Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-09-30
ONE Day IN THE UTAH INSANE ASYLUM

ti,so ndiuncta OF the engineering de-
what institutions ~ this hnd dh une
hundred years ago whrn improvements
IN these directions were uudroumad o.
Surely the millennium for he insane la
approaching faster than fur the sane.
VISIT TO THE WARDS.
by thls time the patients have ~.
turned from their outing. and are prU-
pairing for dinner. DR. Hardy explains
that the south wing OF the asylum is
exclusively occupied BY women patIonfa
and the north wing By mon. each cou-
timing four wards, ella saiilal aa fol-
lows. on the ground nloI arr the
"aesnllea." that l.. tho uGed AMI lunrm.
whose lease Of life generally prccludOa
the hope Of recovery. ON The second
floor arr the "cnnvaicsContH' aud cul-
turrd u a. from thia ward that pu-
ucutn are discharged when cured. on
the third floor are the 'uctivoa." M IN
and women without rclf-cuntfoi. whose
tendency h 20 be violent when the nc
comes on them. on the fourth nour urc
tho intermediate" the uuclaaHlnpd
whose symptoms are being studied with
o Wow 20 classification. Changes uro
however. constantly being made. ana
rev patients are often placed at once
IN one or other ~ the three low warfls
II n with no little trcpldntion that $50
accompany the medical supcrlnteu1out
on our way toward the Inspection of
these wards. Tor Try a. We Will The cou-
ccptiun ~ mad house formed through
the rcadinE of romance stlll clinFa 90
~. On first glimpse down the currl-
dor OF ward a on the male side IN there
fore "a joyful surprise.
Picture r. wide hail say a hundred
and nfty feet with hardwood floor. OLE
81 arll polished till Il shir.s like q mir.
rot Overhead hang artistic fcHtouua
Of evergreen with autumn louycs. while
on the walls arc intervals Uf ten ur
lftgcn feet hang simple pictures ~
home and country llfc, on each side,
and opening into the corridor are small
bedfuumH, each containing nn iron cot
on which q a good bel with snow white
pillow and cove firt. The iirht Hhlrfss iu
nothing can exceed the cnulFcncc on
the suns rays IN the morning. and az
tcrnoona
Here and there on oai,cn chairs slt
white haired. white bearded men. whose
last daya on earth are thus bloaaed by
] the munlnccncc Of the state Some arr
turning the pages ~ magazines, others
gazing fnr away. atill others In groups
| converting. Presently the attend
] ant calls out thai dinner
r. ready n IL surprising
/ With what nlncrlty these forty odd men
I ~ H'AN wv NNA.N ~ NNHINNNNN NNN W" NAANH
| These old duffcrH evidently have good
nppctltca. Five minutes later We take
| a peep In nt the dining room. Tho sur-
| vice % AN heavy chlnnwarc. Food In
being called Tor and passed quite IN the
ordinary way, and the only thing re-
| mnrkahle about the feast a. the relEn
| Of order, and the eating with spoons.
| Fur few minutes We Inspect the
closet, toilet rooms and bath rooms and
ma them admirable, ana Ike the rest
or the appointments HcrupulpuHly neat
and clean. Then We pass 10 the ward
above, the homo" n the cultured and
thoee ON the way 90 rccpyefy. They
nro also at dinner. and The only differ.
cnce, aside from tho Improved aspect OF
| intelligence. N tho use ~ complete table
service, Including silver plated knives
and forks. obviously the patients az,
trusted here 10 an almost unlimited ex.
| tent The bed rooms have also n Few
extras here in the way OF additional
| furniture, petitioners etc. rvmnfkinH
| which. we ask tho reason and ure In.
formed that it IN n rule with the man.
ngument 10 grant privileges In the ratio
81 their Intelligent applications most
admirable principle Of home economy
quite as applicable 10 the sane az to IN,
Insane.
THE MODERN ASYLUM
Time was and not long ago either
! when aHylums treated their patients ns
" they were insane and as n that fact
! ought 10 be- Impressed upon them. our
own institution has led out IN abolish,
Ing that practice, Dr. Hardys idea
! from tho first has been TO make the
uHylum a home, and cause the patients
To feel the hpmc-Hpirit, The heavy Iron
clamps which fastened the chains TO tho
floor. were romoycd' pictures ana other
| huine-like decorations We're made 20 en-
| livcn the dead walls; papers and maya
/ ZINES were placed ON the tables Ia the
| nlroveH; friends and relatives were en-.
| Outraged To- make and send the clothes
worn by patients that there might be-
the variety ~ outside life nnd measures
taken to provide each patient separate
wardrobe; attendants were cnjOined. on
| the pain Of dismissal, 40 TO shape their
discipline nH 10 get the sympathy and
confidence Of their charges, on no nc-
count must any ulluHlon be made TO the
mental condition Of patients. The
bnnishod from their vocabulary, and
even the word asylum" though II once
stood FOR sweet haven OF rest" has
been substituted on the labor permits
and other documents which patients
see. by the words state Mental Hos
pital."
The principle underlying all this il
purely psychic. for the law that what
you think that you viii become n app
| pllcnble--at least TO the extent OF their
: intelligcnce-to people inside these walls
az wei as TO people outside. At any
rate the practical results from acting on
! this principle have moro than iuatlnod
the innovation; In quietlng fears, en-.
cournEing confidence, developing self.
control and IN many other ways vastly
simplifying treatment
IAN which goes TO show" said the
superintendent from whom theae
thoughts were elected, that tho
horror felt for this institution
IL ON the outside not on tho inside.
Patients often come here In a state on
terror but u rarely takes more than
twenty-four hours 10 reaHsure them and
make them feel at home"
THE woMEN's DIVISION.
Having seen the general arrange.
ment OF one ward we have seen the
general arrangement Of all the wards
The differences are In details only.
Nevertheless, We become instantly
aware that we arc In feminine quarter.
not from the presence VI women pa
tlents, for they are Just now also nt
dinner ana the corridor Is vacant even
Of attendants but from an lndoanable
atmosphere Of fcmlululty, coming from
the furnishing and decoration af the
ward aa q whole. Perhaps the addition
~ lace curtains. the prevalence of vim
dow plants ana flowers, the suggestion
~ work baskets. and other mysteries
relating to toilet, together with me
touches ~ sex and individuality in tho
adjustment Of beds furniture. ana brio
n-hraC, Will help explain the feeling