The evening times., 1901-06-05
FIELD DAY FOR The INSANE
Athlete Contests for the Patient
on Wards Island.
Lively Basketball Game for the
WoHen-NearIy Four Thousand
Mentally DeranGed Persons in At
tendance - beneficial Feature

Woneu-NearIy Four Thousand
Mentally Ders.nGed Persons in At
tendance a Beneficial Feature
NEW YORK, June 5.-The insane pa
tients on Wards Island had q day of
sports yesterday There were nearly +-o9'
persons present, most OF whom were me-l-
tally unbalanced
it was the annual field day of the insti-
tuition at Wards Island and the doctors,
nurses. patients. and their friends had
looked forward to the outing for the un-
fortunates for some time When the Wis
itors first arrived at the island by the
boat from East 1I6th Street they were
met AT the pier by doctors from the insti-
tuition who showed them about the vari-
Gus buildings and handsomely kept
grounds. What impressed the visitor
most was the cleanliness Of the buildings
and the patients, the apparent absence OF
worry and the freedom and evident con-
teutment- The staff Of physicians We're
in holiday attire of blue coats, buttoned
close to the throat, and white duck trou-
sers.
The band stationed on one of the lawns
started up lively air, and soon every
body was fastening toward the field Of
sport which was to occupy the attention
of visitors. patients, nurses, and employees
for at least two hours. The basketball
court was to the east of the musicians,
the cinder track for the races almost in
front, to the north, and dancing plat
form, under a bower of green leaves, 10
the west. The women patients who were
not to take part in the sports were group
ed about to the south of the dancing plat
form. while the men patients were group
FC~ y,zy- 70 II, Of Il,
| The opening contest was an egg race
| for women patients, and about a dozen
women and girls took part. The eggs were
/ laid on the ground at stated intervals,
| and they had to be gathered up by the
| patients one at a time and deposited in
/ baskets at the finish line. WeIl-traiued
/ athletics never did the work better, and
not an egg was broken. Miss R MOIIiner
/ Won after a close struggle with Miss An
/ ME Heller. one of the most spirited con-
! tests of the day was the basketball game
/ for women patients. captained by in
mates from the VerpIanck building and
the branch buildings. Two halves of fif-
! teen minutes each were played, the team
| captGined by Mrs. Mahar winning by the
/ score Of TO o The women struggled
/ boldly for the mastery, and the assem-
/ bied physicians took the Ii-eIiest interest
/ IN the contest. AT the conclusion OF k!I%
! game one of the players, q dark-hair=d
/ girl of possibly nineteen years became 50
! excited that one Of the physicians took
/ her to the dancing platform and waited
around with her for several minutes
while the band played The Beautiful
/ Blue Danube The action was infectious
/ for soon at least three dozen of the pa
/ tients had secured partners and we're
! yyhirIing around the platform
| While this was going on the men were
kept in their group. about fifty yards
away Most of them looked occasionally
| at the dancers, but the majority were
more content to wait for the contests TO
begin
To the casual visitor VINO did not know
Of the character Of the island home Of the
| unfoItunates. the patients behaved like
ordinary spectators at an athletic meet
In fact, it needed only the absence Of the
officials and the women patients TO mHke
one think that an unusually large attend
ace had turned out to witness the annual
games Of the Amateur Athletic Union
| Frank Start was easily the best athlete
| among the men, and he carried of most
Of the contests besides being the captain
Of the victorious tug of war team
we find these outings of vast benefit
to our patients said DR.. George 3.
Campbell, the referee of the games
Years ago some people thought that the
demented ought TO be placed IN padGsd
! or dark cells OF in straitjackets. There
are none Of these on the island. and the
treatment of the insane today is upon
distinct lines We try to give them plenty
| of outdoor exercise, ana have provided
for them literally in that direction, with
tennis courts. dancing. music, and basket
| ball What success this new method has
met with can be eStima ted when II Is
known that q few years ago our ratio OF
cured patients was about j. per cent
while now it IS 80 per cent