Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1890-04-16

half q mile long, onc-cighth of mile
wide and fifty feet high, and 10 visit all
the wards just once requires walk OF
2i miles. As a good deal of this means
the travelling of stairs il may be inferred
that the reporter was breathing percept-
IDLY 40 the close of the performance.
The popularity conceived idea of in
sane patients, largely born of theatrical
eXtrayagaua. is done away with after
visit TO the institution. The writer
himself must confess that in viewing
the different wards, and especially in
the violent section. he expected TO sec
the air filed prOmiScuouSly with arms,
legs and 'cuSs words but that idea
was diSpellcd at the outset. We first
entered the intermediate wards. where
some 40 of the less
+ PRONOUNCED Patients WE'RE ASSEM-
BLEED
in the long corridor All the patients
are required To vacatc their rooms dur
ing the day. In order that their apart
mcntS may become thoroughly aired,
making them wholesome and more by
gicuic for the hours of rest. The rules
of the Institution are ON the principle OF
.'cariy 90 bed and early TO rise. and all
turn iu between seven and eight in the
evening. and are called at five o'clock i'm
thc morning. All tine patients are re-
Quirvd 20 battle thoroughly once week.
and oftcucr if necessary.
The patients are classified in the diff
fercut wards according 10 their mental
and physical conditions, and Strolling
Cd. .tff
occasion of quiet such as prevailed when
the writer was there, the conditions
seemed about the same as those Of the
outside world. The patients were quiet
and orderly and showed evidence OF
mental deficiency more I'm their blank
and cXprcsSionlcsS faces than by word
or gesture. All the patients i'm the diff
lcgent wards seemed 90 show marked
Difference Co the attending physician who
accompanied the reporter, and IN some
cases Wed with each other 20 see who
could show him the most respect. The
usual situations were exchanged pleas
autlv and agrceably. and only i'm eNccp-
tioual instances and I'm the more violent
wards did there seem To- be any ill-fccl-
ing COR puguacious spirit exhibited. \
majority of the patients i'm the hos
pital are what are known as the incura-
bile. but harmless. There are two at
tcndautS for every ward. and as now ar
ranged there is about one attendant 90
every l3 patients. There are $50 ln-
mates 40 present. AZ being of the male
persuasion. there being % colOrcd males
and 26 colored females, with quite a
number of Irish, several Germans and
one Italian. The greatest number OF
patients hail from Ohio county. and the
least number from Clay county, only
one representing that section al pres
emit. The next least number is recorded
from Wyoming county.
10 seems somewhat remarkable 10 see
SD many subjects mentally unbalanced
and vet all maintaining such quiet and
composurc 10 seems in many cases q
Doe more am entire absence Of mind than
"a rrevious affection of the brain. Many
SIN FOR HOURS oN THE FLOOR.
, or >cttcc with q fixed and vacant star
b. Oblivion, To- AN external surroundings
s while others. with furrowed hrOwS. seen
mwardy intent ON the abstract, anI
equally unconscious of exterior objects
MI
I ,ition motionlcSS for hours. Occasion
D ally a patient is met who is remarkable
D talkatiyc. and patient was encountered
in one of the wards who followed at on
heels for quite q distance, and poured
. out words like q steam engine. But "a
/ a rule there are mo- serious outbreaks
! and only occasional erUptionS in The
, violent wards. Before entering the Vic
6 lent male section. the reporter took ;
last glance at the glad world outside. an'
entered as though he was taking his lli'
in his hands.
Here we encountered the more ram
S pagious characters. Here we were alone
@ without guns. among ifty-SiX of The
wild and wilful. the irresponsible an'
the mcurablc. and for few moment
$ the dark shadows of life fitted acroS
fhc horizon. But We soon found tina
even among this 'rantankcrous class
remarkable as 10 may seem. there wa
p certain respect shown 10 th'
e superior and at no time during ON
D. stroll through this ward did We seem u
! any danger. But still there was Ger
taiu carncStuess and activity that wa
marked. and there was mo- miSta6in;
tine character of the ward. Before an
d omen door one of the subjects wa
g prcaching and praying with the wild
3 rst resticulations. and this he does the
iiyc-Ionr dav: near by was patien
, who insisted that 1.-The interest ON the
lands would get paid i'm due time, anI
There was mo- use kicking about H.
This he repeated some hall dolel
times. Quite number OF patients 1901
lowed MS through the ward wildly talk
I ing and waving their arms, all muttcr
3 iny ON different subjects. and IN ram
bling. incohcrcut manner. One OF th'
~ subjects who used Co be- i'm the Govern
e mcnt employ. and who conVcrscS hucnt
% lv i'm the Indian language, was par
ucularly interesting; also an old time
patient who is forever making bone
tooth picks from the bones and scrap
that come from the table. Where the
uaticutS are particular violent an'
disposed TO tear their clothes
they are arranged in canvas clothes
p the Jackets being made with Ion.
d sleeves. the ends being tied behind thel
backs. SD that it is impossible TO dives
themselves of their clothing. Nher
AllfN NEN Al~ liN~iAA AN AfAAlA't' 't' N'''''''
d. night they are placed i'm covered cribs
cribs with heavy latticcd doors an'
locked. making o complete cage. Thes
cribs are very cumhrous and heavy, an'
- Yet one of these patients,
. WIN ALMOST SUPEWHJMAN STRENGTH
h broke the lock one night. then jumpe'
!, through the window and hauled III
q crib out after him. \ much Stronge
r. Stvlc of crib is now being used. Tn
D faces of some of the patients in the VIC
lent ward are distorted and anything
{, but pleasing 20 look at.
s Passing into the milder wards we en-
.t coun.erod particularly interesting sui
iect I'm the person of an Old man VIII
claims 20 have been the real diScovere
of photography, and is all the time mas
S. ing calculations ON astronomy. and talb
r. iug about the formation of the cart
$ and the analyzation OF light. He say
:. Daguerre preceded him only few day
!. in getting his claims before the publi,
r. Another old fellow in an adjoining rool
insists that West Virginia can never b