Birmingham age-herald., 1895-02-03
The Alabama Bryce Insane Hos
 pital at Tuskaloosa.
CARE OF THE UNFORTUNATE
Details of an Excellent Man agement-AChievem entS in the Art of Divesting In- sanity of lnhuman
 Treatment.

With common consent order is heaven $ first law, and great examples of order evolved from mans sphere in life never fail to appeal to man s sympathy with this first law.
 1 have an example before me of order es- tablished here in Alabama, under condi- tions so adverse that I am prone to claim brief space in your representative journal to publish some things my eyes and senses have fallen upon.
 A colony of dement's, populous as a latter day city, governed by methods as mature as political constitution, happy in it's rounds of life as the best regulated family, is a visible, tangible achieve ment in Alabama, and has made Alabama notable and honorable wherever the science of neurology is studied.
 At the Alabama Bryce Insane Hospital a great and permanent achievement has been made in the art of divesting insanity in all forms of its inhuman habits.
 Perhaps the reader will reach the fact, or an appreciation of the fact, when l say that have been a deeply interested ob- server of the experiment of banishing the historic straightjacket from this insiitu- tion, an experiment in that line first tried years ago by the superintendent of the in . stitution, in advance of all theory, and which has fructified in the most remarka ble disciplinary system of which we have any knowledge.
 No man of war, much less army and barracks, is under outward signs of m ore prompt, unvarying and thoroughly ma tured discipline than this hospital. It is discipline necessarily and yet most success fully applied to individuals in their prepa- rations for community existence in high state of industrial activity and home con- tentment.
 It is discipline all the way through, permeating every function of the commu. nity life and inspiring every inhabitant with a purpose in his own sphere of actions. hide fault from view or to conceal a pur- pose. It Is everything to everybody ot the hundreds, male and female, black and white, pauper or banker.
 The founder of this splendid system of control was indeed master mind. Those who in the succeeding years take up the task of administration and elaboration of the original design must be great minds, or ignominious failure and dishonor to the state will assuredly follow.
 I have thought that some public notice of the Alabama Bryce Hospitalj IS due to the general public, and that into the de- tails of its management, my pro- fessional brethren coud well afford to entsr for moment. 1t has often occurred to me that few of us appreciate aud, in absence of
 
 for the energy and liberality of our state in various particulars.
 We are oftentimes prone to chafe under exactions of taxation without due inquiry into the benefits, sometimes positive aud at others indirect, which we receive and which are eparable from the burden.
 This thought comes to me in association with frequent memories of a recent visit made. Through the courtesy of Dr. James Searcy, superintendent of the Alabama Bryce Insane Hospital, and by his special invitaton,I devoted Saturday evening last, Sunday and part of the day following in observation of the institution in all it's varied and remarkable internal arrange ments and in critical inquiry into the de. tails of it's management.
 To me it is marvel. It has already challenged the admiration of the world, both in the executive and scientific fea- lures of its administration. But the bold ness in which the splendid achievement stands out to view cannot be understood by the distant observer. Dr. Searcy and his assistants of the profession must be present in their parts, visible to the eye, before the full meaning of the fact of such success be- comes duly impressed on the mind.
 l am not engaged to sound empty phrases, but the state of Alabama ought to know from testimony on all sides that it con ntained within itself the man above all men best qualified to execute the magnifi- cent design Of this public charity and in- dispensaole social bene6cence. It is only necessary to let Dr. Searcy have bis way in his work 10 bring it up to the high est attainable efficiency and to continue it as light to the world of neurological science and broad humanity. shall present no invidious comparisons, but this man dispenses more of the milk Of human kindness Tn the routine of his daily toil than many king on his throne. He is brighter exemplar of enth usiasm in good works than many endowed and wanted charity.
 The economies of this world famous in- stitution are not only wonderful, but they stand out as benign as they are effective.
 The insane here are mentally cultivated by labor in such divisions of occupations and pursuits as are adludged to be appro- prlate to the individual case. The disease, the normal capacity if undiseased, the sex, the age, all these must be considered In every instance, running into the many hundreds.
 The alembric of vigiant and unerring judgment in the superintendent must be applied to bring each and every, one into the one grand purpose of possible econ- omy of administration in a public or state charity.
 The farm, the orchard, the dairy, the spinning wheel, the loom, the gardens Tor the kitchen, for the oruamentation of the grounds, the macadam roads, the stables, the coal mine, the timber reserve, the house and fence building, the green pastures, the pond and it's fishes-ail these Isaw and only then understood why the state is taxed only S2 per week per capita to support this institution.
 l attempt a description of some of the more prominent features.
 Through and over roads that MacAdam himself would have envied, passing 40O0 fruit trees of various kinds and quality planted out by Dr. Searcy, we reach "Gray Stone" properly. On an elevated plateau at one extremity of the farm, without greater'expense to the state than have past mentioned, he has erected barn of which any western farmer might be en- vious. ->.
 1 saw in theyard feeding, and connected with It, over fifty cattle of pnrest strains. N Al a short distance you observe quarters, commodious and tastet1l in construction, for the apartments uf the IA ne- TO de- inents, who have done all that work be- sides tliling the soil.
 On a little further is located the far m euperinlendent's house, beautiful aud cdni iortable cottage.
 lJust beyond, on still higher ground, i, kends the poultry yard, filled with the best breeds of the land. Nor is that all to marvel at. Between two hills, !n less than BOO yards from the buildings, the doctor hta located A benutiful lake fed bV sDrin ga