Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-10-27

ers was in IoEn one day, and the asylum
folks told him about this case, Let NE
take him. says be. 'Whatp says they,
Take HINT Yau can't do thing in the
world with him; he'll run away IL dozen
times before. YOU get him home.' Never
mind, say he, 'l'll risk all that They
laughed a tlim and says: Well, 90 ahead
and you'll see.'
"Bimehy Myers got ready to go. but
before driving out to the asylum he went
TO carpenter shop and took a piece of
board and had some cleats put on 1t, so
that 1t looked like a framed looking-glass,
all but the glass. He wrapped this care
fully up in paper, and then drove around
to the hospital. He had the handouts
taken of the young man, and
then brought him down to the wagon.
see here,' says he, Il want you to
take q ride with me- The patient got in,
and then says Myers: Here's looking
glass that my wife wanted me to bring
out to her, and | wish you would hold
it, and be careful not to break it. She
would feel awful bad if it was broken'
The young man took the package as if it
was the most fragile glass, and then they
drove off. On their way out of town
Myers drove up to store, and he says to
the young fellow: Here, you hold the
borses while go in and get some things,
and be sure and don't let them get away
from you.'
HE came back in q few minutes, and
there sat the chap holding the glass and
the horses, and seemed very proud OF his
duty. They drove out to the farm, and
Myers took the young fellow into supper
with him, and alter the meal he Gays:
Look here, nowt You've come out here
to visit me and to stay awhile. This is
your room; there is no lock on it, and you
can enter and leave whenever you feel
like it. And here leading him to the
main entrance, is the door out of the
house, and 1t is never locked, and you can
get out at any hour, night or day. 1t is
fact, that after this the patient never
lett the premises, and never even showed
the slightest desire to leave, and he be-
came one of the most valuable workers
on the farm"
The benevolent old gentleman gave sew
eral other Incidents, all relating to what
had been done by Myers. All OF them
were marvellous. and in some cases al
most miraculous. When the train reached
Madison the old gentleman and your rep
resentative exchanged cards. That of the
former read ANDREW K. Elmore," and In
the lower left hand corner, Estate OF
| Wisconsin,, State Board Of Charities and
Reform, Andrew L. Emore, Fort
Howard, President" 1t is not long since
! it began to dawn on some thinkers OF
| Wisconsin that there was a defect in the
prevalent system of caring for the insane.
| That system was the aggregation of these
patients, the construction Of enormous
receptacles at unlimited cost into which
c0nduits led from all parts OF the State.
! This agglOmeration OF mania produced
| great masses, which termented, purified
and rOtted like Accommodations of Otfal.
There was no opportunity for the air 10
penetrate these cOngeries, with the result
that there was offensive decomposition.
The stencil from the asylums pervaded
the land. and offended the nOstrils Of the
sensitive.
And then occurred to some one the idea
Of distribution in place of accumulation,
of diffusion instead Of congestion. In
lieu OF massing the incurably insane it
was thought advisable to separate them,
30 as to secure the free inlet of air and
sunshine and to allow larger personal
liberty. Of this idea was the Wisconsin
system born. In briet, this system is one
which distributes to the care of the coun.
ties the victims of chronic dementia. Ii
was found that such cases Of insanity as
were treated in the county poor houses
exhibited better average results than
| those cared for by the State hospitals.