Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1886-11-11
Thursday, November III, 1855.
THE STATE INSANE.

Insane makes a gratifying exhibit of money
saved, wing built and accommodations in.
sured DIR. Shew's death and Dr. Olmstead'f
appointment are mentioned appropriately
The terms of New Haven and Middlesez
county trustees will expire in June and
Litchfeld and Fairfield county in 1888 dur
ing the recess of the legislature. The Offices
will therefore have to be filled at the coming
session. The report is pamphlet of forty
pages including three steel engravings giving
views of the buildings.
Superintendent Olmstead's report show
| that during the year IT'S men and 1856 womel
| were admitted, making the total number
| with 1.019 from last year, 1880. The dis
| charges, including deaths, were 234El1-
men and 100 women, leaving at the end o
| the fiscal year-June 3d., 146 patients. Tn
largest number, 322 out of the 1851 admitted
| were admitted by order of TIL
| Probate court. The criminal courts sen
| 13, the Governor IL, of which six were convict
| from prison and six soldiers or sailors of tn
| late war. Only fourteen were admitted
whose friends paid all the expenses. Three
persons incorrectly committed as insane wer'
| discharged as not insane. The tables SHOW
| that eighteen of those admitted were in
state of senile decay, 20 were suffering from
| u first or second attack of insanity, 43 wert
essentially incurable-long standing epilep
| sy, imbecility or paresis, and no less than IA
| were brought to the hospital after all reason
able hope of their recovery had been exhaust
as recovered and 90 others greatly i'm
proved. About so per cent. of persons ad
mitted during the first three months of their
illness recovered, showing the necessity of
early treatment. New and isolated wards
for the incurable have made it possible to
make others quarters more comfortable
and less like prison. The ratio of deaths
was TIA, below the majority of previous
years. Thirteen deaths were due merely to
mental exhaustion, II from pulmonary con-
sumption, from general paresis, 3 from
diseases of the heart and five from
apoplexy. In only one case was there a
fatal accident. In That all the forms
of law were complied with-a very excellent
compliance, which has not always been fol-
lowed in institutions of similar character.
There were no deaths by suicide or homicide,
although an unusually large number of such
cases were under surveillance. Fifteen
deaths were of persons over 70, and 10 had
suffered for 10 years or more.
The problem regarding the best manage.
ment and treatment of insane persons, hope
of whose recovery is not abandoned, and
especially of cases not of long standing, is
one of SO much Importance that no one re-
grets the large sum of money the State of
Connecticut has, in its benefcence, expend
ed for this object, while the cases of the in
sane whose cases are hopeless appeal also
most powerfully to human sympathy. That
the policy pursued at the State hospital is OF
the best is unqusstioned, and the aim is con-
stantly to the best known means and in
huences as far as possible in order to attain
the desired results.
Employment that will prevent brooding
has been successful in the direction of
inn "a anfo md hiS of
usefulness will be enlarged One dennonted
joiner built rustic arbor. "But the prob
lem of occupation is far from solution" AL
most every summer day women in rotation
go out for drive and others for a walk. Only
21z per cent. of patients have escaped. Wo
men outnumber the men always under treat
ment and the south wing is devoted
entirely to their care. The farm
and buildings have been improved
and the harvesting of ice expedited.
The price of board remains at $3.50 week.
Reading, musical, dramatic and miscella-
neous entertainments and lectures were
given. One group of performers were from
the Hartford retreat. The superintendent
gratefully appreciated his promotion. The
age of the majority of the admissions was
between 30 and 40; none were under 10, but
there were five so and over. The nativity
of rs was Connecticut, of 40 Ireland, of Is
Germany, of 10 New York, of England.
of 6 each Massachusetts, and unknown,
and of 8 each Canada and Rhode Island.
Two claim Vermont and one each
Michigan, New Hampshire, New Jer-
sey, Denmark, Italy, Scotland, Spain, Swe
den and Wales. The residences of 1913 were
il New Haven county; of So in Hartford; of
sex %; of Litchield 10; of Windham II
and of Tolland IL. The State at large has
%. In making comparisons the population
Of the various counties should be kept in
mind. Housewives furnish, as usual, the
largest number of patients, 79-698 since
the opening OF the institution; laborers Al,
factory operatives 81, domestics 80, farmers
Is, housekeepers 10, carpenters 3, clerks 4,
gardeners and matters 3 each, agents
and engineers 2 each, bartenders,
brewers, brokers, carriage makers, curriers',
clergymen, fishermen and hostlers 1 each.
Editors, reporters and journalists do not fig
ure, although since the opening OF the hos
pital one of the latter has been treated. For
ty had no employment, Ii were mechanics,
teachers, 6 machinists and the like number
of shoemakers, unknown and seam
stresses, merchants and weavers, stu
dents and teamsters, and each of masons,
moulders and sailors. Tcere was enc MILL
ner, one painter, one printer and one saloon
keeper.
1t seems the three trustees appointed by
Governor Harrison to superintend the con-
oI1 uC0lOA VI OAO wing OOl4DAClAAk SLO hOW
South hospital (Messrs. Hayden, English and
Barrows) have finished the work of building
and furnishing the wing for less than the
$50, 900 appropriated; and they return to the
State treasurer $4,000. The wing is de-
signed for acknowledgements and other
chronic cases of insanity it will accom-
modate 300. 1t is reported to be thoroughly
adapted to its purpose, at cost
of only $500 for each patient"
1t has large, well lighted and ven
tilated dining, day Office and reception
rooms, dor nitories and single rooms. The
interior arrangements said to elicit uni
yersal admiration from all experts who have
them, and who are adopting them
as models for other asylums.
The superintendent cottage has been
and the last weeks of DIR. Shew's
useful life were spent in that quiet retreat.
His successor, DIR. James Olmstead, is now
in the midst of his official duties, assisted by
a corps of capable helpers in DIR. William E.
Fisher, DIR. Charles E. Stanley, DIR. James III.
Remission and DR.. Henry S. Noble.
The trustees have bought seventy addition
al acres of pasture land. 1t is in Middlefeld.
They paid 81 $50; and on it they have pas
tured sevsRteen head of cattle during the
summer.
In the Hartford Times is found the follow
ing additional on the subject: The hospital
8 ems to be, after all the improvements year
iy made for twenty years, very comfortable
asylum, if not, indeed, Gas things COY model
one. What the next twenty or thirty years
will do in improving everywhere the methods
of trestm snt under new principles for the
treatment of this dreadful disease nobody
can now foresee; but that changes, now not
generally anticipated or suspected, are surely
coming, we have not shadow of doubt. The
spiritual side of mans nature is to furnish
the field for the better, more successful treat
ment of insanity.
The existing accommodations provide for
1 $50 patients and $50 persons to attend and
care for them.
The trustees, naturally enough, object to
the plan of keeping insane convicts in such
an establishment. Finding the State was
into the hospital a number of in
sane convicts whose cases seemed not to be
suited to the life of the State prison, the
trustees have built separate building for
these cases; but, they say, the associating of
prison cases, and their Accomplishments of
bolts and bars, with the work of curative
institution sis not in the interests of hu-
manity." The new and better accommoda-
tions at Wethresfeld, the report thinks,
should lead the legislative committee on the
State prison to give the trustees q chance to