The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-11-25
The Asylum Investigation.

The findings of the joint special com
mittee to examine into the manage
ment of the state asylum for the insane
appear to be justified by the evidence
presented. The committee seems TO
have been faithful in the performance
of the duty with which it was charged
and has clearly sought to be just in its
judgments. Comment is hardly needed
to cultivate a wholesome public opinion
in respect of the asylum management.
So far as the committee has covered
the ground, it has left little room for
comment. The public will very gen.
orally accept its conclusions.
The responsibility for the evils ex-
posed must rest primarily upon the
trustees. The committee points out
the fact that there was violation of
the law in the appointment of DR.. Gid
dings as uperintendent. The law de-
mands for this official, "a well-educated
physician, experienced in the treatment
of the insane" DIR. Giddings may have
been a skillful medical practitioner, but
his experience had not extended be-
yond the limits of the practice of a
country doctor, and in "the treatment
of the insane" he was without anything
that could be properly called expert
ence, within the meaning of the law
relating to the selection of superin-
tendent. Considering the responsible
ties of the office, not only from a medi-
cal point of view, but also in relation
to the office of administrator of the d.
verse and peculiar affairs of commu-
nifty of several hundred insane people,
it is surprising that DIR. Giddings, with
his total lack of experience, should have
had the hardihood TO accept the super
intendence of the asylum. Having &C
cepted the office, he seems to have had
a mistaken sense of his duties, in devot-
ing his time and energies to matters
that might reasonably and properly
have been left to attendants, under his
supervision. AT the battle of Chatta-
nooga, the commander of a division
was devoting himself to sighting the
guns of battery. General Grant sent
an aid to the officer with the impera-
tive command TO direct his attention to
the handling of his troops, and leave
the guns 10 those whose business it
was to serve them. DR., Giddings APP
parently stood in need of a similar Or
der from the trustees, and he seems to
be most open to criticism when he is
meddling with details that should have
been left with competent assistants.
The charge of willful mismanage-
ment or cruelty can hardly be laid at
the door of the officials. The institu-
ton was young, and there has been
about its management the rawness OF
youth and the inef1iciency that accom-
panies the lack of skill and experience,
DR.. Giddings' misfortune was in al.
lowing himself TO be placed in an Office
for whose duties he was incompetent,
and in which failure was inevitable
The trustees are unfortunate in having
disregarded both the plain mandate Of
the law creating the asylum, and the
dictates of ordinary common sense in
selecting the medical and executive
head Of an institution designed for the
humane treatment and cure-if durable
of some five hundred of the most un-
fortunate of humankind. The super
visors of the insane, officials designed
to stand between these unfortunates