Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-02-15
FACTS AND FANCIES OF A VISITOR
TO THE w. L. ASYLUM
Emma Howard Wright, in the Baltimore
American

American
Miss Won Hillern, desiring to make some
sketches along the Baltimore & Ohio, of ma
ture in its bare but not unpicturesque viii
ter setting, we started one afternoon to-
ward Staunton. As you approach Staun-
ton, on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, the
first and most conspicuous object Nhich
meets your gaze is a large, red brick build
ing, standing on an elevation, and sur
rounded by extensive and beautiful grounds.
Y on wonder what kind Of a building it can
be, but as you approach nearer, you see that
the many windows are barred and the con-
viction forces itself upon you that it is an
asylum fol- the insane; that within those
walls, upon which the sun shines so bright
ly all day, are hundreds of poor creatures
bereft of reason and hope. The following
day we visited the asylum, and We're cour-
teously shown through by DR.. d. B. Con-
rad, superintendent, and DE-. A. Ill. Weir,
Second Assistant Physician. We began
with the male department, through which
DR.. Weir accompanied us.
What a fearful and wonderful thing the
reinforcement of reason is, what food for
study and thought the different phases of
insanity afford. Among the milder patients
was an old soldier who had served during
the late war. All his leisure time now he
devotes to writing patriotic poetry. Dr..
Weir read us few of his productions, some
of which were really excellent, much to the
old fellows proud delight. AS he stood in
the doorway, his mild blue eyes smiling
upon us, none save apracticed eye could have
detected his insanity. He had charge of
one of the dining-rooms, which he kept scru-
pulOuSly clean and neat.
Outside OF one of the wards, we came upon
a young German peasant engaged in mend
ing shoes. He had been picked up insane
somewhere in the vicinity of Staunton, and
had big, soft, brown eyes, which wanted
only the light OF reason to be very beautiful
He fairly trembled with delight when Miss
Won Hillern addressed him in German. He
spoke to her vaguely of his home and
parents-those parents who are, perhaps,
waiting and watching day after day for
some sign from the son whose fate they
will never know. We We're introduced in
the ward to an old physician who, with his
snow-white hair and beard, reminded us of
Rip Van Wrinkle. He first informed us
that DE-. Weir had that morning insulted
him, in consequence Of which he had chal-
lenged him to fight a duel, and would ac-
cept no apology He next Informed us that
he wished to marry, and strongly intimated
to me that l would suit him very well as a
wife. There was an Irishman, who spoke
the richest brogue, but persistently denied
his nationality, and no greater insult
Irishman. He imagined he owned the asy-
lum and everybody in it, and condescend-
ingly gave us permission to continue on our
way, of which we gratefully awaited our
selves. We saw all forms and grades of insan-
ity-the sullen, the moody, the violent, the
imbecile and the idiot, and though we went
right in the midst Of the most violent and
dangerous, not one of them, in any way,
attempted to annoy OF modest us.
VNof hot oil II
which DR.. Conrad conducted us, very in
teresting. Here also was insanity in all it's
stages. One Of the worse cases was poor
creature, who had almost lost all semblance
to humanity, crOuching upon the floor, her
hands confined, and grinnlng and snarling
Like wild beast In the same ward we
were accosted by another patient, who,
tSWith cold, sneering laugh< inquired if we
were afraid of her. With rather sickly
smile and some deviation from the truth on
my part, at least, we replied, no, indeed,
glee, that while in the grounds that morn
ing she had caught rooster, whose head
she had torn off and eaten, which the doctor
informed us was really a fact. Even in the
worst wards, we came upon some striking
ly beautiful faces. One woman, sitting on
the floor, to Whom the doctor called our at
tention, had q face like one of the old
masters MadOnnas and the most beautiful
long, wavy, bronze-brown hair. Another,
a young girl standing mOtiOnless. a faint
smile on her lips, and an old worn, yellow
newspaper before her, from which nothing
could induce her to raise her eyes, even for
a moment, had features perfectly cut like a
cameo. In one of the wards we saw
a young girl who had been lying in a
trance for four months. There was some
thing fearfully suggestive of death about
her, although her lips and cheeks were
family tinged with a lovely pink. The doc
tor told us that food, iii the liquid form, is
injected through her nOstrils, and that as
she lies there she is quite cons ious of every
thing going on around her. Some of the in
sane seem to have no conception of the
lapse OF time. One woman, with mild. re-
fined face, and a sharp, sarcastic tongue,
imagined that the letter received twenty
years before from sister had arrived but
a week before. She was most superior in
manner, and told us that though her friends
were constantly urging her return home,
the doctor would not allow her to go: and
when he protested, she smiled sarcastically,
as much as to say, of course he would deny
it, but she knew better all the same. But
When he inquired if she had had her picture
taken yet for q certain gentleman, she
blushed and Simpered, and told him that he
was a very naughty man, in most anguish
ing manner.
In another ward one of the women greet
ed us with the utmost delight, and followed
us around begging the doctor to allow us to
take dinner with her. When we left she |
insisted upon kissing us, to which we
meekly submitted, myself being afraid to
do otherwise. After leaving the wards we
visited the other parts OF the building.
There is great contrast between the old |
and new portions, the former so gloomy and
dismal, the latter so light and spacious. AS !
soon as they have sufficient funds the old
building is to be torn down and rebuilt |
There are at present over six hundred pa
tients Who are provided with number of
outdoor and indoor amusements. There
is large and handsome dancing room. |
Where two nights III the week they dance
for several hours. The kitchen would com
pare tavorably with that OF any large hotel
The cooking is done by steam, and, as it |
was about dinner time, we were especially |
struck with the extreme order, neatness
and cleanliness which prevailed. There
was no hurry nor confusion-everytnin
was done Systematically under the direc-
ton and control of the matron. The laun-
dry is worked by steam, all the ironing done
by a steam-heated cylinder. Those patients
who are able to work are employed accord
ing to their capacity, and much of the labor
indoor and outdoor is done by them. / do
not think there could be found anywhere
an asylum better conducted OF affordino I
finer facilities for the amusement and COM
fort OF it's inmates.
wv ANTED.-To buy a convenient residence,
w Price, from 81 200 to 1000
Address, IGCE bon 12l,
now u stanton, Va.