The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-08-24
FIRST OF INSANE ASYLUMS.
VirEinia Was the First State to Es.
tablish One of These
Retreats.

Virginia can lay claim to the proud
distinction of having founded the first
institution exclusively for the insane
upon this continent. According to DR..
Drewry, superintendent of the State
Central hospital, Petersburg, Va, who
writes Interestingly of the matter, says
the Medical Record, in 1869 the house
of burgesses provided for a building
for the insane at Williamsburg, then
the capital of the colony. This event
preceded BY 80 years the revolution
in the treatment of;the insane intro
ducefby Pinelsof France and luke of
England. In 1902 Virginia provided q
second public institution for her in
sane at Staunton and in 1870 she or
gained the first asylum exclusively
for the colored insane of the world.
Dr. Drewry states that at the pres
ent time the population of Virginia is
about ZOO, 0c0, two-thirds being white
and one-third colored. OF these 300
have been adjudged insane, ratio of
one in nearly every 600 of the popula-
ton. The ratio in the whites is slight
ly larger than that in the negroes,
though in recent years insanity, has
increased more rapidly among the lat
ter than the former
- The following statistics are signih-
cant. On October 1,.1ss7, there were
III the state hospitals, LII whites and
434 co,ored insane; total, 1,605. There
are noWs1 $50 white and $40 negro in
lsaneSat these institutions, a total of
R2.S2Q, showing an increase of 1915, OF
an annual net gain of 90 in the hos
pital population. From the above fig
ures it will be gathered that as in all
parts of the world insanity in Virginia
seems to show. an increase, and in con-
sequence accommodation in the state
hospitals for the unfortunates suffer.
ing from that disease is altogether
inadequate.
It is stated that during the past two
years 1872 colored and many white In
sane have died in Jail or at. their
homes, while waiting for vacancies to
occur in the hospitals, In the earlier
stages of insanity, if the malady is
treated intelligently, the chances of
recovery are favorable, while il an op-
posite course is pursued the majority
of cases will become -incurable and
chronic. The practice of condemning
an insane person to jail like common
criminal is unworthy of a rich, civil
lied and Christian land.
A Remarkable, New zealand Bird.
The capture Of . fourth specimen OF
the 'takahe, :" or hightless rail of New
Zealand, is regarded as one Of the
most important events Of recent years
in ORTHODOXY. The capture was
effected nearly two years ago, but de-
tailed accounts OF the bird have only
just reached England. The takahe
(Notorni4 hochstetteri) is about equal
in size to goose, but its wings are
very small, and unlike all Of its rela.
tives in other lands, it cannot fly.
It's breast is of a rich blue color, and
its powerful beak is described a. "a
large equilateral triangle of hard pink
horn, : apparently an, excellent weap-
on. The first specimen Of the bird
was caught in 1s49, the second IN 1854
and the third in 1879. The new speci-
men 10 said to be the finest of all,
7and $500, has been offered for IT.
Youths Companion. ~ 81 81 = ri ~