The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-09-29
The Insane.


The biennial report of the supervisors
of the insane is an interesting docu-
ment. The number of inmates in the
asylum at Brattleboro August l, 1884,
was 437, ofwhich 800 were males and 1913
females. The number August /, 1886,
was $50, of which 249 were males and
POI females. There were admitted dur
ing the two years 1S4 and discharged
during the same period III, leaving in
the asylum 450. OF these persons, 1S9
are supported by towns, save the $1.25
per week paid by the state; 1872 are sup
ported wholly by the state and 100 are
private patients. OF the whole number,
not more than ten per cent offer any
probability of recovery. The number
who have died in the asylum during the
two years was seventy-one, of whom
forty-one were males and thirty females.
The diseases of which they died show
that there has been no epidemic or pre-
vailing sickness during that period.
The inmates are from 121 towns in the
state, the remarkable circumstance
being the prevalence of insanity in the
smaller towns. The report states that
some of the patients have been in the
asylum for thirty years or more. The
receipts for the two years, including
cash on hand, were $3.50, 243.22; the
expenditures, $165, 336.1S; leaving a
balance on hand of $14,90704. OF the
receipts, S49, 92500 was received from
the state on account of transient, con-
Wet and criminal insane, and 800, 141. 20
for relief of insane poor (aid to towns);
Sal ,21539 from towns and SOS, 961.54
from private patients.
The supervisors (Homer Goodhue,
DR.. l.. G. Butler and r. T. Johnson)
have visited the asylum once month
during their official term. The board
refer to a recent compilation of the
lunacy laws of all the states and ter
ritories of the United States, England
and other countries by Dr. Harrison,
and find by careful inspection Of the
work that the laws of Vermont more
carefully protect the rights of the state
and town, of the communities and of
the insane, than those of any other state
or country; and also that the super
vision of the insane in this state is
more effective than elsewhere. The
board recommends that our lunacy laws
be further amended, as follows:
In section 2907 of the Revised Laws add:
"Such certificate shall be made not more
than ten days previous to the admission of
such insane person to the asylum, and shall
be presented to the proper officer of the
asylum at the time such insane person is
presented for admission" This amendment
will obviate the delay and expense attend
ing the procurement of the certificate of the
judge of the probate court as to the integrity
and skill in their profession of the physicians
making a sworn affidavit of the insanity Of
persons proposed to be committed to the
asylum. That section two of the act re-
lating to the insane," approved November
26, 1884, be amended so as to read as follows:
w uhC oupci Nioolo llhu pClSOH
confined in the asylum as state pauper,
who, in their opinion has legal settlement
in the state, they shall remand the case
back to the probate court from which the
order of commitment originated, and the
said probate judge is hereby directed at the
expense of the state, to issue such mandates
in the case and to hold such hearings as
shall be necessary to determine the question
of such legal settlement, and shall there
upon issue such orders as the legal settle
ment of such case may require. And it is
hereby made the duty of the states attorney
of such probate district, or county in which
such probate district is located, to prosecute
all such cases to their final settlement"
This amendment will enable the state to
protect itself against the retention of per-
sons in the asylum, as state paupers, who,
subsequent to their commitment as such,
have been ascertained to have legal resi-
dence in the state, and render effective the
section to which this amendment is pro-
posed That section three of the same act
be amended so as to read as follows "The
trustees of the Vermont asylum for the in
sane may charge three 75-100 dollars per
week Tor supporting the insane poor OF the
state at the asylum, and may draw from the
treasury of the state upon the order of the
auditor of accounts annually, in the month
of August, for the benefit of each town hav-
ing insane poor persons committed to the
asylum, one dollar and twenty-five cents
per week for each of said insane poor per-
sons for the time they have been thus COM
mitted during the year next preceding the
month of August"
The supervisors speak in high praise
of the management of the asylum.
They have had free access to all the
departments of the asylum, have con-
versed freely with the inmates and have
listened to their requests and COM
plants. They have passed through the
wards at all hours of the day, from early
morning to gas-light. The report says:
6 AT all these periods we have found
the most scrupulous order, neatness
and cleanliness throughout. all the
wards and most vigilant and humane
attention to their onerous duties on the
part of the attendants. 1t would