The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-03-12
ruE NEGRo .INsANE.

z December II, 1869, General CANDY, mill
tary Governor OF Virginia. ordered that
"all the colored insane gat the Eastern
Lunatic Asylum. at williamsburg. be
transferred at once to Howards Grove
Hospital near Richmond, and that all
the insane OF the Same class confined IN
the county or corporation jails of the
State be In like manner sent to that hos
pital.'7 The following year Howard s
Grove Hospital was fincorporated as q
State institution. In 1885 the ms tltution
was re-establlshed near Petersburg. The
official records a t the hospital show that
February /, 1870. there were in the hos
pital 1873 insane negroes. In the follow
ing November the records show tina
there were 147 in the hospital and many
cases had been rejected during the year
on account Of lack of sufficient accom-
in the hospital was 226, and no appll-
cations were on file; October. 1890 there
were 6s4, and October, 1900 1923 insane
negroes were officially reported to be in
the State.
Altogether there have been admitted to
the hospital, up to the close Of the last
fiscal year, $3.50 persons. or 4734 cases.
935 having been admitted two or more
times. From 1870 to 1880. 495 persons, or
first admission cases were receiyedTan
average Of 40 a year; from 1850 to 1880,
1,l0l were roceived-an average Of no a
year; from 1880 to 1900 1872 were receiv-
ed-an average of 125 year. From o.
tober, 1900, to October, 1902, 500 insane ne
groes, who had never before hoen ad-
this hospital, AT this time we have 'oG5
under care and only three are reported ! Q
be outside of the institution.
At tho end OF each OF seventeen out OF
thirty-two years, however. tho number OF
insane negroes reported In Jail and else
where awaiting admission. varied from
"a the smallest nun1ber o, IN 1SIl. to II
became insane. but for lack OF room or
other causes, were not received In tho
hospital Is past finding out, as no record
prior to 1896 was preserved. The number,
however, II added, would make consld-
erable difference In the percentage OF In
crease. tt1
8 a GREAT INCREASE.
From 1870 to 1850 tho rate Of increase
considering first admissions only was
about 122 per cent. Really, tho proper
method OF estimating the increase Is to
take the number Of new cases occurring
each year, Tho census enumeration In
1870 was 80 imperfect that I attempt no
comparison with the reported increase N
tho general population for that period,
FROM 1850 to 1890 the negro population,
according to the census, Increased less
than one per cent, while the rate OF in
crease in insanity, in that race, was 1lC
par cent, The Increase In tho number
Of new or first admission cases, received
ut the hospital during tho period between
1890 and 1900, over that between 1880 and
1890. was nearly 40 per cent, From
1880 to 1900 the negro population increased
at the ratio OF only SO per cent, while
tho rate of Increase Of insanity was s.
per cent.
From the best information T can got
and from data at this Institution, It seems
that in 1870 there was one Insane negro
In about 5000 of the negro population "
1850, one In 1887; and In 1890, one In 942;
and in 1900, one In 645.
1t will be observed that the period pc
tween 1890 and 1900 showed less. increase
In insanity and more In general popula :
ton than for either Of the previous de-
cades; but, on the other hand, II appears
from tile records kept that much laFg-
Ell number of persons were refused az.
mission during that period, on account OF
lack OF room In the hospital than during
either of the previous decades.
AS far as could BIO ascertnlned CURING
the fiscal year ending October, 1886 %
negroes adjudged insane. either died. OF
were discharged as cured before they
could be admitted, on account Of lack OF
room, or, being idiots on inbeclles, We're
refused admission; in 1887 there we're n