan
established and to erect asylum for chroncs in
ra oos tss than @ Mh Would
any other locality It VIII not cost dollar more to
keepse than either ovid Bnghamon, and 1t seems
TO me the planest dictate OF common sense and Of
economy that they should be placed at Pougkeepse and
Tue objection may Se made that the hospital now in
that this proposition win introduce and different
element Our experience leads us to regard this as an
insane two classes the and the chronic to be
advantages from an economical point Of view, but the
possibilities Of cnre are certainly essened by treating
the hospitals for the acute Whatever they may be in
reality those asyums are regarded as designed only for
They who enter leave nope behind" The insane
not by any always the Irresponsible thought
Often they understand fully their situation know that
they sick and under medical treatment describe
their symptoms and intelligently assist the phys
clan in understanding their cases. aud anxious for
mental they are also susceptible to surrounding
Influences than any other class OF patients We well
sbes render their hopeless II they
before And 1t is not always possible to tell whether
lhcurabe. Some have recovered sanity IN the chronic
Asyiums Some have done even in the cells of tue
animals than human beings. We believe that the best
method OF treatment will be reached when Iatents are
not transferred from Institution 10 another upon
being pronounced chroncs, but each Institution shall
consist OF small hospital for treatment only where
sh0se giving promise OF shall receive every atten
ton that medical skill give without regard cost
and larger asylum. series OF buildings where the
mass OF patients shall be lodged and boarded
cally possible under the same medical supervision
RDd ready for the treatment whenever there shall
,eom to be TO goed results from It, such
lysem will be better for both classes. Those In the
hospitals be in isolated and receive better
sAre thaa is possible while much larger number
ban be maintained under the cheaper regime OF the
Isylum yet without being cassed ncurable,
moved from the facilities OF cure.
The people Of Eastern NewYork wish TO have their
nssne population cared for in their own part OF tho