A Visit To The Wayne County Insane Asylum

On Wednesday, the 14th inst., a party of eleven ladies vreie invited by Mrs. MeDowell, matron of the Washtenaw county alms house and asylum, to make a visit -with her to the Wayne county alms house and asjlum, for the purpose of oomparing the two institutions. We were kindly receired and conducted through all the buildings of the alms house. We found everything clean, but absence of the "home comforts" of our Washtenaw institution was conspicuous Little things here and there, which do not cost much money or time in arrang-. ing, add materially to a public charity is neatness and appearance, and serve to render it more habitable for th unfortunat person cared for therein. Iri this respect, at least, our own county poor ho use surpasses that of Wayne. We found, in Dr. Bennett, keeper and physician at the asylum, a perfect gentleman, not altogether a complete fcUl LU SUU1O UI UK, lir; llilVlll IWCU UUD UI the physioians in the hospital at the university prior to his appointment to his present He has brought about a inarked improvement among the patiënte in the asylnm since he took control two years ago. Patients who were then chained in their cells are now so traetable as to be given the free_1 _ V _ 3 3 _1 _11_ . _ Ji L _ aom oí me yru, anu amo auoweu to labor on the farm. The walls of the wards are tastefully hung with pictures and mottoes, which give a cheerful appearance to th place. The "diaturbed ward" ia badly orowded, and the need of extra accommodations in this respect is urgent. At the time of our visit to the asylum thère were 200 patients oonfined therein. Eaoh had a bed to himself or herself, and each bed was immaculate in its white counterpane and pillow-shams. Lambrequina are hung over the' windows, and in all respecta, judging from what we saw, the asylum is a model institution. The patients in the aaylum employ their time in various ways. An old gentleman, named Davis, keeps himself very busy piecinjf bed-quilts. One young woman does elegant embroidery and fine needle-work ; a mulatto boy occupies much of his time in painting, which he does very cleverly, and he ia also a very clever performer on the guitar. When Dr. Bennett was appointed physioian and keeper at the asylum this boy had an epileptio fit erery day. Under the doctor's new treatment he began to improve rapidly, and up to the time of our visit had not had a fit for five months, and other similar caaes might be cited to Dr. Bennett's credit, but I suppoae your space will not permit the publication of a lencthv article. A ladv who. eleven years ago, was matron of the asylum, is now an inmate there, having lost her reason on account of financial troubles. Here let me Bay that it seems to me that Dr. Bennett'a multifarious dutie as keeper of the asylum and physician for both the asylum and alrushoute, do not fjive him sufflcient time to devote tothe insane patients. In my opinión hij whole time should be devoted to the care of the insane, as the practical results he has already attained in their treatment indicate what mi?ht be done if he had the time to do it. He should be given an assietant, or relieved of the care of the oounty house sick. One item alone will prove that too much of his time is taken up at the oounty house, viz: During the past 20 months 100 babies have been born of paupers, who were delivered by Dr. Bennett. In conclusión let me say that, in our opinión, our county house (although smaller) ia superior to of Wayne ; but we find nothing to criticise in the Wayne asylum. Mrs. E. P. Howe. Ann Arboh. Feb. 16, 1883. The Evening News says: We have, in times past, f requently alluded to the outrageous praotice of certain officera in Washtenaw county, in the matter of making a business of pieking up tramps, plain drunks - and, in one or two well known Ctises, persons who were neither tramps nor drunks - running them through the justice courts, having them sentenced to Ionia for a term, and themselves getting well paid by the State for their trips to and from the prison. At oDe time this business attracted so much attention that it aroused an amount of indignation that it compelled theofficers to let up for a while. However, there has been a revival of it, and omeera and ] petty courts are waxing fat again. j Washtenaw county is not the only one where certain offieers are playing this game very stiffly, but probably more of it is done there than in any other. Fr instance- from January 1 to February 8, there were thirty-three prisoners taken from Ann Arbor to the Ionia house of oorrection, and the State had to pay therefor over $800, as shown by the books of the auditor (reneral's office. A bilí will be urged upon ibis legislatura that will make the expense of these commitments a charge upon the counties where they arise, and it is safe to say the supervisors will sit down heavily on the nefarious practico when they come to audit the bilis.