The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-09-30
/ 922, 924, 926, 92S Seventh Street.


to the writer in the person of young
man who paced restlessly up and down the
| corridor, with almost terrified air,
glancing keenly and suspiciously at every
one who approached. The older inmates
| show, as a rule, least concern.
There are one hundred and sixty male
attendants at St. Elizabeth's Asylum, and
perhaps fully as many female attaches,
| who are designated as nurses to the sick
| II is the crowded condition of these lat
| ter which is perhaps the most disagree
| able feature noticeable in the institution
| some five or six being sometimes placed
| in by no means spacious room. The
| provisions made otherwise for the sick in
the matter of bedsteads, clothing. food.
medicine, etc, seem very good. In the
dispensary is noticed some quantity of
| opiates and sedatives, but the use of
these, even in violent cases, is much less
frequent than was formerly the case.
Under the rules of the institution the
greater number OF the male patients are
received from the army and navy and
Revehue Marine Service, these coming
from all parts of the country, while civil
ians are taken only from the District of
Columbia. Army and navy officers have
quarters to themselves. One might, at
first, fancy here that he were in club
rooms, with well-dressed occupants. read
ing the newspapers or playing billiards
(all the wards for the milder patients are
provided with billiard tables, playing
cards, pianos, checker boards, etc.) and
II is only when one of the gentlemen
looks up with a savage baleful stare that
the real state OF the case becomes appar-
ent. There is an old naval officer who is
confined in the ward of the men, but who
is granted room to himself This apart
ment. the insane fancy of the unfortunate
old gentleman converts into the quarter
deck of a man-of-war in action, and he
roars out, in a voice rendered extremely
hoGrse by constant exercise, his orders to
his imaginary crew.
One sees here a knot of men gathered
around two checker players. This is a
very happy sight in a madhouse, and in
dicates a very mild form of infliction.
But those who seem incapable of intel
lsctual or physical relaxation, and these
form the greater number of the inmates,
present most depressing spectacle.
The rooms in the more violent wards
are provided with huge single shutters,
furnished with catch locks. There are no
projections on the walls to which an
occupant of the apartment could hang
himself, and with the same precautionary
view, the bedsteads are made very low.
The latter form the only pieces of furni-
ture In these apartments, and In very yio-
lent cases, even the BED frames are re-
moved, and the patients sleep upon mat
tresses laid upon the floor.
A very large proportion of the later in
mates OF the asylum are men who have
served in the Philippine campaign. One OF
these. a young private, was near General
Lawton when he was shot. 1t is quite
useless, however, attempting to obtain
auy information concerning that tragedy
from the insane eyewitness. He does
nothing but laugh continually, and re-
count imaginary adventures. while his
memory fitfully struggles. at intervals, to
again assert itself
Recreations for the Unhappy Ones.
Were you not standing near General
Lawton on the firing line when he was
killed." asked an attendant Il saw man
fall, but | do not know whether it was
General Lawton or not,' answered the I'M
fortunate man while he wandered away
from the subject with an indifference which
Is frequently met with in an incipient
stage outside Of St Elizabeth's Asylum.
This man was laughing mad" Another
Will be seen afflicted with fearful or maud
ling insanity, but as a rule emotional ex-
tremes are rare compared to that dull and
dreadful torpor, which may be more prop
erly termed loss of mind, or dementia
Every provision possible is made for the
diversion of the patients at St EIiZabeth's.
Opportunities are offered for the exercise
of musical talents on the part of the in
mates or those who may desire to tighten,