The sun., 1900-12-23
The need or y Psychopathic Ho'p't"'
AID Laboratory.

in. the reception pavilion Tor IN" INSANE
at ,llcyua Hospital "mrha-'e the I'M
u,rtaucc or the c.'abiy-lmcnt ~ sl"'lhl
h,.,,,,l for trc a,lt"y in-an" IN fhe 'ly
Of New Norh
70 j.. NOT 49, mn, dccaie. age THAT per-
sors bccomIny INSANE N oar streets. IN
hotels. or in pu,J'" houses were t'i'"'''
10 Tails and rn.io" stations pending "N-
a-ninatiuu q. - their mental c'n'Nl"'l
TiJ. IL etin the custom IN most towns ah'
ritic, Of the United Statc'. The con-
.,rrction uf the pavilion ~ NrNcvue was
n sort - uajr-hift to take TIE pace "'
police s'aiipr-. and II was great improve
ment on the old method Of disposal OF
the insane poor For many years persons
az means who bocuuc insane In New York
vorc taken iu ElpominGdale, which, aS
then situated within the city, served ~
reccrtion hospital ror the insane among
reoplp ug iac woalthlor condition. Slno"
tie trar.frr oi Nuomingdale to Nh''
Plains. about iu,tv miles ont OF the city,
oven thi- ca-- of patients has been com
uollol - resort - tho raVilIpn at Bellevue.
greatly to tne DISTRESS u relatives and often
10 the great dctrimcul of the patients,
We have before calol attention 70 the
c-vlng need Of n hospital in the city FOR the
reception Of all classes Of mentally dis
ordered persons. h.th rich and poor AMI
their detention anI treatment there m Il
,ilgnosi, could l." assured and. IN the
event Of their not recovering within
reasonable period of time until arrange
nents could be made for legal transfer
W fine ratinn'- - the proper hospital or
asylum ip the country
II "a undoubtedly the duty of the state,
which has taken upon Itself the care OF tho
insane, - provide such a reception hos
pftol in the mid.t of population OF four
million people - the end that patients
may he treated in the earliest stages as
nre other classes OF patients In general
and emergency hospitals Surely an i'll
ness affecting the brain IL of as great I'M
portance for carly and speedy hospital
treatment a. n broken leg or an infectious
disease
But while we recognize this duty on the
part OF the State we cannot but feel that
the community would benefit more. and
that the proposed reception hospital for
the insane would be more creditable TO
inc CITY Hnl dlltlI IIIELl'i " ilu'''i'll
from scientific and educational point Of
view. If It could be founded by private
charity. What an opportunity for mil
lionaire 70 use his money IN most humane
and glorious enterprisel II happens only
once in a generation that an opportunity
offers for the establishment Of some unique
and noteworthy charity. This would be
the first reychopathic hospital IN America
and a model which many another city
would quickly follow. Conceive Of the
blessings which would be conferred upon
the four or FIVE thousand insane annually
acquiring Just some such place for examina-
ton and treatment! Think Of the value Of
such n hospital for scientific research. in
the midst Of medical workers eager 10
discover the causes and methods of pre-
vention and cure OF insanity!
In no laboratory Is there so much to l."
done. so many unknown realms to explore
"a in properly equipped psychological
and pathoogical laboratory attached tp
hospital for the acutcly insane, Iy-
cellent work Of the kind wo refer TO has
been done AZ the Mclean Asylum a.
Waverly, Mass. at the Worcester Hospital
for the Insane and nt the Patholo; ;ical
Institute associated with our New Yor;
State hospitals but this "a only begin
ming. Every hospital for the insane should
make It Of first importance to secure the
host talent in the domain Of pathology.
Some Of the very wealthy asylums in
this country could well afford to devote
part Of their surplus annual income to
original scientific research. This is nota-
hv the case with the sheppard Pratt IN
sttution near Baltimore We trust that
the managers Of tlis noted institution ere
awake to tho supreme importance Of de-
veloping the scientific features Of their
work. Beautiful as are gardens and
roads and grounds. landscape architcctIre'
should bc secondary consideration,
and three-fourths OF their surplus annual
income should be devoted TO promoting
scientific inquiry in the realms Of morbid
psychology. In this way they may gain
for their establishments an international
fame. and also do untold good in one OF
the great causes Of humanity. Splendid
as are many Of our American institutions
for this class Of sufferers. we are behind
the Continental peoples in the matter OF
psychopsthic hospitals in cities, we'll
endowed chairs Of psyohia'ry in our uni
versitles, and Laboratories for research into
the labyrlnthine mysteries Of tho central
nervous system and the mind.
glorious prospect indeed for the rich
patron of human progTess-to be the
inaugurator Of a new era OF intellectual
DEVELOPMENT, to send out expeditions
into more wonderful regions than polar
seas. TO lead in the discovery Of new con-
tinents OF mind and new worlds OF spirit.
TO make il possible TO the alienist Of the
future to
Minister 20 a mind diseased.
Pluck from the memory rooted sotrow
Rae out che written troubles o! the brauf