Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-01-10
Treatment of the insane.

Cost what it may, the General Assembly
should forthwith proceed to provide
asylum accommodations for the insane
who are now confined in the iails OF the
Commonwealth. Our duty is plain. We
cannot escape it if we would.
No doubt there are, as the Governor has
been led to believe. many persons now I'M
der treatment in the lunatic asylums OF
Virginia who are really idiots, and who,
therefore, should be returned to the coun-
ties where they belong, and put in the
almshouses, if their friends are unable TO
take care of them; but 10 free the asylums
Of all these will be slow work, and when
it is done, probably we shall be surprised
at the few places that will be vacated by
the tbinning-out process. There IS no
hope that it would make room for all the
insane who are now held in iails, and 1t
it cle0r that more money must be spent by
the State IN enlarging the existing asyiums
or in establishing new ones.
II is bad enough ever to have to send
insane persons 10 jail, often to be
herded with common criminals. but when
they are sent there and allowed TO remain
month after month it becomes positively
discreditable to the State. To some ex-
tent the impression prevails among jailers
that the asylum officers do not care to
have noisy and violent inmates. No
doubt it is disagreeable 10 have them. but
for such purposes are insane asylums
built. But it may be that these iailers
are mistaken as 10 the motives of the offi-
GERS Of the asylum. That they take out Of
jails quiet persons and leave IN confne-
ment raving ones may be due to their
conviction that it il better to give room
TO curabes than TO incurables. We have
no reason TO question the purity OF their
motives or the wisdom of their judgment,
but still the incurables should not be left
in jaIls forever. Accommodations should
be given them even If it becomes neces-
sary TO build an asylum for this particular
class or patients. Meanwhile quarters
can and should be rented for them and
skilled physicians put over them.
For weeks past there has been noisy
maniac in the penitentiary. HIS malady
developed after his arrival there. and now
his cries and lamentations are often heard
all over the institution. Rather singular
", our laws make no provision for any such
case. The only way that the man can be
gotten out of the penItentiary and into
an asylum is by the Governor pardoning
him. Then he would be sent back to his
county and put in jail, there TO await a
vacancy in the colored asylum. Ifpardoned
he cannot, of course, be returned to the
penitentiary TO serve out his term should his
insanity prove of short duration. Ger
tainly be should not be kept In prison,
and the Governor would no doubt pardon
him if he could gain admission to the
asylum for him. but there is no vacancy"
A law is needed which will permit the
transfer (under suitable regulations) OF
prisoners from the penitentiary to the
asylums. there to be treated until cured or
kept indefinitely if not cured.
y,It is to be hoped that at this session OF the
General Assembly the whole subject will be
fully inquired into. and that such money as
NAV be found to be needed will be promptly
appropriated, SO that skilled men may pro-
coed 20 devise plans and provide places
for all those unfortunates who are now
confined in the jalls of the Common
vea1th