Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-02-27
At
!. ASYLUM BAN|SHED
New Order at S4,OO0,OOO Over
brook Institution Due to
Mystery Probe.
HUMANITY TAKES PLACE
OF DRASTIC OLD METHODS
Superintendent Says Insane Pa
tents Respond More Readily
to Gentle Treatment.

insane patients at Overlook are no
longer put in strait jackets, no mat
,er how violent they may be.
they don't put patients in strait
4 Jackets at Overlook any more.
That is one good result of the new
4 order at the 100000 Essex County
4 Asylum for the Insane, where 1880
patients are cared for in fifty wards.
new order that grew out of the
skeleton" mystery at the old South
+ Orange avenue institution and the
big probe into the construction of
the new buildings about three years
ago.
The statement that there is no
violent" ward must not be taken to
mean that there are no patients
there that in the old days of classi-
fication were called violent" for
there are any number of them But
in the asylum of the present day
4 that classification has been dropped.
E and the former violent patients"
are now disturbed PATIENTS" the
wards bearing the same designation.
DR.. Guy Payne, medical superin-
s tendent of the institution, is author
ity for the statement that in sthe
last year there has not been
single case of a patient having
4 been put under restraint. Getting
away from technical terms, that
means that during that time not a
8 patient has been confined in a strait
Jacket at Overbrook Such cases
were numerous in the old days.
Task Too Big for One Man.
From the establishment of the Els.
sex County Asylum for the Insane
Il up to a short time before the resig-
nation of the late DR.. Daniel M. Dill
as superintendent on August 10, 1910,
4 there had been but one head at
q the institution. The superintendent
81 looked after everything, both medi-
s. ca and financial, connected with the
asylum, and the task was too big
81 fcr one man.
The investigation into the ''skele-
= ton mystery revealed the fact that
q the record books of the asylum were
In state of confusion. corps of
experts was placed at work and order
81 restored, after which a warden was
q appointed to have joint authority
Il with the medical superintendent, or
rather to divide the authority under
q two heads.
At present DIR. Payne, as medical
i uperintendent, has absolute control
over the care of the patients, the
handling of the nurses and attend
ants and everything connected with
the physical health and welfare OF
the patients. Benjamin +. Bailey, as
warden, is the financial officer of the
institution, and is responsible to the
Board of Freeholders for the upkeep
of the building and maintenance OF
the grounds, furnishing all supplies
of every nature, and has general
supervision over the work of all
kinds outside of the actual care
taking of the unfortunate inmates.
The two partments-medical and
fjnancial-work absolutely in har-
mony, and as a result an instltu-
tion that three years ago was a
laughing stock as far as being well
conducted was concerned, Is today
pointed out as one of the model in
stitutions of it's kind in the country.
This is the result of a thorough sys
tematizing of the work, both by DR..
PAYNE and Mr., Bailey, and Charles
A. Steadman, who preceded the lat
ter as warden, Mr.. Steadman being
the first to be appointed to the posi-
ton.
With the removal from the old,
antiquated and overcrowded quarters
in South Orange avenue to the mod
ern and commodious buildings at
Overlook, the time was ripe for the
installing of new methods of handling
the insane patients. DR.. Payne had
been connected with the institution
in South Orange avenue, and was
thoroughly familiar with conditions
that could be adjusted in the new
location.
Progress Slow for Awhile.
AS soon as he was appointed he at
once commenced to put the new
methods into effect, though at first
through lack of cooperation, due to
the entanglements brought about by
the various Investigations that had
Just been concluded at that time, Au-
gust, 1910, progress was slow.
But gradually the new methods
superseded the old until Overbrook
rs recognized lOudy dS lOhS VI ~
model institutions of its kind in the
country. Gradually the old system
of careless and sometimes abusive
treatment of patients was eliminated
The new building and its modern
eouipment had much to do with TINS,
as it gave the physicians and nurses
a better opportunity to studylndiVld-
ual cases. Soon after DR.. Payne TOOK
hold the so-called violent" wards
were changed. Inmates VINO mao
formerly been confined the greater
part of the time in locked cells were
allowed the freedom of the main
rooms in the wards.
The freedom and kind treatment
worked so we'll that even the worst
of the patients soon began 10 realize
that it was for their own beneht TO
behave and not cause unnecessary
trouble. AS result each ward at
the present time is like large ana
happy family of about 40 to 90 per-
sons, all of one sex, of course. as the
male and female patients are kept
separated.
The use of the strait-jacket soon
became thing of the past and
vicious outbreaks on the part of the
disturbed" patients are few and far
between. OF course, once in a while
patient after being tractable for
weeks, will suddenly break loose and
run amuck.
A few hours confinement in a cell
has always been found sufficient of
late to cure the most violent out
a. >