The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1889-02-13
Location of the Insane Asylum.
WATERBURY, THE CHOICE.

WATERBURY, THE CHOICE.
The commissioners on the location of the
insane asylum came to Waterbury Thurs
day from Burlington on the noon train.
They had already visited st. Johnsbury.
Morrisville and Burlington, and it was gen
orally understood that Waterbury was the
only remaining place whose claims were
10 be considered The board consists of
Governor Dillingham; (charman), Lieuten-
ant-governor Woodbury., Doctors Giddings
OF Bakersfield and circuit of Stowe, and S.
ID, Hobson of Island Pond. With the ex-
ception OF Mr.. HobSOn, all the members had
become familiar with the act under which
they were appointed from their connection
with the last legislature. DIR. Giddings, in
TACT, as senator, was the author of the bill
and DR.. Circuit had framed bill of a similar
character, which he refrained from intro
ducing on discovering that the same ground
was covered by the present act, while both
were members of the senate and house COM
mlttees on the insane respectively.
Immediately after dinner the commis-
sloners, accompanied by small delegation
OF citizens, were driven to the different
available sites. On their return about four
oclock, hearing was given in the hotel
parlors, where were gathered the leading
citizens of the town, as well as prominent rep
resentatives from other parts of the county.
Mr.. L.. ii. Haines as presiding officer, pre-
sented State Superintendent Palmer, who
spoke chiefly of the accessibility of Water
bury. He established the fact that Water
bury was not only almost the geographical
center OF the state, but also that the mileage
10 that point was less than to any of the other
places desiring the institution. That any
town should claim the asylum because no
state institution had ever been located in
that section he considered as reasonable as
the claim that man was deserving of office
because he had never had any.
DR.. Henry James was called upon to dis
CQSS the sanitary stains of Watprburu
stated that he would present his arguments
in writing because he was prepared to sub
srantiate them. His paper was listened to
with the deepest interest, inasmuch as it
contained telling facts from person whose
integrity and competency can not be ques-
uoned with the exception of some neces-
sary omissions, it read as follows:
well understand that you are to con-
sluer the interests of the Dholo state not
those of any particular town, set of ndi-
Nduals or political party, and that you will
not decide on location until after you have
duly weighed the good and the bad points
OF each site suggested to you. We do not
expect your decision will he greatly intlu-
enced by the opinions of persons who have
not made special study of the subject no
matter how eminent they may be in other
professions or socially.
Any one who examines the map of Yer
mont will see that for the whole state some
point on the Central railroad between Essex
anu w ultt hlNtr functions is more easy OF
access than any point off the line of this
road. We understand that the towns of St.
JohnSbury, Morristown, Essex, Burlington
and Waterbury have each preferred claim,
and that you now have them under consid-
Grafton. There are certain things which
are absolutely essential in selecting loca-
tion for such an institution, and we do not
suppose you would seriously consider any
site lacking any one of these essentials
These are good air, good ~oter good drain0ge
and QWetude There are certain other
things which are very important, but not
absolutely essential, as easy accessibility
from all parts OF the state plenty of good
fertile farmland and pleasant surroundings.
- Waterbury, since my recollection, has
always been remarkably free from zymotc
and filth diseases There are no statistics
showing the comparative amount of sick
ness in Waterbury and the other towns
under consideration, so am obliged to rely
mainly upon my own experience of about
third of a century. / never have known
OF anything like general epidemic of diph-
liberia in Waterbury. A few years ago
there were several cases in the village and
some deaths but nothing like the number
which occur nearly every winter in Bur-
lingtOn, Montpelier and ST. Adams. | have
no statistics of st. Johnsbury. As in every
other town in the state, we occasionally
have sporadic cases of typhoid fever land
we call them typhoid, and do not, as is, or
was, the custom in some towns, call the
same disease bilious fever. A considerable
proportion of these cases of typoid fever
are unprecedented is the disease is con-
tracted elsewhere and the patient comes
mere While 1t is incubating, or after getting
sick. While | have been in practice here
typhoid fever has never been epidemic nor
have | ever had a second case in the same
family in this village, nor for the last year
or two have treated a case in this village
which did not originate elsewhere. There
has not been death from this disease in
The village for quite number of years
The medical gentlemen of this commission
are doubtless well aware how different in
this respect are the towns of Burlington and
81. Johnsbury. Dysentery is very rare, and
i DO not reCOllect to have lost an acute case
IN an adult in this village for many years.
we have no malaria and the only malaral
cases we see come from other places Pneu-
monla Is rather rare here in comparison
with the other towns with whose phys-
clans have conversed on the subject. OF
late years phthisis has been very rare and
at present there is not case in the village,
and only one death from this cause has oc-
Cured for over three years. | see, probably,
in consultation ten cases in towns east of
here to one here. | am confident that
sickness in general averages less in Water
bury than in most villages of its size
throughout the state In families which |
attend exclusively my professional visits
average annually about one and a half to
the person. AS for the deaths, partial re-
turns for 1888, as given by the State Board
of Health, are published in yesterday s
WATcHMAN. The mortality rate per hou-
sand last year throughout The state ooS 1G;
for 81, Johnsbury l74; for burlington, 24l
WhHe for the Whole torn Of WdterburVU lc0s
IL and bit 1910 for he uHoge district.
We have no statistics of Morristown
On either of the sites to which we call
your attention an abundance of pure soft
water can be obtained, or, if desired, the in
stitution can be supplied from one of the
lines already laid down, as | suppose must
be the case at Burlington, ST. Johnsbury
and Morrisville. Our water is probably not
much better in quality than that at Morris.
vile, but II is greater in quantity and with
more head, and it is immeasurably superior
to that at Burlington, drawn from the lake