Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1891-01-02
Statistlos Of the W. l. Asylum.
THE PATIENTS ADMITTED DURING THE

THE PATIENTS ADMITTED pUhIN9 lhE
/ YEAR-THEIR oCCUPATIoNs-THE SUP
POSED CAUSES OF THEIR INSANITY, sc.
We are indebted to Dr.. B. Blackford,
Superintendent of the w. J.. Asylum, for
printed copy of his annual report to the
| Board of Directors for the year ending
September 3Otil The chief points Of the
report were made public by the press at its
reception by the Board in October, but
there are some statistics Of interest which
have not been printed.
I The Support account for the year
shows an expenditure of $96, S9S.04, OF
which the chief items were sS10,o9l.S9
| for salaries of the officers; $15 POI Al wages
of attendants and servants; O,243.Ol for
| fuel (which includes cost for tlco years.
and $l2 1921 5 fol- fresh meats.
The number of patients under treatment
during the year was 726. The deaths num-
bered 80, including one from grip, one
killed by the cars, and one suicide by hang
ing.
The number of patients discharged as
cured during the year was 81.
There were 81 males and So females adj
mitted during the year. OF the males, II
were lab0rers, 4 clerks, merchants, 26far-
mers, a doctor, miller, shoemaker, specula-
tor, stonemason, civil engineer. baker,
blacksmith, tobacconist, lawyer, preacher,
drummer and editor, and four with no oc-
cupation at all. OF the females, 81 were
housewives, 6 house-keepers, house helps,
farmers daughters, seamstresses, mer-
chant wife, 2 editors daughters, l law
yer's wife, l maker of fancy work, and Is
with no occupation at all.
Of the 81 men admitted, the supposed
causes Of their insanity were as follows: Ill
health. 4; dipsomania (drinking) 2; domes-
tic trouble, 2; mo rphine mania, l; religion,
4; bereavement, 1; jealousy, l; financial
trouble, 4; blow on head, 6; worry, 3; whis
key and politics, 1; grip, 2; excessive use of
patent medicines, 1, and love, 1.
Of the So. women admitted, the supposed
causes of their insanity were as follows
Ill health, 6; domestic trouble, .: religion,
3; financial trouble, 2; worry, /; love, /;
excessive reading, l; poverty, l; grip, ,, and
remorse, l.
OF the resident population of the
Asylum during the year Augusta
county had 81; Rockingham, 80; Rock
bridge, a; Shenandoah, Is; Albemarle, 80;
Allegheny, 10; Bath, 8; Highland, IS;
Frederick, %. The cities are represented
sfolloWs-Staunton 10-four men and six
women; Richmond, 80; Danville, 2; Lynch
burg, g.; Norfolk, 4; Petersburg, 4, and
Winchester, 5.
There is one patient who has been in the
Asylum over a half century, and three who
have been there nearly that.
Of the population of 726 in the Asylum
during the year. III were married men, 229
single men, IA widowers and I unknown,
120 married women, 1919 single women, 35
widows and unknown.
The following is list of the present staff
of the Asylum-Superintend Dr.. Benz.
Blackford; Assistant Physicians-Drs. G.
S. Walker, Robert Page, J. S. de Jarnette
and Callie L. Haynes Steward, Chris
tian Miller; Secretary, Chas. J. Armistead,
and Matron, Mrs. Y. L. Thompson.
The Board OF Directors is composed as
follows-Samuel Z. Coleman of Cumber-
land, President; J. I. Beckham, of Alex
andria; E. Holmes Boyd of Winch ester; W.
NJ. McAlister, Of Bath; n. G. Manson, of
Lynchburg; J. L. Tredway, of Plttsylva-
MIA, and w. H. H. Lynn, Jno. W. Todd
and Philip Fl. Trout of Staunton.