The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1888-03-03
ASYLUM COMMITTEE REPORTS.

AN AHli~WAH6 1Att ats tA reports
from the Legislative committees inves-
tigating the State humane institutions
Will serve to show how unwarranted
was the reduction in the States appro-
priatiOns therefor:
EAST MISSISSIPPI INSANE ASYLUM,
The patients are provided with
barely enough clothing, the texture of
which is not suitable or desirable for
Winter weather. We were sadly i'm
pressed with the fact that their food
supply is totally inadequate and unfit
for this poor, helpless, element of suffer-
ing humanity. And however your
committee may have been imbued
with the popular idea of economy,
retrenchment'and reform. as advocated
by wise statesmen upon the floor of
the Mississippi Legislature, we now
feel it crying shame that a niggardly
appropriation should be made by our
great State for these people, who by
the decree of our Maker have been
bereft of reason, and who, by the laws
of the land, have been incarcerated
within the four walls of an Asylum.
These are the helpless children of the
State and the deserving objects of her
charity.
STATE INSANE ASYLUM
We have carefully examined the In
sane Asylum at Jackson. We were
kindly shown through the buildings
by the efficient Superintendent, DR.. 4.
J. Mitchell, who has for many years
been in charge of the Institution, and
we find the administration and man
agement good, and in all respects eco
nomically conducted. OF the eighty
Insane Asylums in the United States
only four have less cost per capita,
while others have per capita cost OF
from $S49-53 to $13S-45, which is the
per capita cost of this institution. We
found the wards clean, and the inmates
(428 in number) in as good condition
as could be expected for persons thus
confined.
We find that in different counties in
the State there are now in jails and
at large 100 insane. We respectfully
suggest that this Legislature do some,
thing for their relief. We find 50 con
fined in the county jails, and have beer
through the winter. These unfortu
nate people are the wards of Missis
sippi, and it is but humanity that they
should be cared for. The Asylums a
Jackson and Meridian are now full
and the question of establishing an
other Asylum or building an annex t.
one of those already established, pre-
sents itself to this body for considera
Ition. The Superintendent of the Jack
son Asylum informs your COMMITTEES
that an annex could be built to tha
Asylum at cost of not more thai
$4,000, accommodating $50 or 80,
persons, and says he could make tn
bricks and have much of the worl
done, which would make the cost no
more than the amount named; an,
probably less than $4,000. You
committee ask that special committee
of five be appointed to look after thi
matter and report to this body.
INSTITUTE FOR THE BLIND.
We have examined a large numbe
Of reports of Blind Institutes of tn
United States, and find the per capt.
cost from Sl75-s0 to $2ts-1O. Mort
Carolina has her blind and deaf mute
of both races under one Superintend
ent, yet her cost per capita is $375-3c
We do not mention this, save only t
show that our institutions are not cost
ing more than others of like kind i
other States.
We insist that the blind, deaf an
|, dumb, and the insane, should receiv
at the hands of the State that protec
ing care which becomes the gres
State of Mississippi, and that retrencl