Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-09-21

] lutl, tncrr has resulted inc natural collSe
qucncc that many towns have put their
/ harmless aud demcntcd insane in the asy
! lum, and were it not for the provision Of
the law which makes it the duty Of the su
pervisors to discharge such inmates the
asylum would be overrun with this class Of
| harmless unfortunntes. During the period
of two years 81 patients have been dis
charged 10y the supervisors as mot danger
Gus, " and it shows their excellent Judgment
and discrimination that it has been found
necessary TO return only four Of these to the
asylum.
with regard to the general management
of the asylum the report has these com
mandatory words
"1n our regular monthly visits at the asylum, we
have had every facility for making thorough cN-
| animation of the management Of the institution
| We have uniformly found the establishment III
| good order, the rooms well warmed. well ycutat
| ed. neat aud pleasant i'm appearance. We have
made IL point to and talk freely with all the
! inmates, hear their complaints, II they had any,
| sor them at their meals while engaged in their
work, in their amuscmcnts and in their daily rou-
| tine life II has afforded uS pleasure to observe
| the various improvements in many ways in the
management Of the institution from year to year.
80 efforts or means are spared to keep every part
| Of the establishment in perfect order Every
| thing in the management is systematiZcd, and no
| part of it is allowed to hc neglected.
That feature of the management which
makes it the rule, as a remedial, agent to
keep as many of the inmates as possible
uscfuly employed, isnoted and commended.
4 wide variety of means Of recreation
also employed. In the winter season the
large gymnasium is in constant use, and
two entertainments of some sort are given
each week. In the summer season the
beautiful park and pleasure grounds are
enjoyed to the full, camping out parties go
twice a week for an all-day outing, to the
slightly camp on the hill, two miles away,
and the Summer Retreat, with its home
comforts, broad piazzas and ample grounds,
is constantly occupied by parties of quiet
or convalescent female patients. The Ca
pen place, a mile beyond, which is now un-
dergong extensive repairs and enlarge
ment will next year and thereafter serve
the same purpose for the male patients
The lunacy laws of the state are com
mended ms among the wisest and best on
the statute books of any state, and special
attention is called to the proviso for right
Of appeal which makes it practically i'm
possible that any person should be uniustly
confined in an asylum.
The report, which, if we mistake not,
bears the marks of the ready pen, sound
Judgment and clear moral perception OF
Hon. Homer Goodhue the chairman of the
board, notices in passing the proposition
made and supported in some quarters that
incurable insanity should he made ground
for divorce. with equal propriety,' says
the writer, with characteristic force, 'might
chronic, incurahle paralysis, epilepsy, on
even dyspepsia, he made a cause of divorce
Looking toward the future, and giving 4
significant hint of work which the peopl,
Of Vermont must undertake at an early
day, the report says:
"Frpm some cause or combination of causes in
sanity is largely increasing in our country. Hos
pitfalls are multiplying all over the land and all arr
crowded to Overlooking. Massachusetts has eigh
large state hospitals, accommodating from tire,
h. eight or nine hundred each, and all are full
We think the day is not far distant when our stat
VIII, and ought to be called upon to make large
provision for this unfortunate class Of persons
The taxpayers Of the state should not complain
! If called upon to contribute, to this object Al
though the State has done well in providing here
| tufurr for its insane poor at the Vermont asylum
| it has contributed Gerry iHi, probably less thai
any other state, towards providing buildings 70
the purpose. Recent estimates, the most reliable
at hand, fla the average cost of buildings for tn
insane, with the modern improvements and con
| Nrurnrt, AT one thousand dollars for each patient
Vermont has expended for this purpose only S23
ltn thus providing. according to this estimate, fo
only twenty three of her patients while We nov
have in the asylum 2l6, formerly supported by tn
towns. hut under the present law 10y the state am
l}} transient and criminal insane, also support"
| 10y the state. This latter number. l33, should b
| provided for Immediately in some other pac
| than the Vermont asylum. which needs all it
room for the resident insane
The closing paragraph of the report re
lates to DR. J. NJ Clark's Lake View Re
treat, at Burlington, and mentions wit
commendatory words its delightful situa
ton, and the improvements which hav
been made there. The supervisors believ
there is demand for such an institutio
in the state by persons who prefer it to
public institution and can afford the extr
expense, and this one is cordially commend
ed to the fostering care of the Legislature.
1t is pleasant to find one of our stute OF
fetal reports show so Enthusiastically as doe
this the marks of thoroughness, candor an
watchful care of the interests in charge.