The age-herald., 1901-01-19
Great Healer of Infirm Minds.

Dr. J. T. Searcy the head of the Ala bama- Bryce Hospital for the insane, at Tuscaloosa, one of the most noted experts in mental diseases in America, and having charge of one of the greatest of all in- stitutions for the treatment of infrmties of the mind, was in Birmingham yesterday. He was glad to report "all wel'' at the hospital.
 We have at this moment 1496 inma tes, unfortunate men and women who are of unbalanced minds" said Dr. Searcy. But the institution is greatly crowded, and is exceedingly inadequate in its accommodate tions for patients. There are hundreds of the insane who are kept at their homes be- cause we have no room for them at Tusca- loosa. l would venture to say that if were now to send instructions to all the sixty-sx probate judges in the State to send me all persons who were actually in- sane and ought to be confined, I'd receive in very short time five hundred addi- tional patients; but we haven't got accom- modations for five more. The families of insane persons for whom have no room have to keep them at home and do by them the best they can.
 ''The Legisla ture recently voted $25,000 as a special appropriation. but most of that is already spent and the remainder will fall far short of a sufficiency for carrying out the objects for which it was appropriated mainly the fitting up of part of Mount Vernon barracks and the removal thither of a certain class of the insane. Securing che Mount Vernon property for the insane hos pital was great good luck. The barracks are on a hill 200 feet above the level of Mo bile Bay, and are inside of a splendid wall twelve feet high and embracing thirty acres and having but three gates. The property extends to over 2000 acres, and recently we purchased eight acres adjoin- ing and directly on the Mobile river front, giving us the best of river landings"
 What percentage of your patients, doc tor, entirely recover from insanity?" was asked.
 About 10 per cent We discharge a great many more than that fully a third of all who are sent us, but all the discharged ones are not of absolutely sound mind perma- nently. We give furloughs to about 50 per cent all told, and some of these return at stipulated periods, others at will and still others never return But one inl every ten of our patients is discharged of sound mind, fully cured.
 'The cost of kc ctp'as the insane? The average at Tuscs. is only two dollars a week. which a lower than the cost of keeping the insane in any other institution in America. But we produce large amount of our necessities on the hospital farms, all able-bodied men who are not violent or completely insane being required to do a reasonable amount of work, that being a very important feature of their daily tratment'
 It will be remembered that when the ever beloved and revered Dr. Peter Bryce, most distinguished of all American experts in diseases of the mind, died several years ago, he left in writing his desire that Dr. Searcy succeed him in the conduct of the States great hospital. All the State ap- plauded the wisdom of him whom all the State loved and Dr. Searcy has proved to be a worthy successor of even Peter Bryce.