UC-NRLF 
 
 B 3 flT7 Dhb 
 

 THE 
 
 Vermont Asylu 
 
 M 
 
 FOR THE 
 
 Insane 
 
 ITS ANNALS 
 
 FOR 
 
 F^IKTY YEARS 
 
 .j_- ^ •.___<»%♦, 
 
 BRATTLEBORO : 
 
 PRINTED BY HILDRETH & PALES. 
 
 1887. 
 
I • • » « •• 
 
 >.•• • • • • ' 
 
 '^ 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 1834. 
 
 Monumental stone.— Will of Mrs. Marsh. — Inventory of property. — Act 
 of Incorporation. — Circumstances attending the making of the will by Mr. 
 Keyes. — Home, and personal reminiscences of Mrs. Marsh.— Case of Rich- < 
 ard Whitney.^ — Eulogistic comments upon Mrs. Marsh. Page i. 
 
 1835- 
 
 Letter of E. C. Tracy. — The smallness of the bequest, and credit due to 
 John C. Holbrook. — The organization of the Board. — The receipt of the 
 money from Mr. Keyes. — The question uppermost. — Number of asylums in ^ 
 the United States prior to the Vermont Asylum. — First report of the Trus- 
 tees in full. — Mr. Keyes deputized to go to Montpelier and solicit aid from 
 the State. — His letter announcing his success. — Legislative Act appropriating 
 $10,000. — Mr. Keyes' testimony in 1878 reviewed. — Vote of Trustees to pur- 
 chase site. Page 10. 
 
 1836. 
 
 Consideration of Sites. — Determination of site. — Cost of original pur- 
 chases. — Letter of Rev. Louis Dwight relative to site. — Election of Dr. 
 Rockwell as superintendent. — Second report of the Trustees in full. — Leg- 
 islative Act appropriating $2000. — Opening circular, and terms of admission. 
 — Reception of first patients. — Cost of reconstructing and enlarging the 
 original buildings. Page 19. 
 
 1837. 
 
 The opening, upon the family plan. — Reports of the Trustees and Super- 
 intendent in full. — Legislative act appropriating $4000. — Steps toward 
 erection of new buildings. — Correspondence upon the subject with Dr. 
 Woodward. — Employment of Capt. Merchant Toby to prepare plans and 
 estmiates. -Case of Rev. E. H. in detail. Page. 30. 
 
 1838. 
 
 Commencement of permanent buildings. — Election of Asa Keyes to 
 succeed Trustee John Holbrook, deceased. — Financial negotiations in 
 respect to the State appropriations. - Purchase of spring of water of Hough- 
 ton Pike. — Review of reports of Trustees and Superintendent. — Financial 
 exhibit, and increase of staff officers. — Cost of buildings erected this year. 
 
 Page 45. 
 
 ivil88089 
 
iv CONTENTS. 
 
 1839. 
 
 Opening of the newly erected permanent buildings. — Resignation of 
 Trustee John C. Holbrook, and election of Nathan B. Williston to succeed 
 l^ii^^ — Review of reports of Trustees and Superintendent. — Financial state- 
 ment for the fiscal year. Page 50. 
 
 1840. 
 
 Review of reports of Trustees and Superintendent. — Financial exhibit 
 for the year. — Action of the Trustees in memorializing the Legislature for 
 means toward the erection of the first wing east. — Act appropriating $4000. 
 — Action of Trustees after passage of this Act. Page 55. 
 
 1841. 
 
 Resignation of Epaphro' Seymour, as treasurer, and appointment of N. 
 B. Williston in his place. — Further action of the Trustees relative to the 
 length of the new wing. — Review of reports of Trustees and Superin- 
 tendent.—Change of assistant . physician on Asylum staff. — Purchase of 
 additional water supply of James Minott. — Statement of the finances. — Cost 
 of the first wing east, erected this year. Page 59. 
 
 1842. 
 
 Annual meeting of Trustees, and vote to increase the salary of the 
 superintendent. — Review of reports of Trustees and Superintendent. — 
 Change of Matron. — Current financial exhibit. — Purchase of additional 
 water supply of Asa Greene. — Comments on the reports of this year by Rev. 
 Louis Dwight. Page 61. 
 
 1843- 
 
 Review of annual reports of this year ; final appeal of the Trustees for 
 aid in extending accommodations. — Inauguration of a newspaper enterprise. 
 — Act appropriating $3000. -Action of Trustees following this Act. — Finan- 
 cial statement. Page 63. 
 
 1844. 
 
 Extension of the west wing, — Review of reports of Trustees and 
 Superintendent. -Highest curative results reached.— Financial statement 
 of the fiscal year.— Change of assistant physician.— Act for Relief of Insane 
 "Poor.— Action of Trustees relative to the foregoing Act.— Appointment of 
 Asa Keyes as auditor. -Report of auditor, and summary of the status of the 
 Asylum at close of this year.— Queries yet unanswered.— Comments of 
 American Journal of Insanity on the terms upon which patients are received. 
 — Cost of extension to west wing. Page 66. 
 
CONTENTS. V 
 
 1845- 
 
 Relation of Asylum to the State.—Further enlargement determined 
 upon. — Review of annual reports.- Financial exhibit, and policy. Purchase 
 of water supply of Eben Wells.— By-laws.— Election of officers for the cur- 
 rent year.— Act increasing the standing appropriation of the State for the 
 relief of the insane poor, also providing for the appointment of a Commis- 
 sioner of the Insane. — Cost of east wing extension. Page 74. 
 
 1846. 
 
 Review of annual reports. — Financial statement. — Purchase of Ceme- 
 tery plat. Annual election of officers. Page 82. 
 
 1847. 
 
 Purchase of land of John L. Dickerman. — Purchase of right to lay 
 aqueduct through land of Newman Allen from the Wells spring, and cost 
 of same. — Review of annual reports. — Sketch of Wm. S. George, printer of 
 the Asylum Journal. — Annual election of officers. — Election of J. Dorr Brad- 
 ley to succeed Mr. Seymour, as Trustee. — Vote to extend the center building, 
 and the east wing (north). — Financial exhibit. Page 84. 
 
 Purchase of land of A. and A. Bennett. — Enlargement of center building, 
 and east wing (north). — Review of annual reports. — ^Annual election of 
 officers. — Purchase of land and water right of Charles Chapin. — Financial 
 statement. — Cost of the enlargements and extensions made this year. 
 
 Page 87. 
 1849. 
 
 Review of annual reports.— Financial statement. — Annual election of 
 officers — Change of matron, — Purchase of grounds of John R. Blake. — Pur- 
 chase of land of Newman Allen. — Purchase of land of Samuel Thomas. 
 
 Page 89. 
 
 1850. 
 
 Purchase of land of Nelson Crosby.— Front walk laid out and hemlock 
 hedge planted. — General course of treatment pursued, remarked upon by 
 the Superintendent. — Annual election of officers. — Financial statement for 
 the year.— Purchase of land of Newman Allen.— Precautions against fire. — 
 Erection of farm-barn upon the meadow, and cost of same. Page 91, 
 
 1851. 
 
 Vote to lay iron pipe from the Wells spring.— Review of annual reports. 
 — Epidemic of dysentery. Puerperal cases remarked upon. — Annual election 
 of officers.— Financial statement for the year.— Cost of iron aqueduct pipe. 
 — Cost of addition to east wing.— Gift of iron castings for a fountain. 
 
 Page 93. 
 
Vi CONTENTS. 
 
 1852. 
 Resignation of Samuel Clark, as Trustee, and election of Frederick Hol- 
 brook to succeed him. — Vote to build a laundry, and cost of same with 
 machinery and fixtures. — Review of annual reports. — Annual election of 
 officers. — Financial statement for the year. — Purchase of land of Houghton 
 Pike, David W. Miller, Addison Brown, and Charles Chapin, also of mountain 
 land secured to the Asylum by Dr. Rockwell. — Report of the Legislative 
 Committee relative to the management of the Asylum, in full. Page 96. 
 
 1853. 
 
 Vote to build extensions to the west wing" — Review of annual reports 
 — Epidemic of small-pox. — Annual election of officers. — Financial statement 
 for the year. — Piggery built. — Cost of same, also of extensions to west wing. 
 — Purchase of land of W. E. Eason and heirs of Eben Wells. Page 100. 
 
 1854. 
 
 Erection of brick storehouse and cost of same. — Review^ of reports for 
 the year. — Acknowledgements to Trustee Fred'k Holbrook. — Financial 
 statement for the year. — Annual election of officers. — Purchase of land of 
 Eben Wells, also of Nelson Crosby including slate quarry. — Requirements 
 of Trustees, of attendants. Page 103. 
 
 1855- 
 
 Election of Jacob Catlin as apothecary. — Vote to build two infirmaries. — 
 Review of annual reports.— Measures for the protection of the bank in the 
 rear. — Epidemic of dysentery and its probable cause. — Financial exhibit. — 
 Annual election of officers. — Purchase of additional mountain land of John 
 L. Sargent and Dr. Rockwell.— Erection of a wood-house at male infirmary 
 building and cost of same.— Cost of the two infirmaries.— Procurement of a 
 Legislative Act for the appointment of a Medical Examiner. Page 106. 
 
 1856. 
 
 Further provision against fire. — Review of annual reports, — Annual 
 •election of officers. — Election of clerk to superintendent, and suspension of 
 the office of apothecary. — Annual financial statement. — Vote to remove the 
 " White House," or original building, and erect a brick building in its place; 
 also to remove the school-house from the common in front of the grounds^ 
 an d give a site for the same upon the corner of Chase and Asylum streets. — 
 Vote of school-district upon the subject. Page no. 
 
 1857. 
 Purchase of land of P. B. Francis. — Formal transfer and acceptance of 
 the new school-house by the district.— Purchase of land of the Misses 
 Crosby. — Vote to secure fire-proof vaults for the records of the Asylum. — 
 Review of annual refborts.— Financial statement for the year. — Annual elec- 
 tion of officers.— Purchase of land of Nathaniel Samson and Charles S. 
 Prouty.— Cost of Marsh Building.— Loss of farm-barn and stock by fire.— 
 Comments of American Journal of Insanity upon Dr. Rockwell, and detail 
 of his literary work. Page 113. 
 
CONTENTS. vii 
 
 1858. 
 
 Small purchase of land of Shepard Rice. — Purchase of farm of Newman 
 Allen, also of mountain land of John Heywood and others. — Improvements 
 in ventilation. — Review of annual reports. — Cost of rebuilding farm-barn. — 
 Annual financial statement. — Annual election of officers. Page 119. 
 
 1859. 
 
 Vote to erect a brick stable.— Cost of same.— Purchase of land of Mary 
 A. Knowlton. — Review of annual reports. — Annual financial statement. — 
 Annual election of officers. — Purchase of additional mountain land secured 
 by Dr. Rockwell. Page 122. 
 
 i860. 
 
 Purchase of land of Keith White. — Vote to raise the roofs of the wings 
 an additional story, — Review of annual reports.— Financial statement for 
 the year. — Annual election of officers. Page 124. 
 
 1861. 
 
 Review of annual reports. — Annual financial statement. — Annual election 
 of officers. — Cost of third story enlargement. Page 127. 
 
 1862. 
 
 Action of Trustees toward the introduction of steam-heating. — Review 
 of annual reports. — Election of officers.— Financial statement for the year. 
 — Purchase of mountain land of Farnsworth & Colburn and Colburn & 
 Cobleigh. — Death of Trustee J. Dorr Bradley, and election of Daniel 
 Kellogg as his successor. — The great fire. Page 129. 
 
 1863. 
 
 Action of Trustees toward rebuilding. — Review of annual reports. — 
 Obituary notices of Mr. Bradley. — Annual financial statement. — Cost of 
 rebuilding after the great fire. — Purchase of meadow land of Gov. Fred'k 
 Holbrook, also land of John F. Stearns, Sally Nurse and others, in Dum- 
 merston. — Annual election of officers. Page 134. 
 
 1864. 
 
 Bequest of Amherst Willoughby, of Berkshire, Vt. — Annual election of 
 officers. — Review of annual reports. — Annual financial statement.— Purchase 
 of wood land of Wells Goodhue, in Vernon. — Biographical sketch of Dr. 
 Amherst Willoughby, also of Moses Wakefield. Page 137. 
 
 1865. 
 
 Vote to build a farm-barn.— Vote to raise salary of superintendent.— 
 Review of annual reports. — Cost of farm-barn. — Annual financial statement. 
 — ^Annual election of officers. Page 141. 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 866. 
 
 Vote to erect a wood-house. — Cost of same. — Water supply increased. — 
 Review of annual reports — Annual financial statement.— Annual election, 
 of officers.— Purchase of additional land for enlargement of cemetery plat. 
 
 Page 145- 
 1867. 
 
 Purchase of the Capen spring.— Review of annual reports.— Annual 
 financial statement. — Annual election of officers.— Obituary notice of Miss 
 Abigail Rockwell, late matron. Page 147. 
 
 1868. 
 
 Purchase of " Pikeville." — Review of annual reports. — Annual financial 
 statement.— Annual election of officers. Page 149. 
 
 1869. 
 
 Erection of new laundry building, and conversion of the old into exten- 
 sion of ward accommodation. — Cost of same.— Annual election of officers. 
 — Annual financial statement. — Extract from report of the State commis- 
 sioner. — Legal question relative to the use of the Capen spring. 
 
 Page 151. 
 
 1870. 
 « 
 
 Vote to remove the wood-house erected in 1866. — Vote to build a new 
 farm-house. — Albert H. Bull's will. — Resolutions thereupon. — Review of 
 annual reports. — Annual financial statement. — Annual election of officers. — 
 Vote to purchase the farm of Henry H. Rice. — Cost of farm-house. 
 
 Page 153. 
 187T-2. 
 
 Act of Legislature making reports biennial.— Purchase of the Pike 
 homestead. — Annual election of officers, 1871. — Negotiations relative to the 
 Capen spring, and cost of securing water rights. — Cost of iron aqueduct 
 pipe to the Asylum. — Purchase of estate of James A. Chase. — Accident to 
 Dr. Rockwell. — His resignation, and resolutions of the Board of Trustees 
 on the occasion. — Annual election of officers, 1872, and readjustment of 
 salaries. — Financial exhibit for the biennial period.— Portents of a gather- 
 ing storm. — Cases of Joseph A. Stockton and Peter H. Shaw reviewed. — 
 Resignation of Dr. Rockwell, Jr., and election of Dr. Joseph Draper to the 
 superintendency. — Vote of the Trustees to build an additional wing at each 
 extremity of the main line of buildings, preparatory to the introduction of 
 steam-heating apparatus. Page 156. 
 
 1873-4. 
 
 Beginning of Dr. Draper's superintendency. — Vote of Trustees author- 
 izing the procurement of a portrait of Dr. Rockwell for the Asylum. — 
 Report of the Legislative investigating committee, and review of the same.. 
 
CONTENTS. ix 
 
 Annual election of officers, 1873. — Adoption of a code of rules for the gov- 
 ernment of attendants and employes.— Death of Dr. Rockwell. — Resigna- 
 tion of Trustees Daniel Kellogg and Asa Keyes, and election of Dr. 
 Rockwell, Jr., and James M. Tyler as their successors. — Annual election of 
 officers, 1874. — Review of biennial reports. — Financial exhibit for the period. 
 — Cost of the permanent improvements in the two years. — Sketch of Wil- 
 liam Moss. Page 168. 
 
 1875-6. 
 
 Vote to complete the introduction of steam-heating apparatus. — Resig- 
 nation of Trustee N. B. Williston, and election of Richards Bradley as his 
 successor. — Annual election of officers, 1875-6. — Review of biennial reports. 
 — Biennial financial exhibit. — Cost of permanent improvements of this 
 period. — Report of State Commissioner and review of same. — Report of 
 Joint Legislative committee in full, — Resolution authorizing a commission 
 to further investigate and report to the next Legislature. Page 183. 
 
 1877-8 
 
 Fire at Asylum. - Vote to re-locate stable, and proposal of Mr. Bradley 
 that the new line of buildings include a gymnasium. — Annual election of 
 officers, 1877. — Introduction of steam-cooking apparatus,— Purchase of cot- 
 tage near cold spring, of R. N. Hescock, — Cost of reconstructing burned line 
 of buildings. — Revision of By-laws. — Action relative to disposal of sewage, 
 and conclusion to erect a work-shop and ice-house. — Election of officers, 
 1878. — Financial exhibit for the biennial period, — Review of biennial 
 reports. — Response of the Legislature, raising rate of support. — Action of 
 Trustees relative to radical alterations of the wards. — Cost of completing 
 the system of steam-heating, and of building work-shop and ice-house. — 
 Report of Special Investigating Commission. — Comments of the officers of 
 the Asylum thereon, in full. — Report of Joint Standing Legislative Commit- 
 tee in full. — Revision of the Lunacy laws; abolishment of the office of 
 Commissioner, and creation of a Board of Supervisors of the insane. 
 
 Page 203. 
 
 T879-80. 
 
 Annual election of officers, 1879. — Amendment of Article III of By-laws, 
 creating the office of steward and defining his duties. — Further improve- 
 ments in the wards ordered. — Purchase of the Person place. — Petition of 
 the Trustees for the laying out of a road from Mechanics' Square to the 
 Newfane road, and proposal of Mr. Tyler that the portion cut off thereby 
 from the farm be devoted to a pleasure park. — Election of officers for 1880. 
 — Review of biennial reports.— Financial exhibit for the biennial period. — 
 Cost of radical changes in the interior plan of the buildings, — Establish- 
 ment of boundary line between lands of Dorman B, Eaton and the Asylum. 
 — Employment of E. W. Bowditch, landscape gardener, Boston, to lay out 
 park and make plan of the same.— General tenor of report of the State 
 Board of Supervisors of the Insane. Page 238. 
 
X CONTENTS. 
 
 1881-2. 
 
 Leave of absence for three months granted to superintendent to enable 
 him to visit Europe. — Temporary appointment of an additional assistant. — 
 Annual election of officers, 1881. — Proposal of superintendent for the estab- 
 lishment of a summer retreat, and action of Trustees thereon. — Cost of 
 property secured for that purpose. — Purchase of land on Putney road 
 secured for the Asylum by Dr. Draper. Plans determined upon for remod- 
 eling the buildings for the Summer Retreat. — Annual election of officers 
 1882. — Biennial financial exhibit. — Review of biennial reports, and work of 
 the period. Page 247. 
 
 1883-4. 
 
 Completion and cost of preceding year's improvements. — Action relative 
 to a reconstruction of the chapel. — Annual election of officers, 1883. — Cost 
 of new chapel and incidental work. — Purchase of an extension to the park, 
 of Joseph Prescott. — Review of biennial reports. — Biennial financial exhibit. 
 — Election of officers, 1884.— Proposal to protect the grave of Mrs. Marsh. 
 — Plans for rearrangement of farm-buildings. Page 252. 
 
 1885-6. 
 
 Vote to construct a new system of sewerage, reconstruct the engine- 
 house, and rearrange and re-set the boilers.— Cost of same.— Annual elec- 
 tion of officers, 1885.— Construction and cost of cupolas on wings.— Action 
 of Trustees in reference to the Willoughby legacy. — Action of Trustees in 
 reference to enlargement of the reservoir on park, and the building of a 
 new piggery.— Construction of an additional fire hydrant in connection with 
 Mr. Crowell's reservoir on Highland park.— Erection of carriage porch at 
 rear entrance, and of new kitchen entrance. — Proposition of Mr. Tyler 
 looking to the reconstruction of the Asylum on a modern plan. — Election of 
 officers, i886.--Review of the biennial reports.— Inauguration of camping 
 excursions,— Biennial financial exhibit.— Extract from report of State Board 
 of Supervisors.- The fiftieth anniversary day. Page 256. 
 
 Conclusion, - - ^ - - - 268. 
 
 The Medical Record, - - - - ' 269. 
 
 The Financial Record, - - - 271. 
 
 The Construction Record, - - - 275. 
 
 Memorial Chapter, . - - - 278. 
 
ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 The Home of Mrs. Marsh, - - Frontispiece 
 
 The Original Building, - - - - 1836 
 
 The Vermont Asylum, - - - 1844 
 
 The Vermont Asylum, - - - - 1854 
 
 The Marsh Building, - - - 1857 
 
 The Vermont Asylum, - - - - 1874 
 
 Interior plan of first story, - - 1878 
 
 The Summer Retreat, - - - - 1881 
 
 The Vermont Asylum, - - - 1884 
 
 Block-plan, chronologically constructed, - 1886 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 WHY this book ? Firsts because the Vermont Asylum is one 
 of the oldest institutions for the care of the insane in the 
 United States, and has in some respects a unique history 
 that has not been fully told in its published reports ; which latter, 
 moreover, are now so scarce that for many years it has been impos- 
 sible to obtain a complete set. 
 
 Second^ the completion of a half-century of its chartered work 
 warrants the compilation of its results, for the benefit of the 
 specialty in its statistical elaborations and generalizations. 
 
 Thirds as here presented it affords in a single volume a complete 
 resume of the fifty years' work, in such form that it may take a place 
 in libraries along with kindred literature, and be conveniently 
 referred to. 
 
 Fou7-th^ it .has seemed to the compiler a work that could not be 
 longer delayed without loss of much of the material which now goes 
 to make up its annals, and which has been gathered to a consider- 
 able extent from those already deceased. 
 
 Besides the records of the Trustees from the beginning, and the 
 published reports, the early correspondence of the Trustees with 
 men prominent in philanthropic work a half century ago has been 
 drawn upon to some extent, as also the verbal history derived from 
 those early engaged in the work, who, within the time of the writer, 
 have borne testimony to many unrecorded facts. It has been our 
 endeavor to show, as far as possible, the yearly life, with the accom- 
 plishments of each annual period ; also, the ideas underlying the 
 general policy of management and the professional conduct of the 
 establishment, as evidenced by numerous and extended quotations 
 from the Trustees and Superintendents, and in some instances from 
 published reviews in contemporary Journals. 
 
 The writer is aware that some typographical errors exist that 
 might have been avoided had a professional proof-reader been avail- 
 able ; but which he trusts will be overlooked by the general reader. 
 Absolute exactness has been aimed at in respect to the facts. All 
 statements made may be relied upon, and all comments have been 
 made in the spirit of fairness, with strict regard to truth. J. D. 
 
THE 
 
 Vermont Asylum for the Insane. 
 
 ITS ANNALS. 
 
 RECORD OF 1834. 
 
 Mrs,. 
 
 ANNA MARSH, 
 
 
 (llJ§<3i 
 
 Oct. 
 
 14, 1834, Aged 65. 
 
 
 Consort of 
 
 Dr 
 
 . Perley Marsh. 
 
 T 
 
 HIS monumental stone, in 
 the old burial ground in 
 Hinsdale, N. H., beside 
 that of her husband, DoctJ Per- 
 ley Marsh, who died Sept. 18, 
 1807, aged 41, attests the resting- 
 place of the founder of the 
 Vermont Asylum for the Insane. 
 The will containing the bequest 
 for this purpose bears date June 
 3rd, 1834, and reads as follows: 
 
 " I, Anna Marsh, of Hinsdale, 
 in the County of Cheshire, and 
 State of New Hampshire, being 
 weak in body, but in my own 
 apprehension of sound and dis- 
 posing mind and memory, con- 
 sidering the uncertainty of this mortal life, have thought it best to 
 make, and accordingly do hereby make, this my last will and testa- 
 ment in manner following, that is to say, as to all my worldly estate, 
 I dispose of the same as follows: 
 
 "I give unto the town of Vernon, in the County of Windham, and 
 State of Vermont, two thousand dollars, the principal to be kept at? 
 
2 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 interest as a permanent fund for the support of preaching in said 
 town, the principal to be kept entire, and the interest only to be used. 
 
 "I give unto Samuel Clark, John Holbrook, Epaphroditus Sey- 
 mour, and John C. Holbrook, all of Brattleboro, in the County of 
 Windham aforesaid, and their successors, ten thousand dollars in 
 trust, for the purpose of erecting and supporting in the County of 
 Windham, near Connecticut River, a hospital for the relief of insane 
 persons, and in case of the decease of one or more of said trustees, 
 the survivors shall from time to time fill all vacancies; and the said 
 trustees, being four in number, shall forever hereafter have the sole 
 superintendence and direction of said insane hospital; and it is my 
 will that the said trustees procure an act of incorporation, as soon as 
 may be after my decease. 
 
 " I give unto my cousins, Cynthia G. Arms, Sarah Tilden, and 
 Helen Hunt, all residing in the State of New York, five hundred 
 dollars each. 
 
 " I give unto Fanny Blake, wife of Dr. Blake, of Northfield, and 
 Sally Pomeroy, wife of Medad Pomeroy, of Warwick, all my house- 
 hold furniture and wearing apparel, to be equally divided between 
 them. And as to all the rest and residue of my estate, whether real 
 or personal not otherwise herein disposed of, I give, devise, and 
 bequeath the same to Hunt Blake, of Vernon, in the County of Wind- 
 ham, and State of Vermont, to hold to him, his heirs and assigns, 
 forever. 
 
 " And lastly, I do hereby constitute and appoint John Nevers, of 
 Northfield, Mass., and Asa Keyes, of Brattleboro, Vermont, executors 
 of this my last will and testament, hereby revoking all former wills 
 by me made. 
 
 " In testimony whereof, I the said Anna Marsh, have hereunto 
 set my hand and seal, and do declare the above to be my last will 
 and testament, this third day of June, in the year of our Lord, one 
 thousand eight hundred and thirty-four. 
 
 "Signed, sealed, and declared by the 
 said Anna Marsh to be her last will and 
 testament in presence of us, who have 
 witnessed the same in presence of the 
 testatrix and in the presence of each ^ ^^^^ ^^^^^ ^^ ^^ 
 
 Adeline Richardson, 
 Orrin Snow, 
 Sally Keyes, 
 Asa Kf.yes. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1834. 3 
 
 "Proved at Keene, first Tuesday of January, 1835, Sally Keyes 
 and Orrin Snow witnesses. Notice previously published. Copy filed 
 in Marlboro Probate District, last Wednesday of March, 1835. Notice 
 previously published. John Nevers and Asa Keyes, executors, 
 [appeared] and gave bonds in $25,000. Inventory to be returned 
 in three months. Inventor}^ returned first Tuesday of April. Prop- 
 erty appraised March 7, 1835, by 
 
 Jonathan Brown, \ 
 Obed Slate, V Appraisers." 
 
 Timothy A. Bascom, ) 
 The inventory of the estate exhibited a total of $21,720.49, which 
 was largely invested in notes of hand. The first action of the trustees 
 was to apply for a charter from the Legislature, in accordance with 
 the request of the founder. This was granted by the General 
 Assembly of the State of Vermont in the same year in which the tes- 
 tatrix died, and the following is a verbatim et literatim copy: 
 
 AN ACT 
 
 TO INCORPORATE THE VERMONT ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE. 
 
 Sec. I. It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the 
 State of Vermont, that Samuel Clark, John Holbrook, Epaphro' Sey- 
 mour, and John C. Holbrook, and their successors, appointed as here- 
 inafter directed, be, and they hereby are incorporated, and 
 made a body politic and corporate by the name of " The 
 Vermont Asylum for the Insane," with all the powers and 
 privileges incident to such corporations, and by that name may sue 
 and be sued, plead and be impleaded, appear, prosecute and defend 
 in all suits and actions, and shall have and use a common seal to be 
 by them devised, altered, and renewed, at their pleasure. 
 
 Sec. 2. It is hereby further enacted, that the said corporation 
 may take and receive, hold, purchase and possess, of and from all 
 persons disposed to aid the benevolent purposes of said institution, 
 any grants and devises of lands and tenements, in fee simple or 
 otherwise, and any donations and bequests, and subscriptions of 
 money or other property, to be used and improved for the erection, 
 support, and maintenance of an asylum as aforesaid, provided the 
 income of said corporation from its real and personal estate does 
 not exceed the sum of ten thousand dollars per annum. 
 
 Sec. 3. It is hereby further enacted that said corporation, may 
 from time to time make and establish such by-laws [and] regula- 
 tions, for the internal government and economy of said asylum as 
 
4 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 they may think proper, not repugnant to the constitution and laws 
 of this, or the United States; and may at any meeting thereof duly 
 warned, choose all necessary and convenient officers, who shall have 
 such power and authority, and be elected in such manner and for 
 such period of time as the said corporation by their by-laws shall 
 limit and direct. 
 
 Sec. 4. It is hereby further enacted that it shall be lawful for 
 said corporation at any meeting duly warned for the purpose, to alter 
 or change the name of said corporation by substituting or adding 
 the name of any distinguished benefactor who may make liberal con- 
 tribution to the funds thereof, and upon such change or alteration as 
 aforesaid, the said corporation shall have a right to assume and take 
 such name, and shall have, hold, and enjoy all the powers and priv- 
 ileges given by this act, notwithstanding such alteration and change. 
 
 Sec. 5. It is hereby further enacted, that the said Samuel Clark, 
 John Holbrook, Epaphro' Seymour, and John C. Holbrook, and 
 their successors, not exceeding at any time four in number, shall be 
 a Board of Trustees, and shall have the sole superintendence of said 
 Asylum, and in case of the decease, resignation, or removal of one 
 or more of said trustees, the survivors shall from time to time, fill 
 all such vacancies. 
 
 Sec. 6. It is hereby further enacted that after the organization 
 of said corporation, the said trustees shall keep, or cause to be kept, 
 just and true books of account of all the transactions of said corpo- 
 ration, and shall therein enter all the funds, income, donations, 
 receipts and expenditures thereof, which said books shall at all 
 times be open for the inspection of the Board of Visitors, nominated 
 in this act, and the said trustees shall make an annual report to the 
 General Assembly of the amount of the funds of said Asylum, the 
 receipts and expenditures thereof, the number of patients admitted 
 and discharged, the number cured, the state of others discharged or 
 remaining, and such other information as may be necessary to show 
 the effects and operations of said institution. 
 
 Sec. 7. It is hereby further enacted, that the Judges of the 
 Court of Chancery for the time being, be, and hereby are, constituted 
 a Board of Visitors of the said Asylum, with authority to visit the 
 same annually, and oftener if they think proper, to inspect the said 
 establishment, and the actual condition of the patients thereof, to 
 examine the by-laws and regulations enacted by said corporation, 
 and generally to see that the design of the institution be carried into 
 effect, in a careful, tender, and effectual manner; and the said Court 
 of Chancery shall have full power to correct any and all abuses of 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1834. 5 
 
 trust, done, suffered, or permitted by said corporation, or the officers 
 thereof. 
 
 Sec. 8. It is hereby further enacted, that the said Samuel Clark, 
 and upon his neglect, any other membef of said corporation, may call 
 the first meeting thereof, by giving notice of the time and place of 
 holding the same, in some one of the newspapers printed in the 
 County of Windham, at least six days previous to said meeting, — and 
 all other meetings of said corporation shall be warned and holden in 
 the manner provided by the by-laws thereof. 
 
 Sec. 9. It is hereby further enacted that the estate both real 
 and personal, and all other, the funds of said institution, shall at all 
 times hereafter be exempt from all taxes. 
 
 Sec. 10. It is hereby further enacted, that any future legis- 
 lature shall have power to modify, alter, and amend this act, so far 
 as to provide for the more perfect and effectual accomplishment of 
 the objects of this act. [Approved Nov. 3rd, 1834.] 
 
 Thus was the Institution established, upon the foundation solely 
 of this legacy. The circumstances attending the bequest we have 
 from Asa Keyes, Esq., who drew up the will, and who subsequently 
 became one of the Trustees of the Asylum. In testimony given 
 before a Legislative Committee in 1878, he thus gives an account of 
 them: " Mrs. Marsh sent for me, and requested me to come to her 
 house; the messenger told me she wanted to make a will. I went 
 over there, and she said she did. I called for paper, and asked her 
 to whom she wanted to will her property, and she said she would 
 give ten thousand dollars for an Asylum for the Insane. It was new 
 to me and I tried to divert her thoughts to other things, — suggested 
 the Bible Society, and other things of that nature, — but she refused 
 every one of them, and said she was determined to have an Asylum 
 for the Insane. So I took the minutes down, and told her I would go 
 home and write them out, and come over in the course of a week 
 and have her will executed. When I went over there, I found that 
 she had still the same mind about building an Asylum. Then I 
 asked her where she would have it situated ? She said over there in 
 Windham County, near the Connecticut River, you can find a good 
 place. Then I told her it was necessary to have some trustees; and 
 she wished me to name some, and I did so, and she chose them. The 
 trustees were Dea. J. Holbrook, Epaphro' Seymour, Samuel Clark 
 and John C. Holbrook. She died sometime in the fall after, and I 
 was named as executor, proved her will, and went on and adminis- 
 tered her estate, together with John Nevers, of Northfield, Mass. We 
 settled the estate and paid over to these trustees the amount of ten 
 thousand dollars." 
 
6 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The home of Mrs. Marsh was four miles below Brattleboro, on 
 the New Hampshire side of the Connecticut River. There yet stands 
 the square hip-roofed two-story mansion (see frontispiece), now 122 
 years old, typical of the better class of residences in the early part of 
 the present century, from which during the twenty-seven years of her 
 widowhood she dispensed a liberal hospitality, and connected with 
 which was an estate of 400 acres, which she managed with signal 
 ability. The place itself would have been entirely suited to the 
 purposes of the institution which she endowed, had she chosen thus 
 to devote it; but in determining the location of the Asylum she was 
 decided in her preference for the Vermont side, declaring "she had 
 already done enough for New Hampshire,"* where she resided. It 
 is probable, however, that her preference was determined by the fact 
 that Vermont was the home of her ancestry, as well as her own 
 birth-place. 
 
 In making her bequest to the town of Vernon (directly opposite 
 her place of residence) for the support of preaching, she remarked: 
 " They are a very godless people over there, and never go to meet- 
 ing ; I want to do something to get them together on the Sabbath." 
 
 When other objects were urged upon her notice as worthy of 
 charitable consideration, as stated by Mr. Keyes, she remarked that, 
 " Everybody gave to missionary objects, and educational interests 
 belonged to those who had children (she had none living), but 
 nobody cared for the poor insane ; they were neglected and shifted 
 about, and she wanted to provide a home for them." 
 
 These fragmentary reminiscences derived from Mr. Keyes in 
 verbal conversations, go to show that her last will was the result of 
 much deliberation upon the matter, and — coupled with the fact that 
 Mr. Keyes was solicited by a nephew of hers to whom she had in a 
 previous testament bequeathed the bulk of her property, to scruti- 
 
 *Besides many contributions to worthy objects during her life-lime, she 
 gave to the town of Hinsdale, in 1828, a bell weighing 910 pounds and c(isiin>^ sev- 
 eral hundred dollars, which was placed upon the first church in that village, and 
 remained there as long as the building stood. It was then hired by the Universalist 
 society, on condition that it be rung regularly three times a day, at 9 A. M., 12 M. 
 and 9 p. M., for the benefit of the town. This church was subsequently leased to 
 the Methodists, and while in their charge the bell became cracked. In 1873 '^ 
 was sold by the town for old mfetal at 13 cents per pound, and the avails, $118.30, 
 were turned into the town treasury. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1834. 7 
 
 nize carefully her testamentary capacity when making the alterations 
 she might suggest — go to show that in this document she had deter- 
 mined to set aside considerations of relationship, and carry out, 
 so far as she was able, her philanthropic views, which clearly were 
 not the result of any sudden or unaccountable freak of benevolence. 
 
 The author of the History of Brattleboro, published in 1880, 
 cites the case of Hon. Richard Whitney, who died in Hinsdale in 
 1806, under unfortunate circumstances, as very probably having 
 suggested to Mrs. Marsh the need of a hospital for the insane. Mr. 
 Whitney, who had been a man prominent in political life, became 
 mentally deranged, and was obliged to be placed under restraint. 
 
 At that time little if anything was known in regard to the proper 
 treatment of insane persons. The faculty were vainly groping in the 
 dark for a potent weapon with which they could meet this myste- 
 rious enemy of human happiness, called insanity. Many, especially 
 the devoutly religious classes, attributed this malady to supernatural 
 causes. Therefore they considered all remedial efforts vain, and 
 nothing could be done but to confine the unfortunate victim, and 
 wait for death. 
 
 A council of physicians [Dr. Marsh believed to have been one] 
 decided upon trying for the recovery of Mr. Whitney a temporary- 
 suspension of his consciousness, by keeping him completely immersed 
 in water three or four minutes, or until he became insensible, and 
 then resuscitate or awaken him to a new life. Passing through this 
 desperate ordeal, it was hoped, would divert his mind, break the 
 chain of unhappy associations, and thus remove the cause of his 
 disease. Upon trial, this system of regeneration proved of no avail, 
 for, with the returning consciousness of the patient came the knell 
 of departed hopes, as he exclaimed *' You can't drown love." But 
 the failure of this experiment seems not to have convinced the 
 physicians that they were upon the wrong track. Some accounts 
 say the repetition of it terminated the life of the patient; others, and 
 the most reliable, state that in the subsequent trial opium was selected 
 as " the proper agent for the stupefaction of the life forces," which 
 was essayed with a fatal result. 
 
 The head-stone over the grave of Mr. Whitney, in the same burial 
 ground with that of Dr. Marsh, bears the following inscription: 
 
ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 "Here rests 
 
 the mortal part of 
 
 Richard Whitney Esq, 
 
 Counsellor at law 
 
 of Brattleboro' Vermont, 
 
 Who departed this life 
 
 Sept. 9th A. D. 1806, 
 
 Aged 39 years," 
 
 "Those who knew him not may 
 
 Learn from this Monument stone 
 
 that his virtues have rendered 
 
 his memory precious to his 
 
 bereaved friends — the sight of it 
 
 will exite a tender recollection 
 
 of his worth, in the bosoms of 
 
 those who knew him, and a tear 
 
 of regret at his early and 
 
 Untimely departure. 
 
 Let us humbly hope he is gone 
 
 where those virtues will be 
 
 fully appreciated." 
 
 No likeness of Mrs. Marsh has been preserved, but she is repre- 
 sented as a large, rather plain, but kindly woman, of extremely 
 hospitable feelings. She added a wing to her house, which she 
 fitted up as a drawing-room, with arched ceiling, and furnished with 
 costly furniture, where she was accustomed to entertain socially 
 invited parties from Brattleboro and vicinity. In the management of 
 her estate, as already mentioned, she was singularly capable, and her 
 grounds gave evidence of an appreciation of the aesthetic; her fine 
 garden and beautiful' flowers, in diamond or heart shaped beds, being 
 the particular admiration of the neighboring children, as the accounts 
 of those now old, but who personally remember her, attest. 
 
 Two years before her death she leased her farm, reserving to 
 herself all the privileges she desired, including the use of any four 
 rooms she might choose in her house, and of her horse and chaise, 
 which were to be kept at her disposal. Later, in 1833, she surren- 
 dered the farm upon a life lease to herself. She was most probably 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1834. 9 
 
 led to this retirement from her active business Hfe by the premoni- 
 tions of that malady, a renal affection, of which she died after a 
 short final illness, — and not because of the infirmities of age. 
 
 Mrs. Marsh was not identified in membership with any church, but 
 every act of her life bears witness to her Christian character. In 
 her several donations and public bequests her unsectarian spirit 
 found expression and bore testimony to her large-heartedness. The 
 bell upon the first meeting-house in Hinsdale village was not given 
 by her to the church, but to the town, as is shown by the fact that 
 when finally broken the proceeds of its sale went into the town 
 treasury. So, also, her bequest for the maintenance of public 
 preaching in Vernon was not made to any church organization, but 
 to the town, and for the purpose of gathering the people together 
 for religious exercises, thus to controvert what she observed to be a 
 laxity in the religious habits of the people there. And, in her larger 
 gift, for the founding of a public institution, her philanthropy was 
 likewise unrestricted. In the spirit of the Master she humbly sought 
 "to provide a home for the poor insane." 
 
RECORD OF 1835. 
 
 ELEVEN months elapsed after the passage of the Act of 
 Incorporation, before the Trustees received the legacy of 
 Mrs. Marsh. Meanwhile, however, they were not idle. Nor 
 were they alone interested in the untried project. A lively interest 
 was manifested by the press of the State in the establishment of 
 such an institution within the borders of Vermont. 
 
 A letter from E. C. Tracy of Windsor, then proprietor and editor 
 of the Vermont Chronicle, to Mr. John C. Holbrook, bearing date 
 February 28th, 1835, is preserved, showing a personal enthusiasm in 
 the matter, and which indicates a previous correspondence upon the 
 subject. He says: "I have just received a letter from Dr. Julius 
 [a German psychologist then in this country] who informs me that 
 he shall be in Boston at the end of May, and will be very happy to 
 meet you there. He thinks it probable that he may be able to visit 
 with you the institutions at Worcester and Hartford, should you be 
 able to do it then. You will find him an open-hearted philanthropist, 
 and one able to give you a great deal of information. I hope for the 
 good of our State, you will not fail to make arrangements to have an 
 interview with him. He is now at Washington, but about leaving 
 for the South, to return by way of Albany, where he will be about 
 the 15th of May. I will copy for you so much of his letter as relates 
 to the Insane Hospital: 'According to what you mention, there is 
 an objection to a grant of the Legislature arising out of the circum- 
 stance that the new institution will be under the Trustees of the 
 legacy, and not under the control of the Legislature. This appar- 
 ent obstacle, might, I think, be converted into an advantage. In 
 Germany, where I am sure lunatic asylums, by the reflective and 
 philosophic mind of the nation, are better than in any other country, 
 we divide all such institutions into two classes, sometimes entirely 
 separated and in different places, sometimes in adjoining localities, 
 and united under the same administration. One of these classes 
 consists of curable lunatics, under which denomination I would com- 
 prise all cases not older than two years' standing. After this time, 
 if the physician of the institution should [judge] them affording 
 still reasonable hopes of restoration, they might be removed to the 
 other institution or class, containing incurable lunatics. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1835. 11 
 
 " ' The first class, certainly the most interesting to the feelings of 
 the public, and that which is most wanted anywhere, and therefore 
 also in Vermont, requires greater expense from the variety of means 
 of restoration which must be provided. But it is more useful to 
 provide first of all an institution for this class, because the increase 
 of lunacy is thereby stopped in its source, and because there is rea- 
 sonable hope that public sympathy would be awakened, and liberal 
 contributions flow in from all sides, to the fulfilment of this philan- 
 thropic enterprise. 
 
 " * By this division of the two classes, the newly-erected corporation 
 might limit its narrow means to the first, leaving the second to be 
 provided for by the State. Both institutions standing under a sepa- 
 rate or joint administration, might be erected one near the other, 
 connected by the gardens whereby they are surrounded, and thereby 
 taking away the unfavorable impression which in some rare instances 
 might be made on the friends of the patient, by his passing from the 
 curables to the incurables. For this last class of unfortunate beings 
 a milder name has therefore been adopted in Germany, and we call 
 the houses where they are kept Pflegeanstalten, — institutions for 
 taking care, for nursing, or nurseries. A similar expression might 
 be easily found in Vermont. 
 
 " ' Relating to the situation of the Asylum, it must be high, healthy, 
 not destitute of water, at some distance from any public road, and 
 from the curiosity of passers-by, and with as much land as possible 
 for gardens and fields; laborious exertion in cultivating them being 
 one of the principal means of restoration. Fifty acres would be the 
 smallest extent of ground which I find desirable. 
 
 '' 'According to my ideas relating to the treatment of the insane, a 
 mad-house ought never to be one large building with different stories 
 (an objection which applies to the Asylum at Worcester, and I be- 
 lieve also to that at Hartford) but it ought to comprise different 
 small houses, each with a small garden, according to the different 
 varieties of the diseased. 
 
 " 'As the means of the institution are so small, I propose therefore 
 .to erect first a house whose center building might be thirty feet long 
 and have two wings each fifteen feet long. The center building 
 would be two stories high, serving as a dwelling-house for the phy- 
 sician, who must live in the institution, and as the seat of the admin- 
 istration, and of the offices; both wings one story high, the one for 
 new-comers, to be under the physician's uninterrupted observation, 
 and the other for convalescents. 
 
12 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 " ' Besides this large building, which might accommodate from 
 eight to twelve patients, I would erect two small one-story cottages? 
 one for maniacs, and one for melancholies; the first for four and the 
 other for eight patients. All these three buildings might easily be 
 enlarged as the means increase, by building in the same direction in 
 which they stand. All the one-story buildings ought to have a cellar 
 for securing the patients against dampness, and for warming their 
 rooms by hot air. The relative position of the three buildings, so 
 that they all may be under the occular inspection of the physician, I 
 must reserve to indicate when I shall perhaps have the pleasure of 
 an interview with Mr. Holbrook, and the advantage of seeing a 
 ground plan of the place where the Asylum is to be erected.' " 
 
 Mr. Tracy concludes as follows: 
 
 " If desirable I can communicate with Dr. Julius again before he 
 reaches Boston. I must repeat my hope that if practicable you will 
 arrange your business so as to be in Boston at the end of May, for 
 I feel very anxious to have the proposed institution become a 
 model." 
 
 The smallness of the bequest v/as from the first a matter of grave 
 consideration by the Trustees. It was a current remark by citizens 
 and business men, that a failure would be the most probable result 
 of an undertaking so slenderly endowed. There is evidence that the 
 three older members of the Board doubted the expediency of 
 attempting to carry out the conditions of the will. To Mr. John C. 
 Holbrook (the junior member) is undoubtedly due the credit of 
 assuming at this juncture, in earnest, the work necessary to the 
 inauguration of the enterprise, which his energy and sanguine tem- 
 perament fitted him especially for. 
 
 The organization of the Board took place September 28, 1835, 
 pursuant to notice signed by Samuel Clark, and published in the 
 Vermont Phoenix of September 11. The first meeting was held at 
 Col. Chase's stage-house in Brattleboro. The meeting was called 
 to order by Samuel Clark, and, after reading the Act of Incorpo- 
 ration, the corporation was organized by choosing Samuel Clark, 
 chairman; E. Seymour, treasurer; John C. Holbrook, secretary — to 
 hold their .offices until others were chosen. The meeting was then 
 adjourned to meet at the Bank of Brattleboro on the third of October 
 ensuing. 
 
 The Trustees met pursuant to adjournment. Asa Keyes, Esq., 
 one of the executors of the will of Mrs. Anna Marsh, appeared, and 
 stated " That he was ready to deliver over to the corporation ten 
 thousand dollars, according to the directions in said will, provided 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1835. 13 
 
 the Trustees would take such notes as were on hand belonghig to 
 the estate, to draw interest from this date. That there was not so 
 much money on hand collected, and unless this proposal was 
 accepted the donation could not be paid until the money was col- 
 lected, and then be paid proportionally with other legacies, with the 
 risk of there not being enough realized from the estate to pay the 
 whole." 
 
 " After consultation by the Trustees, and considering the above 
 remarks, and taking into view that if the notes were not taken (which 
 they deemed to be all good) the interest would be lost until the 
 money was paid, which otherwise would accumulate on these notes, 
 it was voted to receive them in full payment of the legacy, and a 
 receipt was accordingly given to Mr. Keyes signed by all the Trus- 
 tees, and the notes [thirteen in number, together with a cash check 
 for balance due], were deposited in the Bank of Brattleboro." 
 
 At the same m.eeting it was also voted to pay Mr. Keyes the 
 amount of his charges for time and expenses at Montpelier, in procur- 
 ing the Act of Incorporation in accordance with the stipulations of the 
 will, and that the location of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane be 
 fixed in Brattleboro in Windham County. It was further voted to 
 loan the money on hand, with good security, and that the ofiicers 
 chosen at their last meeting hold their offices for one year or until 
 others were chosen; also, that the secretary be authorized to call 
 future meetings, on application of any member of the Board of 
 Trustees, by notifying each member personally, or by leaving a 
 written notice at his dwelling. 
 
 The question now uppermost was upon what scale the institution 
 should be started. Should it be in any way commensurate to the 
 needs of Vermont, or should it make no aim to serve the State, but 
 be merely a family home for a limited number, wholly independent 
 of any relation to the State ? 
 
 At the time of the incorporation of the Vermont Asylum, there 
 were but ten such institutions in the United States,* and of these 
 but three were in New England. The McLean Asylum at Somer- 
 ville, Mass., was the oldest of these. The Connecticut Retreat at 
 Hartford had been ten years in successful operation. The hospital 
 at Worcester, which had been recently erected as a pioneer estab- 
 
 *Besides proprietary plants, institutions exclusively devoted to the care and 
 treatment of the insane had been established as follows: At Williamsburg, Va., 
 1773. Frankford, Pa., 1817. Somerville, Mass., 18-18. Bloomingdale, N Y.. 
 1821. Hartford, Ct., 1824. Lexington, Ky., 1824. Columbia, S. C, 1827. 
 Staunton, Va., 1828. Worcester, Mass., 1833. Baltimore, Md,, 1834. 
 
14 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 lishment under the auspices of the State of Massachusetts, naturally 
 attracted popular attention, and awakened in the neighboring States 
 a desire that similar ones should be opened to their own citizens. 
 
 Recognizing this, and sharing in the popular feeling, the Trustees 
 determined to present the matter to the consideration of the repre- 
 sentatives of the people in their report to the General Assembly 
 then about to convene. The following is this document in full: 
 
 To THE General Assembly of the State of Vermont now in 
 
 Session : 
 
 The Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, agreeably 
 to the requisitions of their Act of Incorporation, respectfully 
 
 REPORT 
 
 That they have lately received of the executors of Mrs. Anna 
 Marsh, deceased, ten thousand dollars, the sum bequeathed by her 
 for the foundation of an institution for the insane, and that they 
 have proceeded to fix its location in Brattleboro, the terms of the 
 will restricting them to some place in Windham County near Con- 
 necticut River. 
 
 The Trustees also take this opportunity to remind your Honor- 
 able Body of what must be obvious to every one, that the sum of ten 
 thousand dollars is far from being adequate to the establishment of 
 such an institution as shall be commensurate with the wants of this 
 State, and in which the most approved and scientific treatment can 
 be adopted. Thirty thousand dollars at least are required; and as 
 this is a subject of general interest and one which commends itself 
 to every benevolent mind, the Trustees cannot but express their hope 
 that your Honorable Body will take some measures at your present 
 session for supplying such additional sum as may be requisite for 
 the accomplishment of an object of great importance to a large and 
 interesting class of our fellow citizens. 
 
 The establishment of Insane Hospitals has for several years past 
 occupied a prominent place in the thoughts of betievolent individ- 
 uals, and in the deliberations of several of the State Legislatures. 
 In Massachusetts it is well known that an Insane Hospital on an ex- 
 tensive plan has been erected entirely at the expense of the State, in 
 addition to a large one already in existence [SomervilleJ under pri- 
 vate control. In Connecticut, also, an Insane Retreat has by its 
 great success and happy influence been demonstrating the advan- 
 tages of such institutions; while Maine, New Hampshire and 
 New York have taken effective measures to extend the benefits of 
 similar establishments to the insane within their respective limits. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1835. 15 
 
 Vermont alone, of all the New England States, has made no provision 
 for the relief of this afflicted class of her citizens. 
 
 Should it be said that nothing is required of her in addition to 
 what has been done in the adjoining States, and that their insti- 
 tutions will be adequate to the wants of their own and our citizens, 
 it may be replied that Vermont ought not surely to be indebted to 
 her neighbors for the advantages of all these institutions for the 
 relief of the unfortunate. Besides it has been found by actual exam- 
 inations in the three adjoining States, that the number of the insane 
 is one in every thousand of the inhabitants ; giving to New York 
 about one thousand, to Massachusetts six hundred, and New Hamp- 
 shire between two and three hundred, and in the same ratio to this 
 State, nearly three hundred. It is apparent then that the public 
 wants require an institution for the insane in this State ; and the 
 Trustees indulge the hope that on such a foundation as is laid by 
 the generous donation entrusted to their hands, a superstructure 
 may be raised which shall prove at once an honor to the State, and an 
 inestimable blessing to her citizens. The vast advantages of such 
 institutions, and their great importance to the community, are now 
 established beyond dispute. Formerly, insanity was not only deemed 
 an incurable disease, and consequently neglected, but an idea pre- 
 vailed that its subjects were unconscious of bodily suffering. Hence 
 recent examinations in adjoining States have disclosed an amount 
 of misery endured by its unfortunate victims almost unparalleled 
 and almost beyond belief. Cases of equal severity and aggravation 
 in this State have also come to the knowledge of the Trustees — one, 
 they cannot forbear to record. It is that of a man now, or until 
 lately, confined in a cave by his ignorant not to say inhuman father, 
 for the crime of insanity. The lateral dimensions of his apartment 
 were such as scarcely to admit of a change of position, while its 
 height utterly forbade its miserable inmate to stand erect. The floor 
 was of stone, through which, by means of fire beneath, was commu- 
 nicated what little warmth was admitted to this cheerless abode. 
 Here the victim was condemned to prolong a miserable existence, 
 until at length his body assumed a frightful deformity, while from 
 his mind was erased probably the last remaining trace of reason, 
 which haply better or more kindly treatment might have restored 
 to its original vigor. Indeed it seems on reading the well-authenti- 
 cated statements of similar discoveries in other States, as though the 
 human mind had been racked to discover modes of torture for this* 
 afflicted class of people, more terrible than those of the Inquisition 
 itself. To use the language of the commissioners of the Massachu- 
 
i6 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 setts Lunatic Hospital, " From the absence of suitable institutions 
 the insane have been visited with a heavier doom than that inflicted 
 on the voluntary contemners of the law," and from comparisons 
 made by the commissioners they " cannot entertain a doubt that the 
 aggregate of the terms of the confinement under the poor debtor 
 law, has been much less than that of the imprisonment of the 
 insane." 
 
 At the present day, and in communities otherwise highly enlight- 
 ened, there is reason to fear that a lamentable degree of ignorance 
 prevails upon the subject of insanity, an ignorance which, could it 
 be once dispelled, some of the most painful records in the history of 
 human suffering might be closed immediately. It is now abundantly 
 demonstrated that with appropriate medical and moral treatment, 
 insanity yields with more readiness than ordinary diseases. This 
 cheering fact is established by a series of experiments. A few indi- 
 viduals justly entitled to a conspicuous station among the benefactors 
 of their race, have exploded the barbarous doctrine that cruelty 
 is the proper antidote to madness, and "self-devotion to the welfare 
 of the insane is the only efficacious means of their restoration." In 
 the principal institutions the proportion of cures varies from forty 
 to ninety per cent ; while it is believed that in seventy-five out of 
 every hundred cases, as usually treated, the disease has become 
 permanently fixed. 
 
 The Trustees of the Massachusetts Lunatic Hospital, in their 
 second and last Annual Report, after stating the fact, " that almost 
 from the first moment of its being opened, the building has been 
 filled with inmates, and during the preceding year one hundred 
 and nineteen patients had been received, and a large number refused 
 admission for want of room (93 applications being made in five 
 months, and 46 of them rejected), the cures being fifty-five and 
 three-fourths percent," go on to remark as follows: "The experi- 
 ment of this institution has abundantly and happily shown that there 
 are very few cases of derangement or obliquity of intellect, which 
 may not be ameliorated by the kindly influences of humane 
 treatment. In this respect the bounty of the Commonwealth has not 
 been misapplied." The result, in the opinion of the Trustees, has 
 entirely exceeded the most sanguine expectations, and this alone is a 
 consummation which can neither be weighed nor measured by any 
 pecuniary considerations whatever. 
 
 " The Trustees cannot therefore but bchcvc that this object 
 will commend itself to the favorable notice of your Honorable Body, 
 and that the importance will be felt of procuring an institution for 
 
Trustees of the 
 
 y Vermont Asylum 
 
 for the Insane. 
 
 RECORDS OF THE YEAR 1835. 17 
 
 the relief of the insane, convenient for the citizens of this State, — 
 that they may be able and induced to place all cases of insanity, 
 while yet recent, under proper treatment, in which event it is 
 believed nearly every patient may be restored to soundness and 
 usefulness. To accomplish this highly important and most desirable 
 object, the Trustees respectfully pray your Honorable Body to 
 appropriate the sum of twenty thousand dollars, with such provisions 
 as shall seem necessary and proper. All of which is respectfully 
 submitted. 
 
 Samuel Clark, 
 John Holbrook, 
 Epaphro' Seymour, 
 John C. Holbrook, 
 
 October 7, 1835. 
 
 In furtherance of the proposition urged in the foregoing report, 
 for the State to aid in extending the capacity of the institution 
 already established within its borders, so as to enable it to meet 
 to a recognizable extent the probable demands of the insane of Ver- 
 mont, Mr. Keyes was employed to present the matter, in behalf of 
 the Trustees, to the Legislators and the Council. 
 
 The result of this mission is found in the following letter from 
 Mr. Keyes to the Trustees, which has been preserved : 
 
 " I have just got the enclosed Act through the Council, and 
 although it is somewhat clogged with provisos, I am perfectly satis- 
 fied no other act could have been carried, and I believe this ten 
 thousand dollars will be a handsome addition to that already on 
 hand. I do not consider the repealing proviso as any objection, for 
 such provisos are customary here, but a future legislature will not 
 avail itself of it. ***** * Owing to the 
 confined limitation of the will, as to the sole superintendence of the 
 Hospital, it was a difficult thing to get any appropriation here." 
 
 The following is the Act passed November 9, 1835, and referred 
 to in the foregoing letter: 
 
 '' An Act directing the Treasurer to pay to the Trustees of the 
 Vermont Asylum for the Insane, the sum therein named. 
 
 " It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of 
 Vermont, that the Treasurer of this State be, and he hereby is, 
 directed to pay to the order of the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum 
 for the Insane, the sum of two thousand dollars annually, for five 
 successive years, out of any money in the treasury not otherwise 
 appropriated, to enable the said Trustees the more effectually to 
 promote the benevolent designs of said Institution, Provided, that 
 
i8 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 the said Trustees shall take no. benefit from the provisions of this 
 Act, until they have so far erected the buildings and organized 
 said Asylum, as to receive patients therein. Provided also, that any 
 future legislature may alter, amend, or repeal this Act." 
 
 In the procurement of the Charter, as well as of the foregoing 
 Act, Mr. Keyes was the accredited agent of the Board, but it 
 does not appear by the records of the Trustees that he was charged 
 on either occasion with any propositions other than were accom- 
 plished by the passage of the Acts mentioned. 
 
 Yet in his testimony before the Legislative Committee in 1878, 
 before referred to, he says, " After the money [the Marsh Legacy] 
 was paid to the Trustees, I went to Montpelier and got an Act 
 of Incorporation. I remember very well some members objected to 
 it, on the ground that the Legislature had nothing to do with it ; we 
 were a separate corporation, and controlled ourselves entirely. I 
 then told these individuals that they might appoint four trustees 
 to act with our four trustees, and have an equal voice. I was 
 advised by Norman Williams, the Secretary of State, and others, 
 not to let the Legislature have anything to do with it. He said if it 
 got into the hands of the Legislature they would ruin the institution ; 
 there would be so many parties they would always quarrel about it." 
 
 It is probable that Mr. Keyes, who was ninety-one years old 
 when the above testimony was given, was somewhat confused in 
 respect to the time when this matter was discussed, for in notes taken 
 upon some of the early points of the history of the Asylum, five 
 years before, he stated clearly that "with Mrs. Marsh there never 
 was an intention that her bequest should become in any manner 
 connected with any other bequest, or public appropriation. It was 
 not contemplated by her. The question of associating with it State 
 aid was not debated nor considered at the time of the incorporation 
 of the institution, by either the Assembly or the Council," before 
 whom Mr. Keyes urged the Charter. It was doubtless at the time 
 that the first Legislative appropriation was asked for, that these indi- 
 vidual views were expressed, and that the appointment of co- 
 trustees was suggested by Mr. Keyes. 
 
 Immediately after the passage of the foregoing Act, the plans of 
 the Trustees began to crystallize into definite shape. 
 
 At a meeting held December 21st they Voted, "To proceed to 
 purchase land for the location of the Asylum, and to erect a building 
 or buildings for the reception of patients." 
 
 At another meeting, held December 26th, "several propositions 
 were received for purchasing land for the location of the Asylum." 
 
plBiii:i|iiiJi!.H- 1 1 1 iiiPii 'i %\ 
 \ 
 
RECORD OF 1836. 
 
 THE beginning of this year was devoted to the important work 
 of selecting a suitable site, and meetings, formal and informal, 
 were held for the consideration of this very vital question. 
 
 Among the propositions submitted was one including ten acres 
 of land at $200 per acre, embracing an area north of the line of 
 house lots on the north side of High street and west of the line of 
 house lots on the west side of Main street, as far north as the Unita- 
 rian church, thence running west parallel with High street, to what 
 is now Highland Park, then owned by Wells Goodhue ; and 
 another of seventeen acres on the east side of the Putney road, 
 then owned by Messrs. Minott, Keyes, Bradley and Pettis, for 
 about $70 per acre, together with about nine acres on the oppo- 
 site side of said road, then owned by Judge Whitney, if desired, at 
 about the same rate. 
 
 A third proposition embraced what was called the Kingsley farm, 
 which was then owned by Francis and Joseph Goodhue, afterward 
 by Nelson Crosby and Newman Allen, and which was finally added 
 to the Asylum estate in 1858. 
 
 This property embraced at the time it was offered as a site 285 
 acres, in which half the area of the meadow was included. Two 
 houses, six barns, a cider mill, 150 feet of sheds, one chaise house and 
 one corn barn were located thereon. This was offered for a total 
 of $14,500, or something over $50 per acre on the average. 
 
 The foregoing are all the proposals that seem to have been 
 definitely made and submitted to the Trustees in black and white ; 
 but other sites were considered by them, particularly the plateau 
 west of the village cemetery, and the tract now known as Mechanics' 
 or Forest Square, west of Highland Park. The proposition 
 for the ten acres north of High and west of Main streets was 
 probably rejected on account of its limited area. That on the 
 Putney road, now the fine estate of Mr. Richards Bradley, was decided 
 against because of the difficulty of procuring water supply, 
 although the Trustees were strongly inclined toward it. 
 
20 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The Kingsley farm exceeded the means at the disposal of the 
 Trustees, and besides had no building plateau of sufficient size, at a 
 desirable elevation. 
 
 On the 25th of May the Trustees met, all being present, and after 
 duly considering all the propositions for sites, which they had carefully 
 examined, Voted, " To purchase the situation in Brattleboro village, 
 owned and occupied by Mr. Nathan Woodcock, about six acres, and 
 the meadow-land adjoining, owned by Ebenezer Wells, consisting of 
 about forty-five acres, on the best terms possible." 
 
 They then proceeded to make a bargain for the same, and finally 
 agreed with Mr. Woodcock for his premises, at $3,500, and with Mr. 
 Wells for the meadow-land at $62 per acre, or $2,700. 
 
 A few rods of land lying along the east side of the Newfane road, 
 a narrow strip between this road and the forty-five acres of meadow 
 purchased of Eben'r Wells, was bought of Houghton Pike, near 
 the close of this year [December loth] for a nominal consideration 
 of $8. 
 
 The original purchase of Nathan Woodcock embraced about two 
 acres only on the westerly side of the road ; but here was situated 
 the mansion house, a two-story wood building, which was subse- 
 quently known and designated as the "White House," until finally 
 giving place to the brick building now known as the " Marsh 
 Building." On the opposite side of the road, on the same plateau, — 
 now the site of the main buildings, — were four acres more, then 
 used as a garden. The meadow land was contiguous to the garden 
 on the north, and after the purchase of the narrow intervening 
 strip of Houghton Pike, was bounded by the county road upon 
 its westerly side. 
 
 A letter bearing date, Boston, May 27th, to Mr. John C. Holbrook, 
 from Rev. Louis Dwight, at that time secretary of the Prison Disci- 
 pline society, and an active philanthropist, attests his view of the 
 fitness of the location thus secured, as follows : " I received 
 your letter of the 25th inst. this morning, and reply without delay. I 
 have no doubt you have decided wisely in regard to your location 
 for the Asylum. I never supposed that the place which you describe 
 could be purchased at any price. I understood, when I was in 
 Brattleborough, that it was owned by a man of fortune who had 
 retired from the busy scenes of life to enjoy that beautiful retreat, 
 and as I saw it was fitted up in a style of taste and beauty which 
 is not surpassed, in my judgment, by any country seat in the environs 
 of Boston, New York, or Philadelphia, and had such a profusion of 
 flowers, shrubs, and fruits, why ! of course — as I supposed, no man 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1836. 21 
 
 of fortune would sell such a place. I should always have preferred 
 that house, and that location, to the farm-house location [the 
 Kingsley farm already noted] but I consider it more of the perfec- 
 tion of beauty of nature and art to unite that house and grounds, 
 with as much of the meadow as was wanted, than could be aspired to 
 by any man. It appears now, from your last letter, that you have 
 secured this house and grounds for the insane, and can have as much 
 of the meadow and woodland as you want, together with spring 
 of water, at fair prices, and that you have already purchased forty- 
 five acres of meadow land. I can only say that so far as my obser- 
 vation extends there is not a more beautiful spot of earth than 
 that which you have secured in Vermont for the insane.* The 
 location of the publick institutions at Charlestown [McLean 
 AsylumJ, Worcester, Hartford, Bloomingdale, bear no comparison 
 with it in my mind's eye. I beg of you to perfect your work as 
 to location, by securing as much of the meadow, woodland, and 
 pasture as you will ever want, before you have to pay the exorbitant 
 prices which this selfish world will charge such an institution, as 
 soon as it is understood that the land must be had. They have 
 actually been obliged to purchase several acres at Charlestown this 
 spring, for the use of the asylum, at $1000 per acre. We shall 
 be obliged to lay down the principles in our Report of the present 
 year, which will make it manifest that your institution must have 
 more of that land, and when this is done it would not be strange 
 if the price of the land should rise one-half or one-third at once. If 
 you cannot now purchase, can you not get the refusal, or a bond for 
 a deed of so much as you require. I want you should have at least 
 one hundred acres of meadow land, and fifty of woodland and 
 pasture. 
 
 "One word as to the enlargement of your buildings : do not do it 
 without being certain of doing it right. If you secure Dr. Rockwell, 
 and let the correspondence between him and those who have expe- 
 rience be fiill and free before you decide, I think you will not err. 
 Dr. Lee's plan I admire. I think I sent you a rough draught. It is 
 much approved by Dr. Woodward, I understand. I have nothing 
 
 * Lest this description of the chosen site be suspected to be overdrawn or 
 too high colored, I note the view of Dr. D. Hack Tuke, the celebrated English 
 alienist, who visited the United States in 1884 — a half century later, to wit : 
 
 " I may say in conclusion, that it is difificult to convey an adequate idea of the 
 beauty of the grounds and surrounding hills of the Vermont Asylum. English 
 medical superintendents should supply the defects of ray description by a personal 
 visit." — The Insane in the United States and Canada. Page 106. 
 
22 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 further to communicate concerning Dr. Rockwell, than was contained 
 in the copy of Dr. Lee's letter, which according to my minutes, I 
 sent you, and which I supposed decided the case in favor of 
 Dr. Rockwell. You, or any one whom I had heard mention, never 
 intended to compare the young gentleman under Dr. Lee, in his 
 present stage of education and experience, with Dr. Rockwell ; and 
 Dr. Lee never mentioned him as a person being now qualified to 
 take charge of an institution, but only as one who had most val- 
 uable foundation to build on for future usefulness in this department 
 of labor. So far as my knowledge extends, I think you would do 
 very well to secure Dr. Rockwell, and to do it at once, for the 
 reasons mentioned in your letter. ******** 
 
 * * * J shall write to Mr. McVean, one of the commis- 
 sioners for locating the New York asylum, that they ought not to 
 locate without sending one of their number to Brattleborough, that 
 he may see what advantages of nature and art can be secured in the 
 location of an asylum, if proper care and pains are taken. I con- 
 gratulate you, and the gentlemen associated with you, on your most 
 excellent location. 1 hope it may be an example to many of good 
 sense, and wisdom, and humanity in the location of such institutions." 
 
 The site having been secured, the next step of the Trustees was 
 the election of a medical superintendent. As foreshadowed in the 
 foregoing letter, Dr. Rockwell was the choice of the Board, as 
 appears by the following record : 
 
 At a meeting of the Trustees held June 28th, Voted, " To appoint 
 Dr. W. H. Rockwell of Hartford, superintendent of the Asylum 
 for one year, to commence in September ensuing, or as soon as the 
 premises can be prepared for the reception of patients. Salary, one 
 thousand dollars — himself, wife and two children to be boarded by 
 the institution, and to reside in the building free of rent ; he to 
 furnish the parlor and his own chamber, — it being understood that 
 himself and wife also discharge the duties of steward and matron." 
 Also, Voted, " To build an addition to the present building sufficient 
 to accommodate twelve to sixteen patients, as soon as possible ; Mr. 
 J. C. Holbrook to make arrangements for the same being done." 
 
 Dr. Rockwell having agreed to the terms, it was concluded to 
 commence operations with the Institution as soon as arrangements 
 could be made. 
 
 It is a matter of record also, that Dr. Rockwell surrendered vol- 
 untarily four-hundred dollars of his salary the first year, a fact 
 showing how strongly he felt himself personally identified with 
 the success of the enterprise at its very beginning. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1836. 23 
 
 On the 7th of October the Trustees met and adopted the follow- 
 ing 
 
 REPORT. 
 
 To THE Honorable General Assembly of the State of Ver- 
 mont, NOW IN Session. 
 
 The undersigned, Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the 
 Insane, respectfully submit their Second Annual Report. During 
 the past year the attention of the Trustees has been directed to 
 the selection of a suitable site for the Institution, and the preparation 
 of the necessary buildings. After mature consideration and consul- 
 tation with several gentlemen in different parts of New England, 
 best qualified to give advice on the subject, a situation was selected 
 and purchased, which it is believed combines as many advantages as 
 that of any other similar institution. The premises consist of a 
 large dwelling-house, surrounded with grounds tastefully laid out, 
 and ornamented with rare and valuable shrubbery and fruit trees, 
 and about four acres of highly cultivated land additional [six acres 
 in all], sufficiently retired, and yet in the immediate vicinity of the 
 village of Brattleboro. Gardening and agricultural occupations 
 being found among the most successful remedial means in the treat- 
 ment of insanity,'' it was deemed highly important to attach a small 
 farm to the Institution. Accordingly about forty-five acres of 
 meadow adjoining the first-named premises were purchased, and in 
 this respect the institution will have a decided advantage over any 
 other similar one now in operation in this country. An addition 
 has been made to the dwelling-house, consisting of a wing containing 
 eight rooms, the whole affording accommodations for about twenty 
 patients. The cost of the original purchase was $6,200, including 
 the meadow land. That of the additions when completed, together 
 with the furniture, will increase the expenditure to about $9,000, 
 absorbing nearly all the funds now on hand. It is expected the 
 arrangements will be so far completed as to admit of the reception 
 of patients early in the ensuing month. 
 
 For the office of superintendent the Trustees believe they have 
 been exceedingly fortunate in securing the services of Dr. William 
 H. Rockwell, lately assistant superintendent of the Connecticut 
 Retreat for the insane. That institution, it is well known, stood 
 in the first rank under the care of the late Dr. Todd. Dr. Rockwell 
 had the advantage of being for some time connected with it during 
 the life of Dr. Todd, and for a year after his death the whole super- 
 intendence of it devolved on himself, and during a portion of the 
 time the stewardship also. 
 
24 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 While the Trustees, in the expenditures which they have made, 
 have of necessity confined themselves within the narrow limits of the 
 pecuniary means at their command, yet they have constantly 
 borne in mind that probably the plan of the Institution would 
 eventually be extended so far as to meet the wants of the large class 
 of persons in the State for whose benefit it is designed. They have 
 therefore endeavored so to order their arrangements that in an 
 enlargement of their plan, with more liberal means, their present 
 expenditures should not in any considerable degree be lost. The 
 present arrangements, however, are considered in a great degree 
 temporary. The Trustees, although aware that they had not the 
 means to establish such an institution as it is evident the State 
 requires, yet feel very desirous of extending the benefits of such 
 a one as it was in their power to erect as far as possible and as soon 
 as practicable to their fellow citizens, and thus carry into effect the 
 benevolent designs of its founder. 
 
 They have therefore proceeded as far as their limited means 
 would admit, and they now respectfully submit it to your Honorable 
 Body to decide whether the advantages to be derived from such an 
 institution shall be extended through your enlightened charity to all 
 the citizens of the State who require them, or be confined to the 
 comparatively few whom it will be practicable to accommodate on 
 the present limited plan. 
 
 A select committee of the last Assembly reported that there were 
 upwards of three hundred insane persons in this State. It is at once 
 evident that the present plan of the Institution is far, very far, from 
 offering them relief, and yet it is extended to the utmost limit of the 
 funds at command. To accommodate one-quarter part of this num- 
 ber in a proper manner, would require a building which should cost 
 at least $15,000 or $20,000. The Trustees believe the enlightened 
 benevolence of the people of this State would sanction any measures 
 which you might adopt for the establishment of an institution which 
 should be commensurate with the wants of the State. While they 
 would acknowledge the charity of the Assembly in the appropriation 
 which they made toward this object, yet they respectfully represent 
 that it by no means meets the necessities of the case. Besides 
 the inadequacy of the amount to accomplish the object designed, 
 it furnishes no certain fund, either present or prospective, on which 
 the Trustees would be authorized to act, inasmuch as the appropri- 
 ation is liable to be discontinued at any moment. Nothing of 
 consequence could be safely commenced under that act towards 
 the erection of an extensive establishment until the expiration of 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1836- 25 
 
 five years. The State would thus be deprived of the benefits of the 
 Institution for a considerable time. The Trustees would therefore 
 respectfully pray your Honorable Body, either to appropriate such a 
 sum as may seem to be sufficient to accomplish the object, or so to 
 alter the act of the last session appropriating money to this object 
 as to increase the annual sum to five thousand dollars, and by 
 repealing the provisos at the end. This done, the Trustees would 
 immediately proceed upon the strength of the act, to erect suitable 
 buildings for the accommodation of a large number of patients, bor- 
 rowing the funds to be repaid annually in part from the appro- 
 priations of the act. The citizens of the State would then be 
 enabled to avail themselves of the benefit of the Institution with 
 little delay. 
 
 A leading object in all such charities at present should be to 
 bring the advantages of the Institution within the reach of all classes 
 of society. It is those of moderate means especially, forming the 
 largest proportion of insanity among us, who most require to be 
 benefited. The rich are enabled of themselves to give their unfort- 
 unate friends the advantages of the best means of relief. Such an 
 institution as the present should ever therefore have sufficient funds 
 to enable the managers to offer its advantages at the very lowest 
 possible expense, that the poorest may share the advantages with 
 their more wealthy fellow citizens. In the present case, even 
 were the building sufficiently extensive to accommodate all who 
 need its advantages, yet having no funds for the support of the 
 superintendent and his assistants, the terms of admission must 
 be proportionately higher than they otherwise would be. 
 
 The Trustees have not thousfht it advisable to appeal directly 
 to the citizens of the State for aid in establishing the Institution, for 
 the reason that being calculated for the benefit of all classes it is an 
 object peculiarly worthy of legislative aid. The conviction of this is 
 strengthened by the fact that many of the neighboring States have 
 viewed similar institutions in this light, and by liberal appropriations 
 have manifested that their establishment was deemed an object 
 of high importance. The Legislature of New York at its last ses- 
 sion appropriated, the sum of sixty thousand dollars for a similar 
 object. In Massachusetts no sum has been refused which was shown 
 to be needed for the hospital in that State. Maine, Connecticut and 
 Ohio have also each made liberal appropriations for similar insti- 
 tutions. 
 
 The Trustees therefore submit the subject for consideration, 
 in the hope that some measures will be taken to enable them to 
 
26 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 go forward in the establishment of such an institution, as, while 
 
 it shall do honor to our benevolence, shall extend its blessings to a 
 
 most interesting and numerous class of our fellow citizens, a class 
 
 in which no man, however talented, rich, or prosperous, has any 
 
 security that he shall not ere long be numbered. 
 
 All of which is respectfully submitted, 
 
 Sam'l Clark, ^ 
 
 John Holbrook, ■ ^ 
 
 -^ r^ ^Trustees. 
 
 E. Seymour, f 
 
 John C. Holbrook. J 
 October, 1836. 
 
 The response to the foregoing report was the following : 
 
 "An Act making an appropriation for the Vermont Asylum for 
 the Insane, to wit: 
 
 " It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State 
 of Vermont, that the Treasurer of this State be directed to pay to 
 the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, the sum of two 
 thousand dollars, out of any moneys in the Treasury, not otherwise 
 appropriated." 
 
 "Approved Nov. 15, 1836." 
 
 As usually happens in the beginning of all enterprises, the open- 
 ing was delayed by the tardy working of the mechanics. The end 
 of Autumn had come before the building was ready for occupancy, 
 but on the 30th of November the Trustees ventured upon the 
 adoption of the following Circular and Terms of Admission for 
 Patients, to be published in the newspapers, to wit: 
 
 THE VERMONT ASYLUM FOR THE INSANE 
 
 The Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane would 
 announce that this Institution is now ready for the reception of 
 patients. The building is finished in a manner adapted to the 
 classification and convenience of its inmates. The two wings are so 
 constructed as to afford pleasant and commodious rooms, and that 
 the sexes may be entirely separated. Rooms are* prepared for the 
 sick, removed from all annoyance, where the immediate relatives 
 and friends of the patients can, if they desire, bestow their kind 
 attentions and sympathy. Experienced nurses and attendants are 
 procured, and none will be retained except those who are kind 
 and faithful to their trust. No harsh treatment will ever be for a 
 moment allowed. Several rooms are prepared in the center building 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1836. 27 
 
 for those who require additional accommodations of attendants 
 and luxuries, which will be furnished according to the desire of 
 friends, and the compensation to the Institution. For this class 
 of patients superior accommodations are offered. They will be 
 received into the immediate family of the physician, and not only 
 be under his constant care and watchfulness, but partake of all the 
 enjoyments of social life. Arrangements are also made for the 
 reception and accommodation of persons, who, though not insane, 
 are afflicted with nervous diseases, requiring medical treatment. 
 Pleasant and well furnished rooms, and good board in the family 
 of the physician will be afforded ; and from his experience and 
 study he will be enabled to adopt a course of treatment more likely 
 to be successful than that of ordinary physicians who have not made 
 such diseases their peculiar study. Due provision has been made 
 for the exercise, amusement and employment of the patients. Con- 
 nected with the Asylum is a farm of nearly fifty acres, in which 
 the patients will be employed in gardening and farming, in such 
 a degree as shall be conducive to their health. Such employments 
 are now admitted to be among the most important and successful 
 means of restoration, and in this respect this Institution has a decided 
 advantage over any other in this country. Battle-door, chess, 
 draughts and the like amusements will be afforded. The females 
 will be employed in knitting, needlework, painting, etc. Carriages 
 will be provided for the daily riding of the patients in suitable 
 weather, and they will also take their daily walks with nurses and 
 attendants. A small and select library, the newspapers of the day, 
 and several periodicals, will be furnished for the purpose. 
 
 The situation of the xAsylum is healthful and delightful. It 
 has the appearance of a cheerful country residence, and every re- 
 semblance to a place of confinement has been carefully avoided. 
 Immediately in front of the Institution is presented a landscape 
 of a rich and cultivated meadow, extending in the distance into 
 picturesque and romantic • scenery, so well adapted to arrest and 
 remove the morbid fancies which enslave the minds of the insane. 
 The view is also enlivened by the passing and repassing of carriages 
 and travellers on two large thoroughfares in front of the Institution. 
 Though retired, it is yet in the immediate vicinity of the village, and 
 the grounds about the establishment are tastefully laid out in beau- 
 tiful walks, and ornamented with many rare and valuable trees, 
 shrubs and plants, all of which conspire to make the abode of its 
 inmates at once pleasant and cheerful. 
 
 The whole will be under the charge of Wm. H. Rockwell, M. I)., 
 who for the last several years has been connected with the well 
 
28 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 known Retreat for the Insane at Hartford, Connecticut. From his 
 experience under Dr. Todd, and his success and devotedness to this 
 branch of his profession, the Trustees are confident in the beHef, that 
 all that kind, assiduous and skilful treatment can contribute towards 
 the restoration of reason, will, with the blessing of God, be accom- 
 plished at this Asylum. 
 
 TERMS OF ADMISSION. 
 
 For convenient accommodations in the wings. Three Dollars per 
 week. 
 
 Those who require a room in the center building and those 
 laboring under nervous diseases, will be received at reasonable 
 prices, according to accommodations required. 
 
 [In consideration of the assistance rendered to the Institution by 
 the State, and from a desire to extend its advantages to all classes* 
 of the community, the Trustees have determined to receive indigent 
 patients at an extremely low rate, less than they ca?i be maintaiiied 
 properly elsewhere ?\^ 
 
 Indigent patients in this State whose disease is not of more than 
 three months' standing, Two Dollars per week, provided that a 
 certificate is lodged with one of the Trustees signed by a majority of 
 the selectmen where the patient resides, stating that they are of the 
 opinion that said patient or his or her parents, or husband (as the 
 case may be) does not possess property to the amount of one 
 hundred dollars. No patient, however, shall remain in the Institu- 
 tion upon the said terms over six months, as that term will generally 
 suffice to determine whether the case is probably curable or not. 
 
 No patient will be received for a less term than three months, and 
 payment for that term will be required in advance. If the patient 
 shall recover before the expiration of that term, the pay for the 
 unexpired time will be refunded. If the patient remain longer than 
 three m.onths, the subsequent payments will not be required in 
 advance, but only for the time the patient remains. 
 
 N. B. // should be borne i7t mind that in the first three nioiitJis of 
 insanity^ the chances of recovery by proper treatment are vastly greater 
 than at any subsequent period. Insane persons should therefore on 
 the first appearance of the disease, be placed under curative treat- 
 ment. 
 
 Application for the admission of patients may be made by lettei 
 
 or otherwise to Dr. Wm. H. Rockwell, or either of the Trustees. 
 
 Sam'l Clark, ] 
 
 tohn holbrook, | ,,, 
 
 i. , o M rustees. 
 
 Epaphro Seymour, f 
 
 John C.Holbrook, J 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1836. 29 
 
 On the 12th day of December following, the first patient was 
 received, and on the i6th of the same month the second was 
 admitted. 
 
 Thus was the institution launched upon its mission. It will 
 be seen by the foregoing opening announcement that it was the 
 evident intent of the Trustees from the beginning, that the citizens 
 of the State in which the Asylum had been located should especially 
 enjoy its privileges ; and the terms were thus made correspondingly 
 favorable. The cost of reconstructing and enlarging the building 
 for the reception of patients was $3,560.65. 
 
RECORD OF 1837. 
 
 THE opening year of the Institution was an auspicious one. 
 The Superintendent entered upon the work with aeal and 
 discretion and his sanguine spirit was infused into both 
 managers and helpers. Every feature belonging to the family system 
 was endorsed without modification in the daily life of the household. 
 It was essentially the same as was nearly a half-century afterwards 
 instituted in an appendage to the Asylum, by the establishment of a 
 Summer Retreat, which will be noticed in due chronological sequence. 
 The story of the first nine months is embodied in the Report of the 
 Trustees and Superintendent for this year, and is here entered ver- 
 batim et literatim^ barring some tabular statistics which have little 
 value, inasmuch as they stand alone, not being carried into subse- 
 quent reports. 
 
 The following is this document: 
 
 To THE General Assembly of the State of Vermont : 
 
 The undersigned. Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the 
 Insane, in compliance with the statute which makes it their duty 
 to present annually to the General Assembly a particular statement 
 of the condition of the Asylum, respectfully submit the following 
 as their first annual 
 
 REPORT. 
 
 That the Asylum was opened for the reception of patients on the 
 1 2th of December, 1836. Great care had been taken by the 
 Trustees so to construct and arrange the building that it should 
 be adapted to the convenience, classification, and safety of its 
 patients, and at the same time to remove, as much as possible, 
 every appearance of a prison, or a place of confinement. So well 
 have they succeeded in this respect that it has the appearance of a 
 spacious country residence. 
 
 From the commencement an excellent farm of about fifty acres 
 was procured, as a necessary appendage to the Institution. We have 
 determined to have a fair trial made of employing the patients on the 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. 31 
 
 same, and have the effects strictly noticed. Here we add our own, 
 to the universal testimony of others on the subject, that useful labor 
 for convalescents and all chronig cases is the best moral means that 
 can be made use of in the treatment of insanity. It is difficult to 
 divert patients from cherishing their hallucinations, unless some 
 interesting employment is furnished for them. The patients thus 
 employed are generally cheerful and happy during the day, and 
 sleep quietly at night. The exercise gives them an appetite for 
 food, and the whole physical system, as well as the mind, seems to 
 be invigorated. It recalls to mind their former employments and 
 pursuits, rouses into action those faculties of the mind which had be- 
 fore lain dormant, and gives rest to those who have been unduly 
 excited. As the number of our male patients has been small, not 
 only the quiet, but also those who were more excited, have been 
 taken on the farm, and in every case regular employment has been 
 found to be highly beneficial. No patient has been restricted in the 
 use of tools, either at the wood-yard, in the garden, or on the farm, 
 and yet not the slightest accident whatever has happened. The 
 patients consider themselves as enjoying the confidence of the offi- 
 cers, and make every effort that it should not be misplaced. 
 
 Notwithstanding the embarrassments that must necessarily attend 
 the commencement of every operation, enough has already been 
 accomplished to prove that employing the patients on the farm is 
 not only highly conducive to their recovery, but will lessen their ex- 
 penses at the Asylum by increasing its income. Besides, the inhabi- 
 tants of this State are chiefly agricultural people, and most of the 
 male patients may be profitably employed on the farm, while a much 
 less number could be employed in a shop to any advantage. Our 
 farm possesses a rich soil, and is easy of cultivation. Many improve- 
 ments are needed upon it, which will afford much pleasant and use- 
 ful labor for the patients. 
 
 That an institution of this kind was needed may be learned from 
 the fact that within seven months from the commencement of its 
 operations it was filled with inmates, and that thirteen have already 
 been rejected for want of room to accommodate them. Since the 
 opening of the Asylum, forty-eight have been admitted, and fourteen 
 discharged, leaving thirty-four, which now remain. 
 
 [J^^ When the Asylum was first opened, in order to assist in de- 
 fraying its expenses, a class of nervous patients who were not insane 
 were received. But so soon was the Institution filled with those who 
 were insane, that only three were admitted, and none of these 
 remained after the last of May. These, of course, were not included 
 
32 ANNALS OP^ THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 in the number of those who were admitted and discharged as 
 before mentioned.* 
 
 In regard to the number of cures, justice to the Superintendent 
 requires us to say, that but a small proportion of them have had an 
 adequate time of trial. It is but nine months and a half since the 
 Asylum was first opened, and during the first six months all, with the 
 exception of four, were old cases. According to the annals of all 
 similar institutions, those cases where the disease was of so long 
 continuance required a proportional length of time for their restora- 
 tion; and we are unable to find among them a single instance in 
 which many of these chronic cases have been restored. Nothwith- 
 standing the forlorn appearance of many of these cases, we are grati- 
 fied to learn that several have been already restored, and others are 
 regularly convalescing. It is no less a subject of congratulation that 
 those whose disease had become incurable have been greatly bene- 
 fited at the Asylum. Several who had been caged and shut out, 
 not only from the society of their fellow-men, but also from the light 
 of Heaven, and deprived of the pure air we breathe, have become 
 quiet and peaceable inmates, mingle in society with the rest, and par- 
 take of the exercises and amusements and pastimes of the Institution. 
 
 From the history of all similar institutions, we learn that the pro- 
 portion of old cases that were admitted at the commencement of 
 their operations, has always been great. From the opening of this 
 Institution to the ist of July twenty-five out of twenty-nine cases 
 were of this description. The friends of these patients, actuated by 
 a generous humanity, were ready to make use of means, however 
 ineffectual they might prove, of which they had heretofore been des- 
 titute. The gratification of those who may be permitted to see their 
 friends restored is inexpressible, and even those who fail of this are 
 comforted by witnessing their improved condition, and by the grate- 
 ful reflection of having done their duty. Several who were obliged 
 to be confined, and were wild and ferocious in their conduct before 
 admission, have now not only become quiet, but partake also of 
 many of the comforts and pleasures of life. 
 
 The grand system of moral treatment as pursued in this Institu- 
 tion is kind treatment, useful employment, and wholesome discipline. 
 When a patient enters the Asylum [however violent and distrustful 
 he may formerly have been] he soon perceives that the principles of 
 kindness pervade every regulation of the Institution. By experiencing 
 
 *It may here be stated, that none of that class of nervous c.ises bordering upon 
 insanity but not .strictly insane, admitted in subsequent years, have ever been in- 
 cluded in the published admissipns and discharges. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. S3 
 
 constant proof of the parental kindness and regard of the Superin- 
 tendent, he soon cherishes for him the sentiments of friendship and 
 esteem, and cheerfully confides in the plan adopted for his restora- 
 tion. By continual employment, his former associations and habits 
 are awakened and cherished, and his mind and body become invigo- 
 rated. From the well-regulated discipline which everywhere prevails 
 in the Institution, and which is adapted to the welfare of his little 
 community, he finds that his own rights are regarded and protected. 
 In this manner the violence of the disease is diminished, and his 
 mind gradually becomes divested of its hallucinations, and is finally 
 restored to its natural healthy state. It is generally understood that 
 there are few chances for the recovery of the insane so long as the 
 patient remains amidst those objects and scenes which originated and 
 continually operate to aggravate his disorder, while of those who are 
 placed at a well-regulated Asylum on the first approach of this dis- 
 ease, as great a proportion are restored as of any acute physical dis- 
 order in which the symptoms are equally violent. At no other place 
 can an insane person be made equally comfortable. Here he will 
 quietly acquiesce in the discipline of the Asylum, notwithstanding his 
 impetuosity and violence at home. He is now removed from every 
 cause which excited and exasperated his disorder, and enjoys that 
 liberty in which he could not be indulged in any other place. Here, 
 also, he is furnished with wholesome and nutritious food, his person 
 is kept clean and neat, and he is protected from every exposure. 
 And last but not least, his friends are relieved from an insupportable 
 weight of care and anxiety, knowing that he here enjoys every com- 
 fort and convenience of which his case will admit. 
 
 The Trustees regret that they are unable at the present time to 
 furnish a precise statement of the financial condition of the Institution. 
 E. Seymour, Esq., the treasurer, is unexpectedly and unavoidably 
 absent from the State, and will not return in season to present his 
 report. However, the expenditures for the farm, and for erecting 
 and furnishing the buildings, about balance the receipts. Whether 
 the expenditures are greater or less than the receipts, we are unable 
 precisely to say, but are fully of the opinion that there can be but 
 little difference. The current expenses of the Institution are kept . 
 by the Superintendent, and are as follows: 
 
 The whole amount of expenditures up to Sept. ist, 
 
 inclusive, is $3,484,71 
 
 [This sum includes the cost of a large quantity of fuel, provisions, 
 etc., for the present season.] 
 
34 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The amount actually received for board of patients, 
 
 etc., to the same time is $1,866.73 
 
 Amount of same not received is 863.56 
 
 Total, $2,730,29 
 
 It should not be forgotten that in addition to many expenses which 
 are peculiar to the commencement of every similar institution, the 
 price of almost every article of consumption and supplies has been 
 unusually high during the past year, and of course has greatly 
 increased the amount of expenditures. 
 
 In consideration of the funds granted by the State, the Trustees 
 have received all the indigent insane of this State that have been 
 offered, whose insanity was not of more than three months' standing, 
 at the low rate of two dollars per week. Several other indigent 
 patients of this State, whose disease was of much longer duration, 
 have been received below the ordinary price of three dollars. The 
 Trustees did not think it just to receive all the indigent old cases at 
 two dollars per week until another building was erected; for in that 
 case the Institution would soon be filled with incurables, to the 
 exclusion of those who may be restored to reason and usefulness. 
 Before this Institution was established, persons possessing somewhat 
 less than an average of property could not, according to the 
 commonly received notions of ability to bear expense, afford to send 
 the insane members of their families to those institutions at which 
 the wealthy could receive the benefit. And we wish to be distinctly 
 understood, that whatever funds the Legislature may grant for 
 the use of this Institution, will be directly applied for the benefit 
 of the less wealthy portion of the community. We trust the Legis- 
 lature will not fail to make all necessary provision for that portion 
 of our population, who, without any fault or offence of their own, 
 suffer the greatest calamity to which human nature is liable, and are 
 deprived of the means of procuring relief. 
 
 While it is a subject of congratulation to the Trustees, that 
 the present building was so soon filled with inmates, it is also a sub- 
 ject of deep regret that they are unable to receive all who apply for 
 admission. No less than thirteen applications have already been re- 
 jected. The Trustees would therefore most respectfully solicit of 
 the Legislature that pecuniary aid which would enable them to erect 
 another suitable building, which shall be sufficient for the wants of 
 the State. In that case, this Asylum would possess advantages 
 superior in some respects to any similar institution in our country. 
 The present building would then be occupied by the convalescents, 
 and also the quiet and neat class of patients, who would otherwise 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. 35 
 
 be likely to suffer from the noise and confusion of the wilder 
 patients ; while the new building would furnish accommodations for 
 all other cases. By erecting the proposed building, a greater num- 
 ber of patients would be received, and there would consequently 
 be a greater annual income, without a corresponding increase of the 
 expenditures, as the same officers would attend to all. This arrange- 
 ment would not only allow of a more complete classification, but 
 would present a strong inducement to every patient to exercise that 
 self-control which would allow of his being placed among the most 
 orderly class, and could not fail to produce an effect highly con- 
 ducive to his recovery. 
 
 It is most respectfully suggested to the consideration of the 
 Legislature, whether it is not consonant with the views of a soUnd 
 policy, and of strict and just economy, to make provision for the 
 recovery of our insane population. If the present insane of this 
 State had received the benefits of a well-regulated asylum, within 
 six months from their attack, at least three-fourths of them would 
 probably have been restored to reason and usefulness, but are 
 now a burden to their friends and community. Of all the plans 
 devised by a generous and enlightened philanthropy for lessening 
 the misery of the unfortunate, no one, we are bold to say, in propor- 
 tion to the extent of its means and the range of its operations, 
 has added more to the stock of public happiness or subtracted more 
 from the mighty mass of human misery, than institutions of this 
 character. Is it not our duty as Christians, and as men, to endeavor 
 to relieve the distressed; and what portion of the community has 
 equal claims upon our sympathy and regard ? Can there be an 
 object which better deserves the aid of a humane and enlightened 
 government, than that which endeavors to restore a deranged intel- 
 lect to its former soundness and vigor, and thus release the victims 
 of madness and despair from the greatest of human afflictions? 
 Surely, " The blessings of many that are ready to perish " will fall 
 upon all those who aid this benevolent enterprise. 
 
 The remarks of the Superintendent are appended to this report, 
 and will be eagerly read by those who take an interest in this afflicted 
 portion of the community; and the Trustees cannot conclude their 
 report without expressing their entire confidence in his ability 
 and skill, and their firm belief that the unexpected success is chiefly 
 attributable to his untiring zeal, and judicious treatment of those 
 committed to his care. Samuel Clark, 
 
 John Holbrook, 
 Epaphro' Seymour, 
 Brattleboro, October i6th, 1837. John C. Holbrook. 
 
S6 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT. 
 
 SUMMARY. 
 
 Whole number of patients admitted from the opening 
 of the Asylum to September 30th, 1837 : 
 
 Males, 20 
 
 Females, . ... . 28 48 
 
 Whole number discharged, 13 
 
 Died, . . . . . I 14 
 
 Whole number remaining, 
 
 Males, 13 
 
 Females, 21 34 
 
 Recent cases of less than six months' duration, 14 
 
 Old* cases of more than six months' duration, 34 48 
 
 A reference to the table will show that a large proportion of old 
 and incurable cases have been admitted into the Asylum. This 
 is the usual consequence with all similar institutions in the com- 
 mencement, unless situated in the immediate vicinity of others which 
 have been longer established. There having been heretofore no insti- 
 tution of sufficient proximity, these old cases have accumulated 
 in private families, and as soon as the Asylum was opened for their 
 relief, their friends wished to discharge their whole duty by making 
 this last attempt for their restoration. The friends of some, how- 
 ever, being conscious of the hopelessness of their state, have placed 
 them here from motives of benevolence and humanity, being 
 well aware that their condition would be made far more comfortable 
 than in their private families, besides relieving themselves of 
 much anxiety and solicitude for their protection and care. 
 
 The importance of placing the insane, on the first approach 
 of their disease, at a proper asylum, cannot be too forcibly urged 
 upon public attention. No time should be lost in placing them upon 
 a course calculated to restore them to the duties and enjoyments of 
 life. The probability of their restoration is in an inverse ratio to 
 the duration of the disease. Besides, the length of time necessary to 
 restore the old cases is proportionally longer than for those which 
 are recent, and consequently the expenses will be much greater, so 
 that a regard to strict economy, as well as a prospect of cure, 
 requires that the patient should be placed early in the disease 
 at a proper asylum. It is impossible to fix upon any precise time 
 when all cases cease to be recent and assume the chronic form, 
 as some cases run their course in a shorter time and pass into 
 the chronic state, than others. I have in this report considered all 
 those cases as recent, where the disease has not been of more 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. 37 
 
 than six months' duration; and all those chronic which have exceeded 
 that time. 
 
 I wish not to be understood as endeavoring to discourage the 
 friends of those patients, whose disease has been of long standing, 
 from making an attempt at their restoration. It should be remem- 
 bered that "While there is life, there is hope," and we should not 
 despair or relax in our efforts to remove this afflictive malady, 
 although they are not immediately crowned with success. An 
 old case is not necessarily incurable, nor should the case be given 
 over as desperate, until every proper remedy has been judiciously 
 applied. There are instances where cures have been performed 
 under the most discouraging circumstances; and when a cure has 
 not been effected, the patient has been restored to a very comfort- 
 able state. My former experience has been abundantly confirmed, 
 that there are very few cases, however wretched and violent, that 
 may not be greatly ameliorated by judicious treatment. All that 
 J wish to urge is the prompt removal of the patients from the scenes 
 and persons associated with their hallucinations, and the great 
 comparative advantage of placing them in an asylum in an early 
 stage of the disease. 
 
 This Institution has not been in operation a sufficient length 
 of time to ascertain what will be its success in recoveries. It is 
 little more than nine months since it was first opened. The average 
 time of the residence of the patients in the Asylum has been short. 
 We have, notwithstanding, the cheering fact that eleven have been 
 restored. 
 
 It is generally known that chronic diseases of the body require 
 the judicious application of means for a considerable length of time, 
 even when the course is successful ; how much more so is it neces- 
 sary in chronic cases of insanity, which depend on physical disease ? 
 — for in these cases the disease is to be removed, and former associa- 
 tions and habits are to be awakened and restored. One of the 
 greatest trials of the physician of *a lunatic asylum is the premature 
 removal of patients. I will mention one instance which recently 
 occurred at this Institution, A young man was brought here when 
 disease had been making insidious but gradual progress for more 
 than a year, and at the end of three months was removed by his 
 friends. Although he appeared to be regularly convalescing, I was 
 grieved to see him thus prematurely taken away, to continue insane 
 perhaps for life, when the residence of a few months, and perhaps 
 only a few weeks longer, would have been sufficient for his recovery. 
 I make not these remarks because I think we have more trials of 
 
38 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 this kind than occur at other institutions, but to show that old cases 
 generally require longer time for restoration. There are frequently 
 cases'which do not appear to improve in three months, which at the 
 end of six or twelve months entirely recover. 
 
 No one at the present time, I believe, who is acquainted with the 
 ministrations of a lunatic asylum, questions the importance of useful 
 labor in restoring to reason the minds of the insane. Having been 
 connected with an institution of this kind for nearly ten years, 
 I have invariably found that for a large majority of male patients 
 exercise in the open air was far preferable to that which was taken 
 within doors. The accustomed employment of most men is in 
 the open air, and when they are confined within doors, their health 
 and reason are soon affected. Females are also benefited by exer- 
 cise in the open air, as in riding, walking, etc.; but as their former 
 employment has been so much within doors it is much less indispen- 
 sable for them than for men. Useful labor whether within or 
 without doors is most desirable as a means of restoration for curable 
 patients, and is perhaps no less so to promote the happiness of those 
 for whom all we can do is to make them as comfortable as their con- 
 dition will admit. With the exception of those cases where the mind 
 is unduly excited, few things can be much worse for the insane than 
 inactivity of body and mind. Even the sane mind, when suffered to 
 remain in continued inaction, loses much of its vigor and energy, 
 soon begins to languish, and often ends in a state of torpitude. So 
 the insane, when their minds are suffered to remain in inaction sink 
 into a state of brutish indifference. Sometimes when the mind 
 ceases to employ itself on things without, it soon begins to prey upon 
 itself. The pleasures and comforts which it had proposed to take 
 from this incorrectly termed state of rest, are never realized. 
 The idler is frequently at a loss how to occupy his vacant hours 
 because weary of himself and all things about him, and finally com- 
 plains of his wretched existence. And too frequently has his internal 
 misery so oppressed him, that in a dark moment of despair he 
 has deprived himself of that life which he considered as intolerable. 
 In the same manner, when the insane are confined and shut up from 
 any employment they become fretful and irritable, tear their clothes, 
 become violent and filthy, and hasten to an incurable state. But 
 give the inmates of a lunatic asylum some useful employment, they 
 will then be quiet and cheerful through the day, and sleep well 
 at night. Their former habits and associations will be awakened, 
 the mind and body will be invigorated, and reason will often be 
 restored. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. 39 
 
 It has been a great object with those who have had charge 
 of this Institution, that as many of the patients as were in a proper 
 condition should be regularly engaged in some useful employment 
 in the open air. We have employed our males by working in the 
 garden and on the farm, and also by walking, riding, reading, and 
 various amusements. The principal exercise of the females in 
 the open air has been by riding, walking, gathering flowers, and the 
 like. They have also been occupied in various kinds of needle 
 work, knitting, reading, and amusements within doors. 
 
 From the opening of the Asylum we have introduced religious 
 worship among our patients. Our family worship, in which all quiet 
 patients are allowed to partake, consists in reading daily, after tea, a 
 portion of the Scriptures, singing a hymn, and a prayer. On the 
 Sabbath, in addition to the above, a short sermon is read. The 
 effect of these exercises on the patients has been highly salutary, 
 and has shown that they are no less a means of cure than gratifica- 
 tion to them. At these seasons they are very quiet and 
 attentive, and several have begun to exercise that self-control which 
 has resulted in their restoration. The monotonous routine of daily 
 life is hereby interrupted, and they are led to the recollection of 
 former and happier days on which their minds delight to dwell, 
 and they confidently look forward to the time when they shall again 
 be restored to their friends and society. Here, also, the despondent 
 forgets for a time his cares and sorrows, and experiences the con- 
 soling and soothing effects of religious worship. He is comforted 
 and sustained by the reflection that there is a Friend, who, while on 
 earth, was "touched with a sense of human infirmity," and is able 
 ever to relieve the afliicted and heavy laden. They perceive that 
 they are united with, and are remembered by their fellow-men, 
 and thereby i)lace a greater confidence in those to whose care they 
 are committed. Were it not for our religious exercises on the Sab- 
 bath, Sunday would be the most tedious day of the week. As all 
 labor, exercise, and amusements are suspended on that day, if the 
 patients are deprived of the privilege of uniting in religious worship, 
 they consider themselves as shut out from the society of their fellow- 
 men, and are induced to cherish an irritable and misanthropic dis- 
 position, which only aggravates the disease. Those that are in a 
 suitable condition attend church on the Sabbath. 
 
 It is a source of much gratification to the physician, that we are 
 favored with such an abundance of pure water, salubrious air, 
 and cheerful scenery at the Asylum. The patients have been re- 
 markably healthy during the past year, and only one death has 
 
40 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 occurred. This was one of the old cases, where the physical system 
 had been much impaired, and being violently attacked with an acute 
 disorder, the powers of life were too nearly exhausted to withstand 
 the disease. Considering that insanity is owing to a disorder of the 
 physical system, and also considering the impaired health of many 
 of our patients when they are admitted, we cannot but rejoice 
 in the healthiness of our situation, and the salutary system of our 
 regulations. 
 
 The discipline of this Asylum is truly parental. As soon as the 
 patients are in a proper conditioi;i, they eat at our table, are received 
 into our parlor, join with us in our family worship, go with us to 
 church, — in a word are members of our family. The convalescent 
 and orderly class of patients, take their meals regularly with the 
 family in the central part of the building; which operates as a 
 powerful motive to exercise that self-control, without which they 
 cannot obtain what they consider a great privilege. The food, how- 
 ever, is precisely alike throughout the Institution, except in those 
 cases where the diet is prescribed by the physician. 
 
 Notwithstanding several attendants have been employed who 
 were at first wholly unacquainted with their duties, no serious 
 accident whatever has happened to any person (patient or other- 
 wise) at the Asylum. The patients have quietly acquiesced in the 
 discipline of the Institution, and generally become so orderly and 
 inoffensive after a few days' residence, as to require but little 
 constraint. The impartial and well regulated discipline of a lunatic 
 asylum does not irritate them, nor diminish their confidence in those 
 under whose care they are placed ; on the contrary, they regard 
 it with a loyal feeling, and consider it necessary to their comfort, 
 and welfare. We have never provided, much less used, chains or 
 strait-jackets in this Institution. 
 
 The building as now prepared is well adapted for the number 
 it accommodates. But until another building is erected, so urgent 
 are the applications for admission, that hereafter it will probably be 
 crowded. We humbly trust that an Institution so humane and 
 philanthropic in its character, so beneficent in its operations, and 
 reflecting so much credit upon the munificence of the Legislature, 
 will receive that pecuniary aid which will enable it to extend its 
 usefulness to the wants of the State. When another building shall 
 be completed, the present one will be a very desirable retreat for 
 patients so soon as they emerge from the thick cloud which 
 envelopes their minds. Having thus propitiously begun, we trust 
 that public expectation is satisfied. May we not hope that the time 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. 41 
 
 is not far distant, when this Asylum will take no humble rank among 
 the distinguished charities, of our country 
 
 William H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 Brattleboro, Sept. 30, 1S37. 
 
 Upon the adoption of the foregoing report in October of this 
 year, Samuel Clark was authorized and requested to proceed to 
 Montpelier, and make application to the Legislature (then in session) 
 for further pecuniary aid in the erection of an additional building, 
 the need of which had been fully set forth in this report. 
 
 The following was the result: 
 
 "An Act Concerning the Vermont Asylum for the Insane. 
 
 " It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State 
 of Vermont, that the Treasurer of this State is directed to pay the 
 Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, the sum of Four 
 Thousand Dollars, out of any moneys in the Treasury not otherwise 
 appropriated, for the purpose of erecting another building for the 
 Asylum, payable on the first day of April next. Provided, in future 
 admissions to the benefits of said Asylum, a preference shall be given 
 to resident citizens of this State. 
 
 "Approved Nov. i, 1837." 
 
 Upon the passage of the foregoing Act, the Trustees held a 
 meeting at the Asylum to consult about the erection of a new build- 
 ing, and without coming to any conclusion adjourned to meet at the 
 Bank, December 15th following. 
 
 At this meeting they received various proposals for furnishing 
 materials, and Voted,, " That John Holbrook be requested to make 
 estimates of the cost of a building," after which they adjourned to 
 meet again on the 23d of the month. 
 
 At this date the Trustees directed the Treasurer to credit and 
 settle the accounts of the Superintendent for the past year, and 
 Voted, with the concurrence of Dr. Rockwell. " That the same arrange- 
 ment with him for the superintendence of the Asylum, which was 
 made the past year, be continued another year. 
 
 "After fully examining the state of the funds of the Institution, 
 and the plans and estimates of a new building submitted to the 
 Trustees, Voted, That immediate measures be taken to erect a new 
 building the coming season according to a general plan submitted by 
 Dr. Rockwell, with such alterations and amendments as may seem to 
 be proper hereafter. 
 
 "The general plan as follows: xA center building fifty feet 
 wide, forty feet from front to rear, three stories high from basement, 
 
42 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 with two wings thirty-six feet wide, by about sixty-two feet long, 
 containing twenty-eight rooms in each story, eight by ten feet, and a 
 hall twelve feet wide. The wings two stories above the basement. 
 The materials to be brick, except the basement, which is to be 
 stone." 
 
 This plan was essentially after the old Worcester Hospital, at 
 that time one of the most recently built institutions in this country, 
 and regarded as one of the best. 
 
 Correspondence has been preserved showing that Dr. Woodward 
 was conferred with at this time, particularly in respect to securing a 
 master-builder. A letter from him to Mr. John C. Holbrook, under 
 date of 25th of December, reads thus: "I received your letter of 
 the 23d inst. and hasten to reply, Elias Carter, Esq., is the man of 
 all others that I would recommend to you as suitable to superintend 
 the erection of your buildings, and the fitting up of your hospital. He 
 removed from Worcester the present season and now resides in 
 Springfield, I believe in Chicopee village, but am not quite certain. 
 He is responsible and competent, and I may add experienced. 
 Capt. Merchant Toby of this town is another man who assisted Mr. 
 Carter in building this hospital, and is an excellent mechanic and 
 truly worthy man. I will see Capt. Toby myself, and send him your 
 letter. I shall be happy to lend you any aid in my power at any 
 time. May I be permitted to say, that I believe you will always 
 be sorry that you build two stories instead of three. Walls cost little 
 compared with roof and foundation. Our third story is much the 
 pleasant'est in the house, quite the warmest, and quite the most 
 retired. You can build the walls and furnish at a future time, if not 
 needed now; but I forbear." 
 
 The principal interest attached to this letter is the gratuitous 
 advice touching the plan, which is directly opposed to that given by 
 Dr. Julius, the German specialist (see page 10.) 
 
 As a result of the preceding inquiry Capt. Merchant Toby of 
 Worcester next appears upon the scene, bearing the following letter 
 of recommendation from Dr. Woodward to Trustee John C. Hol- 
 brook, under date of December 26th: 
 
 "I take pleasure in introducing to you Capt. Merchant Toby, 
 the master-builder of the Hospital which I superintend, under 
 the supervision of Mr. Carter, whose partner he has since been. 
 Capt. Toby is one of our most estimable citizens, a man of respecta- 
 bility of character, a Christian, and in every respect worthy of your 
 confidence. 
 
 " As a mechanic, he stands in the first rank, and is undoubtedly 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1837. 43 
 
 competent to go forward and erect your Hospital without any assist- 
 ance from others. I have never seen a man who managed a gang 
 of workmen so ably as Capt. Toby. For some months after I came 
 into this Hospital he was at work with ten or fifteen journeymen, 
 who were proverbially civil and attentive to business. I can say in 
 conclusion that if I had a building to erect of any magnitude, I 
 would employ him sooner than any other man." 
 
 On the 28th of December it is recorded, "The Trustees met to 
 confer with Capt. Merchant Toby of Worcester, Mass., with reference 
 to contracting with him to erect the new building for the Asylum. 
 ■Gave him the outlines of the plan determined on, and agreed 
 with him to prepare full and accurate drawings, plans and elevation 
 suitable to predicate estimates upon, and to build by, and to make 
 proposals for doing the building at a specified time by contract, 
 or for superintending the work, — all to be presented a week or 
 two hence. He not to be paid for his plans if we contract with him, 
 but if we do not, he is to be paid." 
 This closed the work of this year. 
 
 Among the cases admitted in the opening year were some of 
 much interest, among whom is that of a clerg^^man, which I trans- 
 cribe from the Case Book: 
 
 " Mr. H. IS a native of Connecticut, and a resident of B , Vt. 
 
 He had been a preacher of the Congregational denomination for 
 about fifteen years, and about three years since he became a Baptist. 
 He has a wife and six children in indigent circumstances. When he 
 changed sentiments he lost the support of one denomination, and as 
 he was for open communion, the Baptists withheld their support. 
 He became perplexed and distressed in his pecuniary circumstances, 
 and also in his religious relations. He became nervous, and has 
 been partially insane." Such is the original entry to which is 
 appended the following letter from a friend, of which the patient 
 was himself the messenger: 
 
 "The bearer, the Rev. Mr. H., has resided for a part of the time 
 for two years in this town, and is considered by all who have the 
 most intimate acquaintance with him, partially deranged and a proper 
 subject for your Institution. He is perfectly poor, and unable to 
 perform any common manual labor from bodily debility and mental 
 derangement. The family, consisting of a sick wife and six children, 
 are mainly subsisted from the charities of the neighbors except what 
 little they can earn. A few individuals have made up a small 
 sum to enable him to reach your place, and we hope enough to sup- 
 port him a few weeks, hoping that such medical aid and treatment 
 
44 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 as you are in the habit of allowing to others, may render him in a 
 short time capable of earning a living. Could he not be with you, 
 and be employed in some of your factories or book-binderies so as 
 to earn his living while he stays? I think I have never been 
 acquainted with a more wretched man than he now is. I think 
 if any man is a worthy object ©f your charities, he is the man 
 deserving it. I have no interest in his case any more than the com- 
 munity in general have. I hope you will thoroughly try your best 
 in his case, for I am confident he is a proper subject. J. C." 
 
 The first entry after jiis admission shows him to have been greatly 
 depressed, and incapable of directing his attention to anything con- 
 tinuously, and disturbed in his sleep by distressing dreams. He was 
 placed under medical treatment and before the expiration of a week, 
 one "comparatively cheerful" day is noted. 
 
 On the second Sunday after his admission he took some part 
 in the religious service. After this a transient eruption appeared 
 upon his skin, followed by a dejected state of mind again. Again, 
 however, with the return of the Sabbath he assisted.. Three weeks 
 after admission, while laboring under a melancholy in which the fact 
 of a sister having been similarly afflicted, also his brother (who died 
 insane), seemed to prey upon his mind and add hopelessness to 
 his own case, he wrote the following expressive lines, which are 
 made part of his record: 
 
 '* 'T was phrenzy's hand that sadly marred • 
 
 A sister's fairest form ; 
 My only brother's boat went down 
 
 In just so wild a storm. 
 And such, I fear, will be my fate, 
 
 On life's dark raging sea; 
 But I must trust in Providence 
 
 Wherever I may be. 
 Yes, I must trust in Thee O God, 
 
 Tho' the mind is marred and broken, 
 I feel thy just and dreadful rod — 
 
 The hand of diseace is the token, 
 And what thou doest / know not nozv, 
 
 But shall know at the judgment morning ; 
 To thy dark designs, I must humbly bow 
 And wait for the light of its dawning. 
 
 Before the expiration of a month he became a boarder in the 
 Doctor's family, and was given unrestricted parole. Thenceforward 
 it is noted that he steadily improved, and regularly officiated at 
 the Sunday Asylum service ; and he was discharged recovered at 
 the expiration of six weeks from his admission. 
 
RECORD OF 1838. 
 
 ACTIVE building operations were entered upon with the open- 
 ing of this year. It is recorded January 24th that the 
 " Trustees met, and after considering fully the plans and 
 estimates of a new building for the Asylum, submitted by Capt. 
 Toby, and the state of the funds of the Institution, Voted^ To 
 proceed immediately and build the walls of brick of a center building 
 and one wing, on the plan of Capt. Toby ; except the wing to be only 
 five windows long instead of seven, — and to purchase materials 
 for finishing one, and to finish one or both as far as our funds will 
 admit. Also Voted^ To employ Capt. Merchant Toby of Worcester 
 to superintend the erection of the buildings, make contracts for 
 work and materials, etc., and that he be directed to proceed forth- 
 with with the work. Agreed with Capt. Toby to pay him three dol- 
 lars per day while actually employed in this business, and to pay his 
 stage fare to and from Worcester. He to board himself." 
 
 On the 1 6th of May the "Trustees met again, and in consequence 
 of the advice and recommendations of Capt. Toby and Dr. Rock- 
 well, and from consideration of the ultimate wants of the State and 
 the economy of the measure, Voted, To direct Capt. Toby to extend 
 the wing of the Asylum now being erected, to seven windows, — the 
 length originally proposed by Capt. Toby in his plan." 
 
 June 1 8th another meeting is recorded: "Trustees met and elected 
 Asa Keyes of Brattleboro a Trustee of the Vermont Asylum for the 
 Insane to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of John Holbrook, 
 which occurred on the 6th of April, 1838." 
 
 On the 1 6th of October the "Trustees met, all present, and 
 adopted their Report to the General Assembly of the State. Also 
 received the annual Report of Dr. Rockwell the Superintendent, and 
 accepted it, also the Report of the Treasurer, and forwarded the 
 whole to the Legislature. Voted, To apply to the Legislature to 
 authorize the Treasurer of the State to accept the drafts of the 
 Trustees for the remainder of the annual payments appropriated 
 by the Act of October, 1835, payable at the times when they would 
 
46 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 be due according to the terms of the Act, to enable the Trustees 
 to anticipate their payments, and thereby to complete the building 
 now begun. 
 
 " Asa Keyes appointed committee to attend to the procuring 
 of an Act. 
 
 " Voted, To authorize John C. Holbrook and Capt. M. Toby to 
 purchase two springs of water for the use of the Institution, of 
 H. Pike, on the best terms possible." 
 
 The latter negotiation was accomplished at a cost of $150. (Oct. 
 20th, 1838.) 
 
 The State Treasurer was also authorized to accept the drafts of 
 the Trustees, as requested ; and the Trustees were thus enabled 
 to go on with safety in the prosecution of their work of erecting 
 permanent buildings. 
 
 The first Report upon the operations of the Asylum (Oct. 1837) 
 has been given in full in the record for the last year, for the reason 
 that it nowhere exists in any State Document, although five hundred 
 copies were ordered to be printed for distribution. 
 
 The two preliminary Reports have also been given in full, as they 
 were never printed for circulation. The first (Oct. 1S35) was pub- 
 lished in epitome, in journal of the Assenibly, pages 144-145, The 
 second (Oct. 1836) is found in Journal of the House, pages iS, 19, 
 20, in full. 
 
 The second regular Report (Oct. 1838) exists in permanent 
 connection with the House Journal of this year. See Appendix 
 to same, p. vii, and as all the subsequent Reports are permanently 
 preserved in State Documents, only their salient points will hereafter 
 be noticed in connection with these Annals. 
 
 The Trustees in their Report for this year indulge the pleasing 
 anticipation of speedily occupying the new buildings with their 
 added advantages for the care of the insane, and especially manifest 
 a lively interest in the methods of treatment employed, and results 
 already attained. In the construction of the buildings durability has 
 been first considered, but not to the exclusion of other considerations. 
 The moral effect of appliances for security seems to have been 
 borne equally in mind. " Each room," they say, " is to be 
 furnished with a bed, and a permanent seat in the angle of 
 the walls. In addition to this, the rooms of those patients 
 who are in a suitable condition, will also be furnished with a 
 chair, a work-table and a small mirror. Each of these rooms is 
 lighted by a large window, in which is an upper and lower cast iron 
 sash firmly fastened to the window frame. The upper sash is 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1838. 47 
 
 glazed, the lower one is not ; but corresponding to the lower one in 
 size and appearance is a glazed wooden sash which can be raised 
 and lowered at pleasure. The whole sash is painted white, and has 
 the appearance of a common window. This removes the prison-like 
 appearance of iron bars, and at the same time prevents escape and 
 injury." This quotation is made especially to illustrate the corres- 
 pondence of ideas then, with those now gaining ground. After 
 a generation prolific in devices for window guards of ornamental 
 pattern, the conclusion is being reached that it all results in making 
 the means of security principally conspicuous ; and that a plain iron 
 sash corresponding exactly to the window panes in shape, when 
 painted in the same color as the wood sash, is least noticeable 
 and objectionable. The conviction of Dr. Rockwell that occupation 
 and especially out-door labor, should be urged and instituted as 
 a remedial measure, was heartily endorsed by the Trustees, who 
 appear to have especially observed its working and thus note its 
 results. " The anticipations of the benefits resulting from constant 
 exercise in the open air while laboring on the farm, have been more 
 than realized. As a moral remedy in the curative treatment of the 
 insane it is second to no other. One of the patients, a respectable 
 farmer who had been insane about three years, fancying among 
 other things, that he was a great personage and consequently above 
 labor, resided six months at the Asylum without perceptible benefit. 
 During this time he was so much opposed to labor that it was not 
 enforced. Perceiving that there was no prospect of improvement in 
 the course that had been pursued, sufficient motives were presented 
 to induce him to labor and in three months he was entirely restored. 
 It is now ten months since he left the Institution, and we are happy 
 to learn that, he continues well. Another man, who had been insahe 
 several years, was brought here in chains. A proposal was immedi- 
 ately made to him, that if he would do no injury and would labor 
 upon the farm, his chains should be removed. He immediately 
 complied, and the next day he was taken into the field and labored 
 well. Other cases might be mentioned where the benefits resulting 
 from labor were equally apparent." 
 
 Their Report concludes with the following: "There is one sub- 
 ject on which the Trustees would not fail to remark. The Asylum 
 is entirely a public institution, and whatever funds may arise, from 
 the board of patients and other sources, are applied exclusively 
 to promote the objects of this charity. The Trustees serve gratuit- 
 ously, and in no respect is the Institution a source of profit 
 pecuniarily to any individual. The terms are fixed as low as con- 
 sistent with the support of the establishment." 
 
48 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYEUM. 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows that forty-seven cases 
 were admitted during the year ending October i, 1838, and forty-five 
 were discharged during the same period, leaving at the date just 
 mentioned thirty-six. 
 
 Of those admitted twenty-seven were reckoned as old or chronic 
 cases, and twenty were recent cases of not more than six months' 
 duration. Of the latter eighty-eight per cent, are reported to have 
 recovered. Of those called old cases a percentage of twenty-six and 
 a half is also reported recovered. 
 
 This latter result very nearly represents the ratio of recoveries in 
 all cases at the present time. Now, however, cases of twice six 
 months would be regarded as recent; hence the percentage in the 
 above would have been considerably lowered had those whose insanity 
 ranged from six to twelve months' duration been included, as would 
 also that of the old cases. 
 
 A point is made, however, in showing the importance of early 
 treatment, which fifty years of subsequent experience has confirmed. 
 
 These results also tally with those of contemporary reports, but the 
 more careful study of the Curability of Insanity, as pursued by 
 Dr. Earle of the Northampton Lunatic Hospital, 187 6- 1886, has 
 shown that in. these early years no distinction was made between 
 cases and persons, and that many of the cases upon which statistics 
 were based, were recurrent attacks in the same person. When these 
 are discriminated, the percentage of recovery is materially lowered. 
 In the management of the patients the principles of treatment are 
 indicated in the importance given to labor and open-air exercise, 
 religious exercise, and promotion in respect to classification, as 
 a motive to effort at self-control, responsibility being recognized as 
 far as possible. 
 
 The views of Dr. Rockwell respecting the nature of insanity are 
 here fully outlined. 
 
 "The cruel treatment of the insane among the ancients arose in a 
 great measure from their notions of the pathology of the disorder. 
 They considered the mind as an immaterial and independent prin- 
 ciple, and not affected by the corporeal system in health or disease. 
 
 " Bacon was the first to explode this theory. He taught that the 
 absolute source of insanity, if ever fully developed, will be found 
 to exist in corporeal changes, or the effects of external agents acting 
 on the the gross machine, and not primarily on the immaterial prin- 
 ciple, as has, unfortunately for the subjects of disease, been too 
 commonly apprehended." * * * * * . ''In the 
 
 pathology adopted in this Asylum, it is an axiom which has a com- 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1838. 49 
 
 manding influence on its practice, that insanity is. in all cases a 
 corporeal disease, existing essentially in that class of material instru- 
 ments or organs of the brain which are immediately and exclusively 
 subservient to the functions of the mind, upon which it acts, and 
 by which it is acted upon, without pretending to understand the 
 nature of that mysterious tie which connects the immortal and 
 immaterial essence to the material organs. The connection is 
 evident, and it is only through the intervention of these organs that 
 the mind can here be manifested. These organs of the mind being 
 therefore considered as the seat of the disease, and the morbid 
 mental phenomena the symptoms only, it would seem to be rational 
 to employ all the agents, moral and physical, which are capable 
 of effecting favorable changes in the state of the corporeal organs. 
 He, therefore, who in the treatment of insanity, confines himself 
 to the employment of one class of agents, whether moral or medical, 
 to the exclusion of the other, must often fail of success, from the 
 want of that efficiency which is found in the combined action of both. 
 Insanity is frequently caused by a diseased state of the body 
 operating through sympathy on the brain, and in almost every case 
 when it is not caused by bodily diseases it is greatly aggravated 
 by them. Medicine, therefore, is frequently essential in the success- 
 ful treatment of insanity. When we restore health to the body, 
 we have gained an important step towards restoration to reason, and 
 frequently the manifestations of the mind become immediately sane. 
 In the treatment also of diseases of the body, moral management 
 is a useful auxiliary, and sometimes will of itself effect a cure. 
 I make these remarks to show the importance of both moral and 
 physical remedies in the curative treatment of the insane, and of the 
 difficulty of applying both these remedies except in institutions pre- 
 pared for the purpose." 
 
 The current financial exhibit for this year, shows : 
 Income from board of patients, etc., - $5,045.46 
 
 General expenditures for the year, . 4,970.10 
 
 Leaving balance on hand, $75-36 
 
 Before the close of the first year's operations, the of^cial organ- 
 ization included Chauncy Booth, Jr., as assistant and apothecary, 
 and Mrs. Ann F. Wilkinson as matron. These officials are still in 
 service at the date of this report. 
 
 The cost of the center building and first wing west, principally 
 erected during this year, was $12,399.67. 
 
RECORD OF 1839. 
 
 ON THE i6th of February the "Trustees met, and examined 
 the new building erected under the superintendence of Capt. 
 Toby. 
 
 "Appointed S. Clark a committee to examine Capt. Toby's 
 account. 
 
 " Voted, That the Board of Visitors be respectfully requested to 
 visit the Institution the coming week, and examine its condition 
 agreeably to the Act of Incorporation. 
 
 " Voted, That the Treasurer be authorized to pay the expenses 
 of the Board of Visitors from Newfane to this place, and while here 
 on the above business." 
 
 In the Spring of this year another vacancy in the Board occurred 
 by the resignation of its junior member, John C. Holbrook. 
 
 On the 4th of June, "Trustees met, and chose Asa Keyes their 
 Secretary until another is chosen, and after examining the condition 
 of the patients, adjourned." 
 
 July 2d,, " At a meeting of the Trustees at the Asylum, present 
 Samuel Clark, Epaphro' Seymour and Asa Keyes, upon due 
 consideration, Nathan B. Williston of Brattleboro was duly elected 
 and appointed a Trustee of the Vermont Asylum, to fill the vacancy 
 occasioned by the removal from the State of John C. Holbrook ; and 
 upon due notice thereof the said Williston accepted said appoint- 
 ment, and is such Trustee." 
 
 On the I St of October, the "Trustees met at the Asylum and 
 heard and adopted the Report of the Superintendent, and prepared 
 their annual Report. 
 
 " Voted, That said Reports be transmitted to the General 
 Assembly ^t its approaching session." • 
 
 These Reports may be found in full in Appendix to House Jour- 
 nal page 39. 
 
 The Trustees congratulate themselves upon the completion of 
 the center, and west contiguous wing of the permanent buildings. 
 "So urgent were the applications for admission," they say, "that as 
 soon as any part was finished, it was immediately occupied by 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1839. 51 
 
 patients. The superintendent and family, the matron and a few 
 female patients now reside in the center building. The new wing is 
 appropriated exclusively for the accommodation of female patients. 
 All the females therefore are kept in the new building. The assist- 
 ant physician and all the male patients reside in the former building 
 thereby effecting a complete separation of the sexes." 
 
 The Trustees refer especially to the continuance of the system 
 of out-door occupation, and say " there is no moral means which has 
 proved so successful in restoring our curable patients, and in 
 improving the habits of the incurable, as useful labor. * * 
 * * "The female patients have also been furnished with 
 
 employment, according to their former habits and the state of their 
 minds. All of the bedding of the establishment since the opening 
 of the Institution, the making of much of the clothing, except what 
 is furnished by the friends, and the mending of the same, is per- 
 formed by the female patients, under the direction of the matron and 
 nurses. For this part of our curative treatment much credit is due 
 to the matron, whose whole time and exertions are devoted to the 
 welfare of the patients with a zeal worthy of success." 
 
 It is gratifying to note the interest manifested by the Trustees in 
 individual cases, as well as in the general welfare of the whole, as 
 may be seen in the following quotations : 
 
 "This Institution has received many a wretched maniac, whose 
 presence seemed to blight every prospect of happiness while he 
 remained with his family ; it has removed from the hands and feet 
 of the insane many a manacle and chain ; it has furnished for them 
 a pleasant retreat, where they have enjoyed all the liberty and com- 
 fort of which their condition would admit ; and last but not least, 
 it has restored back to reason, to friends, to society and usefulness, 
 rtiany who would otherwise have dragged out a miserable existence 
 in an incurable insanity. 
 
 "One patient was brought to this Institution, who had been 
 confined during the warm season in a stable, but on the approach of 
 cold weather was removed to the Asylum, and in due time recovered. 
 He had been very violent, and no place in his house was supposed 
 to be strong enough to secure him. After the family and physician 
 supposed they had made use of the best means in their power with- 
 out any benefit, he was removed to the Asylum, accompanied by 
 a letter from the family physician to the superintendent, giving an 
 account of his case and treatment, and concluding by observing, 
 what is best for him I hope some one knows better than 
 
 , M. D. 
 
52 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 " Another was brought to this Asylum who was very violent, and 
 in a former paroxysm had been chained, so that the chain had worn 
 in upon the bone of one of his legs. When he arrived at this Insti- 
 tution all articles of restraint were removed from him, and in three 
 months he was restored to his family entirely recovered. 
 
 " Another was the case of a young man whose parents were in 
 very moderate circumstances. He remained in their family until he 
 became so violent that he was taken to the almshouse, and placed 
 under its keeper. But his violence was so increased and he was so 
 mischievous, noisy, and dangerous, that he was taken to Windsor 
 (an adjoining town) and placed in the State Prison, as the only place 
 where he could be controlled. Here, finding himself among crim- 
 inals and felons, his disease was aggravated, and so great was his 
 disturbance that he was finally brought to this establishment. He 
 was then mischievous, offering violence to every one who came in his 
 way, and endeavoring to disturb the comfort of all around him. 
 After a residence of three months at this Institution he was restored 
 to reason, and has become a quiet, peaceable young man. We 
 might mention others who have been brought to this place, who had 
 been caged in out-buildings until their extremities had been frozen ; 
 not to mention many other scenes from which humanity revolts." 
 
 These cases are interesting as illustrative of the kind at this time 
 claiming admission, and as witnesses to methods of treatment resorted 
 to before asylums were instituted; — but in the light of a subsequent 
 half century one can hardly attribute recovery in these to asylum 
 treatment alone, when it is known that cases of acute violent mania, 
 whether primary or recurrent in form, recover in an average of three 
 to six months usually, under ordinary hygienic conditions, and often 
 despite some injudicious management and environment. 
 
 The Report of the Superintendent shows that seventy-one cases 
 have been received and thirty-eight have been discharged in the 
 last twelve months, leaving sixty-nine in the Asylum at this date. 
 The rate of recoveries is fully as great as in the last year, being 
 eighty-nine per cent, on cases under six months' duration, and twenty- 
 eight per cent, on those of longer standing. 
 
 The principles of treatment pursued are indicated in the follow- 
 ing quotation: "As soon as a patient manifests any return of 
 reason his liberties are increased, and he is encouraged to exercise 
 his judgment and self-control by joining in the employments and 
 amusements of the convalescents, by associating with them and the 
 officers, and having, so far as is practicable, the privileges of an 
 ordinary boarder at a public boarding house. To retain this confi- 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1839. 53 
 
 dence, the patient endeavors to control his disordered feeUngs and 
 frequently succeeds in regaining the lost balance of his mind. Those 
 who have sufficiently improved walk about unaccompanied by any 
 one, visit the different places in the village, and in a word are their 
 own keepers. They rarely abuse the confidence thus placed in 
 them ; and frequently assist the farmer and attendants in watching 
 those who require it." 
 
 Some observations upon the excitants to insanity deserve noting. 
 "Insanity increases with civilization and refinement. The farther 
 we depart from the simple habits and customs of our ancestors the 
 more shall we prepare for the introduction of this disorder. When 
 we take a view of our country and witness its advancement in wealth, 
 civilization and refinement, the many powerful temptations to 
 embark in hazardous enterprises, the sudden accumulation and loss 
 of property which frequently happens, the freedom of our institu- 
 tions by which the humblest citizen may aspire to the highest office 
 in the gift of the people, the fierce and persevering strifes which are 
 everywhere carried on, both in the accumulation of wealth and in 
 obtaining political distinction, and the many trials of disappointment 
 and mortification to which all are liable, who can doubt the many 
 active and operating causes to increase this disease in our country? 
 Persons of all classes and stations in life are liable to this affliction. 
 Those who are now rejoicing in the blessings of health and reason 
 may soon be afflicted with this severe calamity." 
 
 The influence of religious exercises upon the insane is dwelt upon 
 at some length. The chapel room in the new center building, for 
 Sunday gatherings, is hailed with satisfaction, while the separation of 
 the male patients from the females, in the now detached building, is 
 deplored, inasmuch as their attendance upon family devotions during 
 the week is precluded. 
 
 " Much of the good effect of religious worship, " says Dr. Rock- 
 well, " depends on the prudence and discretion with which it is 
 managed. We consider the judicious employment of religious exer- 
 cises an important part of our moral treatment. They serve to pro- 
 mote order, revive their former grateful habits and associations, and 
 recall into exercise that self-control which tends to their recovery. 
 That religion which breathes 'peace on earth and good will to men,' 
 and whose cheering influences extend beyond the grave, affords 
 solace and consolation to the insane, as well as comfort to the rational 
 mind, 
 
 " No one who has witnessed the influence of the Christian religion 
 on the human mind can for a moment doubt its efficacy in producing 
 
54 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 serenity under all the trials of life, and in preventing shipwreck of 
 reason which would otherwise inevitably follow. I have always 
 noticed that the humble believer in Christianity recovered more 
 readily from insanity than one who was not. As soon as the former 
 has one ray of returning reason he has something to which he clings 
 and which soothes and sustains him under all his troubles. From 
 the effect of proper religious exersises upon the minds of 
 the insane, we have no doubt but the time will soon come when 
 they will be considered as important moral means in the management 
 of every well regulated asylum." 
 
 The financial statement for this year shows : 
 Income from board of patients, etc., $7,926.54 
 
 General current expenditures, 7,612.68 
 
 Leaving balance on hand, $313.86 
 
 No change in the resident officers has taken pla'ce the past year. 
 
RECORD OF 1840. 
 
 THE Reports of this year of the Trustees and Superintendent 
 were printed in Appendix to House Journal in full, see page 
 132. That of the Trustees appeals especially in behalf of 
 the poor insane, as follows : 
 
 "As it is the acknowledged duty of governments to provide for the 
 poor and destitute, have not the insane poor of this State paramount 
 claims to those of any other class of our fellow men ? The necessity 
 of providing for the deaf, dumb, and blind, is universally acknowl- 
 edged. But there is not an argument in favor of providing for that 
 unfortunate class, but will apply with tenfold greater force in favor 
 of the insane. While the Legislature has made such ample provis- 
 ion for them, we trust they will not forget a still more afflicted class 
 of our fellow citizens. There are more than twenty insane persons, 
 to one who is deaf and dumb, or blind. A deaf and dumb, or blind 
 person, is not necessarily unhappy, or a burden to his friends. Most 
 of them can amply support themselves. But with the insane, their 
 disease shuts them out from all enjoyment. The families with which 
 they are connected experience the most poignant sensations of grief 
 and anxiety, and frequently are exposed to the greatest dangers. 
 Whatever funds th'e Legislature may appropriate for the benefit of the 
 insane, reanain permanent in our own State (referring manifestly 
 to funds appropriated for the extension of accommodation), the ben- 
 efits of which those of future generations can partake, as well 
 as those of the present time." 
 
 The Legislature is also asked to exempt the attendants of the 
 Asylum from militia duty. 
 
 "We ask no exemption for any," say they, "except those whose 
 exclusive duty it is to attend upon the patients. If we could supply 
 their places by temporary substitutes, we would not make the request. 
 Their situation is one which a person unacquainted with its duties, 
 can but poorly perform." 
 
 This request was complied with. 
 
56 ^ ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The Superintendent reports that seventy-three new cases have 
 been admitted in the year past, and sixty-one have been discharged, 
 leaving, Oct. ist, eighty-one. The percentages vary scarcely at all 
 from preceding years, eighty-eight of recent cases, and twenty-eight 
 of chronic cases having recovered. Chronicity, on admission, is 
 deplored. One perplexity which is still constantly experienced, that 
 of injudicious removals, is thus commented upon : 
 
 " Another mistake in regard to the insane is the premature removal 
 of the patient from the Asylum. It frequently happens that when a 
 patient is placed at a lunatic asylum, his wild and violent conduct 
 soon gives way to that of calmness and comparative quietude, 
 although he may be far from being restored. In the meantime he 
 is visited by some of his friends and acquaintances, who, finding him 
 orderly in his behavior, sadly misjudge that he might as well be 
 at home as at the Asylum. This opinion is frequently communicated 
 to the patient, and his desire to return then becomes so great that 
 there is about as great danger in retaining him — dissatisfied as he will 
 be — as letting him return home and hazarding a relapse. Sometimes 
 the friends of the patient anticipate a recovery before an adequate trial 
 has been made. This more frequently happens in old cases. The 
 friends frequently think six months or a year is an abundant time of 
 trial, for even an old case. We have had several patients recover 
 who had made no improvement the first year. 
 
 "One patient was brought to the Asylum in June, 1838. He had 
 been insane two years, and during the last several months was so 
 violent as to be caged and chained. As soon as he was placed in 
 the Asylum he was put under a regular course of treatmer^t, but no 
 radical change occurred during the first two years of his residence at 
 this place. In June 1840, he was apparently in much the same state 
 as he was at the time of his admission, although his habits had 
 improved. Soon after he began to improve, and in September he 
 was discharged entirely well. Had he been removed at the end 
 of six months as is usually the case, and been returned to his former 
 cage, he would undoubtedly have remained insane through life. 
 This, and other facts, prove that old cases are not necessarily incur- 
 able, and that some recover under the most discouraging circum- 
 stances ; therefore a reasonable trial should be made with them. 
 But the greatest chances of success are with the recent cases, most 
 of which recover when placed under proper curative treatment at a 
 lunatic asylum. 
 
 "To show that chronic cases are not necessarily incurable I will 
 mention one or two that have been restored to health and reason. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1840. 57 
 
 In October, 1839, a lady who was a widow of superior education and 
 former usefulness, was admitted into the Asylum. She had been, 
 insane about six years. When she was brought to this place she was 
 very wild, violent and mischievous. Her friends did not expect she 
 would be restored, but supposed she would be made more comfort- 
 able at an asylum than at any other place. She was put under 
 a regular course of treatment, and after the first six weeks began to 
 improve. Her improvement was slow, but gradual, and at the end 
 of six months she appeared to be perfectly restored. She remained 
 with us until June when she returned in her right mind to her children, 
 to afford them that instruction which they can receive only from 
 a mother. 
 
 "Another case was admitted in February, 1840. He was a 
 respectable farmer, and forty-six years of age. He had been insane 
 about five years, and during the last several months previous to his 
 admission, was loaded with irons and chained to the floor in the 
 county jail, where he resided. His hands and feet were chained 
 when he was admitted. His chains were of course immediately 
 removed. He was put under a mild discipline and regular medica- 
 tion, the result of which was that he returned home well in June, 
 and is attending to his farm comfortable and happy." 
 
 A detail of individual cases, of exceptional course, is always 
 interesting and instructive ; and the foregoing affords basis for a 
 hopeful prognosis even after the stamp of chronicity is upon them. 
 
 The current accounts of this year were as follows: 
 The income from board of patients, $9,926.86 
 
 The general expenditures, 9,473.67 
 
 Leaving balance on hand of, $453.19 
 
 On the 6th of October the "Trustees met, and adopted their 
 Annual Report to the Legislature, also read and accepted the Annual 
 Report of the Superintendent, and directed said Report [the fore- 
 going], to be transmitted to the Legislature at its approaching 
 session. 
 
 " And whereas the Asylum is already filled with patients. Voted, 
 To memorialize the Legislature to furnish means for the erection of 
 the other wing of the new buildings, and Dr. Rockwell, the Superin- 
 tendent, was authorized to appear before the Legislature, to exhibit 
 and explain to them the pressing wants of this Institution." 
 
 The following was the result of this showing : 
 
 " An Act making an Appropriation to the Vermont Asylum for 
 the Insane. 
 
58 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 "Sec. I. The Treasurer of this State is directed to pay to the 
 Trustees of the Vermont Asylum fcr the Insane, four thousand dol- 
 lars, in two annual instalments, the first instalment to be paid on 
 the 2oth day of October, in the year 1841, to enable said Trustees to 
 erect an additional wing to the building of that Institution, and the 
 said Treasurer may accept drafts for the several instalments payable 
 as above mentioned. 
 
 " Sec 2. This grant is made on the condition that the amount here- 
 tofore granted by the Legislature, shall be exclusively appropriated to 
 the purpose for which the Institution was established, and if the said 
 Institution should at any time cease to exist, the real estate of said 
 corporation shall be held as security to this State for the amount so 
 granted, and may be sold under the direction of this Legislature for 
 the purpose of raising such amount, and the said real estate shall at 
 no time be sold by said Trustees, without the consent of this Legis- 
 lature. 
 
 "Approved October 29th, 1840." 
 
 On the 30th of November, " The Trustees met at the Asylum, all 
 being present, and after taking into consideration the liberal grant 
 by the Legislature of four thousand dollars, at their present session, 
 for the purpose, Voted, unanimously, That we will as early as 
 practicable the ensuing summer, erect the east wing of the new 
 building, upon the same plan as the west wing, and with similar 
 materials as far as practicable. Voted, also. That N. B. Williston 
 be authorized to make contracts for workmen and building mate- 
 rials." 
 
 No change in the resident corps of officers the past year. 
 
RECORD OF 184 
 
 THE first meeting of the Trustees this year was held at" the 
 Bank, January 25th, all being present. 
 "Epaphro' Seymour resigned the office of Treasurer, which 
 resignation was accepted; and N. B. Williston was unanimously 
 appointed. 
 
 " Voted, To meet at the Asylum the first Tuesday of every month 
 the present year, at 2 o'clock p. m., the month of February excepted. 
 
 "■ The Superintendent appearing before the Board, and repre- 
 senting that the number of patients was constantly increasing, inso- 
 much that the proposed new wing when completed would be inade- 
 quate to accommodate all the patients, and the Trustees being satis- 
 fied that it would be economy to enlarge their former plans — 
 
 " Voted, therefore, That we will build the new wing ninety feet 
 long (10 windows) instead of the length voted at our meeting of the 
 30th of November last." 
 
 At the October meeting the " Trustees adopted their Annual 
 Report to the Legislature, also that of the superintendent, and 
 directed said Reports to be transmitted to the Legislature at their 
 approaching session." 
 
 The Trustees refer especially to the appropriation made by the 
 last Legislature, by which they are enabled to erect the east wing, 
 which is expected to be completed during the present year. 
 
 "So numerous had been the applications for admission," they say, 
 " it was found the wings of the new building should be of greater 
 length than was originally contemplated. The wing erected the 
 present season is twenty-seven feet longer than the other, w^hich will 
 also be lengthened as soon as the funds of the Asylum will admit, 
 that the symmetrical proportions may be preserved, and greater 
 accommodations furnished." This foreshadows a policy of further 
 extension in obedience to the constantly increasing pressure which 
 from that day to this has never ceased to be felt. 
 
 The Superintendent bears testimony to the salubrity of the loca- 
 tion, now five years tested : " The mountain, air is very favorable to 
 
6o ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 the health of our inmates. Our male patients have been employed 
 in agricultural pursuits and other employments in the open air, more 
 than those of any other similar institution in the country. We also 
 amuse them by walking, riding, playing ball, quoits, and other various 
 out-door amusements. Our female patients are taken out for riding, 
 walking, visiting the garden and culling its flowers, of which we have 
 a great variety. We endeavor to have all our female patients, who 
 are sufficiently quiet, ride every fair day. Those who are wild are 
 frequently taken out to walk about the premises." 
 
 The proper association of patients is likewise discussed. 
 
 " A proper classification of the patients of a lunatic asylum is of 
 great importance in their moral treatment. The continued efforts 
 at self-control and self-respect, which they make to retain their places 
 or to be promoted, contribute much to their improvement and resto- 
 ration. The desire of the good opinion of others is so universal a 
 principle of our nature, that whatever calls it into proper exercise 
 has a favorable effect in counteracting those morbid propensities 
 with which the insane are so often afflicted. All our attendants and 
 assistants have it repeatedly impressed on their minds as a funda- 
 mental principle of our treatment, that they are at all times to treat 
 every patient with due respect, and that to neglect this rule is to 
 neglect one of the principal means of recovery." 
 
 The movement of the population this year shows eighty-four 
 admissions, and seventy discharges ; ninety-five remaining at the 
 date of this Report. A singular uniformity in the results as com- 
 pared with preceding years is maintained ; eighty-eight per cent, 
 of recent and twenty-eight of chronic cases having recovered. 
 
 Since the date of the preceding Report a change has been made 
 in the assistant medical officer. Dr. Chauncy Booth, Jr., having been 
 succeeded by Dr. Samuel B. Low. 
 
 The foregoing Reports in full, may be found in Appendix to 
 House Journal, page 80. 
 
 A purchase was this year made (April 7) of an undivided sixth 
 part of the reservoir of water standing west of the residence of the 
 late Dea. John Holbrook, for $112, of one James Minott. Cost of 
 carrying pipe $138 additional. 
 
 The current expenses of the year show : 
 Income from board of patients, etc., $11,830.26 
 
 General expenditures, $11,549.13 
 
 Leaving balance of $290.13 
 
 The co.st of the first wing east, erected this year, was $7,769.87. 
 
RECORD OF 1842, 
 
 THE Annual Reports for this year were adopted and duly trans- 
 mitted to the Legislature in October. See Appendix to 
 House Journal, page 132. 
 
 At this meeting it was Voted, "That the salary of Dr. Rockwell, 
 the Superintendent, shall be, from and after November ist next, 
 twelve hundred dollars per annum." 
 
 "Since the last Annual Report, say the Trustees, the new wing 
 has been completed, which has furnished additional accommodations 
 and has increased our facilities for a better classification of the 
 patients. Large and well ventilated halls, neat and pleasant sleeping 
 rooms, plenty of pure water, and kind and faithful attendants are 
 furnished the establishment, and everything is supplied to promote 
 the comfort of the unfortunate inmates. The Trustees confidently 
 believe that this Institution now possesses all the facilities for resto- 
 ration, which can be found at any similar institution in our 
 country." 
 
 The Superintendent shows, with the Trustees, the feeling of satis- 
 faction at the enlarged capacity of the establishment, and in turn 
 reports increased curative results. During the preceding year one 
 hundred and one were admitted, and eighty-three discharged, leaving 
 one hundred and thirteen under care. Of those discharged near 
 ninety per cent of the recent cases are reported as having recovered, 
 and near thirty-two per cent, of the chronic class. 
 
 Testimony to the value of systematic labor is here repeated, and 
 leaves no doubt of the Doctor's sincere convictions upon this matter 
 which, inaugurated at the opening of the Asylum, could now be 
 affirmed with the strength of each year's added experience. 
 
 " In our endeavors to restore the insane," says he, "our chief 
 object is to make use of such means as shall tend to promote the 
 health of the patient, and keep his mind agreeably occupied. One 
 of the best means we have found for this purpose is exercise in 
 the open air. For those of our male patients who are able, and 
 whose former pursuits have been agricultural, employment by useful 
 
62 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 labor in the garden and on the farm has proved very beneficial. It 
 operates morally by occupying the attention, and diverting the mind 
 from its morbid fancies, and physically by improving the health of 
 the patient. We are constantly making improvement on the farm, 
 which in a few years will be in a high and profitable state of cultiva- 
 tion. More land is needed to furnish sufficient employment for our 
 patients." 
 
 A change in the resident corps of officers this year occurred in 
 the resignation of Mrs. Ann F. Wilkinson as matron, and the 
 appointment of Mrs. Deborah K. Baker as her successor. 
 
 The current accounts of this year are as follows : 
 Income from board of patients, $J 2,935.36 
 
 General expenditures, 12,615.54 
 
 Leaving balance on hand of, $319.82 
 
 Additional water supply was also purchased this year from the 
 
 same source as last year, of Asa Green, at a cost of $150. (Sept. 
 
 17, '42.) 
 
 The Report of this year was reviewed by Rev. Louis Dwight, 
 in the Report of the Prison Discipline Society of the following year, 
 in a very commendatory strain, as follows: " The terms of admission 
 are, for indigent patients of Vermont $2.00 per week or $100 per 
 year ; for all others $2.50 per week for the first six months ; after 
 that time $2.00. No charge is made for damages in any case. The 
 means of cure in this Institution are abundant, and well adapted 
 to the end. Its whole history is one of success, with as little varia- 
 tion as can be found in almost anything human." 
 
RECORD OF 1843. 
 
 THE Reports of this year may be found in full in Appendix 
 to House Journal, page 60. 
 The Trustees set forth, "That the present building is fast 
 filling with patients. The right wing, which was built too small 
 (7 rooms in length) needs enlarging, as well for the accommodation 
 and comfort of the inmates, as to preserve the just and proper pro- 
 portions and symmetry of the building (the left wing being 10 rooms 
 long). It is sincerely hoped that the Legislature will not fail to 
 grant that assistance for this object, which is so urgently needed. 
 We trust that the same fostering care and generous support which 
 they have hitherto extended, will be continued to this Institution, 
 and that 'The blessings of many who are ready to perish ' will attend 
 all who assist in relieving this greatest of human afflictions." 
 
 This was the last appeal ever made by the Trustees for State aid 
 in providing Asylum accommodations. 
 
 The Superintendent notes in his Report of this year a new and 
 novel enterprise, as follows: 
 
 " During the past year we have published a small newspaper, 
 called the 'Asylum Journal,' which has exerted a beneficial influence 
 on the comfort and recovery of the patients. We have had more 
 than two hundred exchange papers, besides many other periodicals, 
 to the editors and publishers of which we would tender our most 
 grateful acknowledgments. We have been able to furnish every 
 patient with a newspaper of his own political views, and every secta- 
 rian with a religious periodical of his own peculiar sentiments. 
 
 " Our obligations to the publishers of our exchange papers, and 
 the gratification with which they have been read, has been well dis- 
 cussed in a former number of the Asylum Journal: 'To our 
 exchange papers we make our humble acknowledgments. We have 
 now upon our list upwards of two hundred, besides quite a number 
 of daily papers, and many of the best periodicals in the country. 
 We have not the presumption to suppose that our little Journal is at 
 all equivalent to the many mammoth sheets it brings in exchange, 
 
64 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 nor is it wonderful that it should not be so, removed as we are from 
 the mart of news, and swayed by 'crazy minds.' But could they 
 know the infinite satisfaction they give to many of us they would be 
 amply repaid. It is like a wanderer in a distant clime, stumbling 
 suddenly upon a pile of newspapers printed in his own neighbor- 
 hood, who for months and years, perhaps, has not heard from his 
 native land. With what eagerness he seizes them, retires to his own 
 apartment, runs them over and over — hastily at first, and more 
 leisurely and minutely afterwards, lest some important item be over- 
 looked — gathering from them more than could be embodied in 
 twenty voluminous epistles. And as he skips from advertisement to 
 advertisement, it seems as if he were in reality once more in his 
 native village, wandering from shop to shop, reviewing the long 
 rows of well-filled shelves, and clasping joyously by the hand those 
 with whose names he is so familiar. Like the first rays of the 
 morning sun to him who has been all night grovelling in the dark, 
 they do much towards dispelling the heavy cloud that hangs over 
 us, and shed the first dawn of reason upon our shattered minds. 
 
 " But our Journal will soon pass into other hands, and we shall 
 pass into the bustling world without, again to contend with wayward 
 fortune. Think you we shall ever forget the time we have passed 
 within these walls? Never ! Our minds will oft recur to the varied 
 scenes our bewildered fancies have conjured up, whose impress, like 
 some thrilling tales stamped upon the susceptible brain of childhood, 
 neither time nor circumstances can ever erase.'" 
 
 Exactly whose conception this enterprise was does not fully 
 appear ; but it was regarded by Dr. Rockwell certainly as a legiti- 
 mate extension of the field of occupation, to which he was fully 
 committed. 
 
 "A small portion only," he further says, "are capable of writing 
 for it, but many are employed in making selections, and this employ- 
 ment diverts the mind from its own delusions, and aids, with other 
 means, in restoring its just balance. Those of our patients who have 
 been students, we employ to write and select for the Journal, and 
 those who have been merchants and business men we employ to fold 
 and direct the papers. Some who do not compose assist by making 
 selections, and by copying extracts from books or papers. We find 
 the employment of our patients in writing, either by way of copying 
 or of composition, to be very beneficial, as it diverts their attention 
 from their delusions and presents new objects of thought for con- 
 templation. We always furnish them with stationery, and the em- 
 ploying of themselves in writing has apparently been a powerful means 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1843. 65 
 
 in their restoration. They are allowed to write on all subjects 
 except those of their hallucinations." 
 
 The appeal to the Legislature for aid in the further extension of 
 Asylum capacity resulted in the following : 
 
 " An Act Making an Appropriation to the Vermont Asylum for 
 the Insane. 
 
 "Sec. I. It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly 
 of the State of Vermont as follows : The Treasurer of this 
 State is directed to pay to the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for 
 the Insane, three thousand dollars, to be paid on the first day of 
 October, 1844, to enable the Trustees to extend one of the wings of 
 the building, and to make repairs for the purpose of further accom- 
 dating the patients of said Institution ; and the said Treasurer may 
 accept a draft for the payment, as above mentioned. 
 
 " Sec. 2. This grant is made on the condition that the amount 
 together with the amount heretofore granted by this Legislature, 
 shall be exclusively appropriated to the purpose for which the Insti- 
 tution was established; and if the said Institution shall at 
 any time cease to exist, the real estate of said corporation 
 shall be held as surety to this State for the amount so granted, and 
 may be sold under the direction of this Legislature, for the purpose 
 of raising such amount, and the said real estate shall at no time be 
 sold by said Trustees, without the consent of this Legislature. 
 
 "Approved Nov. i, 1843." 
 
 At a meeting of the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum, on the 
 8th day of December, 1843. Present all the Trustees, — 
 
 " Voted^ That we will build the west wing of the Asylum and 
 extend it the same length as the east wing. 
 
 " Voted, also. That the west wing be extended north forty-five 
 feet, and thirty feet wide. 
 
 " Voted, That Dr. Rockwell and N. B. Williston be a committee 
 to superintend the erection of the building," 
 
 The current expense account for this year stands thus : 
 Income from board of patients, etc., $13,498.61 
 
 General expenditures, 13,050.15 
 
 Balance on hand, $448.46 
 
 No changes in the resident officers occurred this year. 
 Number of patients admitted, one hundred and eleven ; dis- 
 charged, eighty-eight ; remaining, one hundred and thirty-six. 
 
RECORD OF 1844. 
 
 THE Reports of this year were published in full in Appendix 
 to Senate Journal. The extension of the west wing of 
 the main building, according to the plan decided upon by 
 the Trustees at their meeting December 8th ult., was this year made. 
 Into this was put the final appropriation of the State toward the 
 providing of Asylum accommodations. The Trustees say, " We are 
 now able to receive two hundred patients. Our accommodations 
 are now adequate to the wants of the State." This conclusion, so 
 natural to be expressed at this time, did not long hold good, as sub- 
 sequently to be seen. There is something in a living force that 
 bursts the limits set by solid walls. We see in the development of 
 an aneurismal tumor the bony structures gradually yielding to the 
 constant pulsations of the vital fluid, and so when the walls of an 
 Asylum begin to feel the knocks of internal increasing pressure, they 
 are made to expand and include more room. This result will how- 
 ever be noted in due course of time. 
 
 The Trustees in this year's Report cite some interesting cases as 
 follows : 
 
 ^' While we rejoice over those which recover, it is also a source of 
 much congratulation that the old cases can be so much improved, 
 and be made so comfortable at the Asylum. One was brought to 
 us four and a half years ago, a man who had been insane more than 
 twelve years. During the four years previous to his admission, he 
 had not worn any article of clothing, and had been caged up in a 
 cellar, without feeling the influence of any fire. A nest of straw was 
 his only bed and covering. He was so violent that his keepers 
 thought it necessary, and applied an iron ring around his neck 
 which was riveted on, so that they could hold him when they 
 changed his bed of straw. In this miserable condition he was taken 
 from the cellar, and dressed and brought to the Vermont Asylum. 
 The ring was immediately removed from his neck. He has worn 
 clothing, has been furnished with a comfortable bed, and has come 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1844. 67 
 
 to the table and used a knife and fork ever since he was first 
 admitted. He has not destroyed three dollars' worth of clothing, 
 bed and bedding since he came to the Asylum. He has been most 
 of the time pleasantly and usefully employed about the Institution. 
 
 "The second case is a man who had been twenty-four years 
 insane, and for the last six years had worn no clothing, and had 
 been furnished with no bed excepting loose straw. He had become 
 very filthy, regardless of everything which is neat or decent. Here 
 was a case which required more skill and exertion than to restore 
 a recent case to sanity. He was brought here a year and a half 
 ago, and in less than three months from his admission he so 
 improved that he has ever since worn his clothing ; has been supplied 
 with a comfortable bed which he has kept neat, has gone to the 
 table with the rest, and used a knife and fork ; and has not injured 
 clothing, bedding, or any other property to the amount of two dol- 
 lars. This last summer he has worked regularly on the farm, and is 
 peaceable, quiet and happy. 
 
 " The third case is a man who has been insane more than thirty 
 years, was sold to the lowest bidder for many years, was caged up, 
 had his feet frozen so that he lost his toes, and endured suffering 
 which no person in his natural state could have endured. He 
 was brought to the Asylum about five months since, and has worn 
 his clothing, has been furnished with a comfortable bed, has gone 
 to the table with the rest, and has destroyed neither clothing, nor 
 any other property. He is a printer by trade, and is now pleasantly 
 and cheerfully employed in setting type for our little newspaper. 
 
 "From many, we will relate but one case of a female patient, 
 who is now sixty-one years of age. From the statement made 
 by one of her relatives we copy the following : 
 
 " * She has been deranged more or less since a child, and God 
 Almighty only Ijnows the cause of it. She was confined for several 
 years in a half subterranean cage,' etc. This 'subterranean cage' 
 was nothing more or less than a cave, dug into the side of a hill near 
 the house, and straw thrown in for a bed, and no warmth admitted 
 except what was received from the sun. We forbear to mention 
 other particulars. She has been with us more than three years, and 
 since the first three months has constantly assisted the nurse in the 
 performance of her duty. Since the first week she has been at large 
 in the halls, has been furnished with a comfortable bed, and has 
 taken her food at the table with the rest. She is now regularly 
 employed in assisting the nurse, and in mending the clothing of 
 other patients." 
 
68 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 I quote these individual histories with peeuHar pleasure, illustrat- 
 ing as they do common phases of chronic insanity, and confirming 
 what may be done to improve even hopelessly insane persons, by 
 judicious system, changed environment, and the substitution of a 
 vicarious will power for that lost to the individual beyond recall. 
 
 In concluding, the Trustees again say : " We rejoice that the 
 buildings are so nearly finished, that we shall never have occasion 
 hereafter to ask the Legislature for funds for their completion ; and 
 that our accommodations are sufficiently extensive for all the insane 
 of this State who may apply for admission. And while the insane 
 poor of this State suffer such an immense amount of unmitigated, 
 undiluted misery, will not the Legislature make suitable provision for 
 their care?" This last appeal, to make practicable the provision 
 for them already made, was responded to as will be shortly seen. 
 
 The Report of the Superintendent shows that ninety-six cases 
 were received, and seventy-four discharged since last Report, leaving 
 in the Asylum one-hundred and fifty-eight. 
 
 The highest curative results were reached this year in the whole 
 history of the Asylum. Upward of eighty-nine per cent, of the 
 recent cases, and upward of thirty-four per cent, of the chronic 
 cases recovered. 
 
 The following comments deserve note : " It is less than eight 
 years since the Asylum was opened for the reception of patients, and 
 less than ten years since Mrs. Marsh's donation was received to 
 found this Institution. The friends of the Asylum owe her a debt 
 of gratitude, both for the funds she so cheerfully granted, and also 
 for commencing an interest in the subject, which otherwise might not 
 have been awakened for years. Could she have anticipated the 
 comfort and relief which has resulted to the unfortunate from her 
 benefaction, her spirit would have rejoiced in the contemplation of 
 the happiness she was about to bestow. Of her it may be truly said, 
 *The blessings of many who are ready to perish,' will forever rest on 
 her memory. 
 
 " None but those who have learned by sad experience are aware 
 of the difficulties of managing the insane in a private family. The 
 insane conceive that they have claims upon their friends, and if they 
 are not aided by them in their wild and unreasonable plans, they look 
 upon them with suspicion and frequently with hatred. Hence 
 the dislike and complete enmity, which they frequently cherish 
 towards those whom they had most loved. And all the watchful 
 solicitude and kind assiduities that the friends can afterwards bestow 
 upon them, are suspected and misconstrued. But when placed in a 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1844. 69 
 
 public Asylum they cheerfully submit to the regulations which 
 govern their little community, and frequently become sincerely 
 attached to those from whom they have received kindness and 
 attention. We have in the Asylum an incurable case of a young 
 man about thirty years of age, who has been insane about ten years. 
 He had been under the care of different persons, who had made him 
 as comfortable as could be expected out of a public Asylum. The 
 last year his mother took him home and had him chained to the 
 floor, being the only situation in which it was safe for her to take 
 care of him ; and manifested for him all that sympathy, which none 
 but a mother feels, and bestowed upon him all that kind assiduity, 
 which none but a mother could perform. But all her kindness, 
 attention and sympathy was misconstrued by her unhappy son, 
 and his condition was made more miserable than when taken care of 
 by strangers. After remaining in this situation one year he was 
 unchained and brought to this Asylum about four months ago. 
 From the time of his admission he has worn no article of restraint, 
 has destroyed no property, has been at large on our halls, has 
 assisted on the farm, has associated with the rest, and is now com- 
 fortable and happy." 
 
 The income this year from patients- was, $14,673.19 
 
 General expenditures, 14,092.05 
 
 Leaving balance on hand of $581.14 
 
 During this year Dr. Samuel B. Low resigned as Assistant Physi- 
 cian and was succeeded by Dr. Henry M. Harlow. 
 
 Time of making up Report changed this year from October i 
 to September i. 
 
 The Legislature of this year, in conformity to the suggestions of 
 the Trustees of the Asylum passed — 
 
 "An Act for the Relief of the Insane Poor," of which the fol- 
 lowing is a copy : 
 
 "It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of 
 Vermont, as follows : 
 
 "Sec I. A sum not exceeding three thousand dollars may be 
 drawn from the Treasury of the State, in the month of August 
 annually, by the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, 
 and they shall apply the same to the payment of the expenses of the 
 insane poor of the several towns in the State at the Asylum. 
 
 "Sec. 2. Each town shall share in the appropriation made in 
 Section i in proportion to the number of the insane poor in the 
 Asylum, the expense of transporting them at the rate of eight cents 
 
70 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 per mile on the nearest practicable route from their respective 
 residences to the Asylum, and the length of time they have been 
 there, at the rate of one dollar and fifty cents per week during 
 the year next preceding the first day of August annually. 
 
 "Sec. 3. The Trustees shall annually on or before the tenth 
 day of September report in detail their doings under the provisions 
 of this Act to the Auditor of Accounts, who shall incorporate the 
 same in his Annual Report. 
 
 " Sec. 4. If in any year the expense of supporting the insane 
 poor of the State at said Asylum, at the rate per week above stated, 
 including the expense of transportation as aforesaid, shall be less 
 than three thousand dollars, the Trustees shall not for such year 
 be entitled to a greater share than the aggregate amount of such 
 expense. 
 
 "Sec. 5. The several towns and other corporations in the State 
 chargeable with the support of the poor, may at their annual March 
 meetings, make and alter such regulations as they may deem expe- 
 dient for the purpose of securing the benefit of the provisions of 
 this Act, which regulations may embrace not only town paupers, but 
 other persons destitute of property, and entirely dependent upon rel- 
 atives not bound by law to support them. 
 
 "Sec. 6. An Act for the Relief of the Insane Poor approved 
 Nov. 3, 1 84 1, and an Act in addition thereto, approved Nov. i, 
 1842, are repealed. 
 
 "Approved October 30, 1844." 
 
 Trustees met Dec. 2nd, 1844, and adopted the following reg- 
 ulations relating to the admission of beneficiaries to the Asylum 
 under the foregoing Act. 
 
 1. "That each town pauper upon his admission into the Asylum 
 as a State beneficiary shall be accompanied with the certificate of a 
 majority of the selectmen, certifying that such insane person is 
 insane and a pauper of said town. 
 
 2. "And the insane poor, not chargeable to the town, having no 
 relatives to support them, shall be accompanied with a certificate 
 of some Judge of a Court in this State, in office, certifying that such 
 persons are destitute of property and entirely dependent upon rela- 
 tives not bound by law to support them, with surety also that the 
 balance of their quarterly bills shall be paid, in case the State 
 appropriation shall prove to be insufficient. 
 
 " Voted, also, that Asa Keyes be auditor to audit the accounts of the 
 former and present treasurers [E. Seymour and N. B. Williston] and of 
 the superintendent [Dr. Rockwell] and also take an inventory of the 
 goods, chattels and estate of the corporation, and its liabilities." 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1844. 71 
 
 It will be seen by the foregoing Act for the Relief of the Insane 
 Poor, and the Regulations of the Trustees conforming to its provis- 
 ions, that a practical contract was reached in respect to the care of 
 the insane poor, between the State and the Institution, explicit terms 
 being now for the first time agreed upon for their support. Hitherto 
 these classes had been received by virtue of State grants in enlarging 
 the Asylum, but without the definiteness now reached in respect 
 to provision for their maintenance. 
 
 The Report of the Auditor required under vote of Dec. 2nd, 
 1844, shows the value of the Asylum property in detail as follows: 
 
 GENERAL STATEMENT. 
 
 Cost of farm, $2,705.40 
 
 Cost of building land, 3,504.98 
 
 Cost of springs and aqueducts, 550.00 
 
 Repairs of old building, 3,560.65 
 
 Cost of center building and west wing, 12,399.67 
 
 Cost of east wing, , 7,769.87 
 
 Cost of west wing extension, 4,654.82 
 
 Cost of personal estate, 6,567.50 
 
 $41,712.89 
 Funds received : — 
 
 Marsh Legacy, $10,000 
 
 State grants, 23,000 $33,000.00 
 
 Balance paid from current receipts, $8,712.89 
 
 The above summarizes the financial record of the Institution 
 up to the close of the year 1844. It should be noted that an estate 
 of fifty-one acres of land, with buildings affording a possible capacity 
 for two hundred patients, including the use of the basement and 
 attic stories for this purpose, had at this time been created and 
 furnished out of the original legacy, the State appropriations, and the 
 surplus derived from the management, combined. 
 
 Some important queries relative to the rights and privileges of 
 the State in the subsequent extensions of capacity, here suggest them- 
 selves, but have never yet been raised. 
 
 Does the preferred right to admissions, "gained by the State on 
 account of the aid rendered for extensions of accommodations, 
 apply to capacity afterward added from other sources ? and does the 
 security given to the State upon the real estate of the Asylum for the 
 amounts appropriated by the Commonwealth in event of its ceasing 
 to exist, hold upon lands subsequently acquired, unaided either 
 directly or indirectly by the State ? These are unsolved problems. 
 
72 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The editor of the American Journal of Insanity in a review of 
 the Report of this year makes the following comments upon the 
 terms at which patients will be received, viz.: " Two dollars per 
 week, or eighty dollars per year, if the patient remain so long in the 
 Asylum." 
 
 ''Dr. Rockwell," says he, "has had much experience in the care 
 of the insane, as he was for a considerable time assistant physician 
 at the Retreat at Hartford, Ct., and we understand the Institution 
 which he now superintends has been well managed. But we cannot 
 forbear expressing our fears that the low prices at which this Asylum 
 has recently advertised to receive patients will prove injurious to the 
 best interests of the insane. That such persons can be supported at 
 a low price everyone knows ; they are so now in the various poor- 
 houses of the country, but we hope not to see institutions bearing the 
 high name of asylums and hospitals for the insane, and erected 
 expressly for their comfort and care, degenerate into mere recep- 
 tacles for this unfortunate class of persons. To this, however, they 
 must assuredly come if the price is reduced to what it costs to 
 support sane persons, as they will be obliged to dispense with that 
 care, attendance, etc., requisite for their welfare as sick persons^ and 
 which in all asylums ought to form a large item of expense, in addi- 
 tion to the cost of board." 
 
 We acknowledge the force of this criticism, but we believe the 
 critic did not know or fully understand the Doctor's principles of 
 management. In fact, we know in these respects he was misunder- 
 stood by his co-workers in the specialty. The Doctor was true always 
 to his convictions, and so strong in his individuality that he 
 would pursue his own course if it was clear to his own mind, regard- 
 less of either criticism or censure. 
 
 As already remarked Dr. Rockwell had some years' experience in 
 the care of the insane before he was called to superintend the Ver- 
 mont Asylum. 
 
 This experience taught him that a very large percentage of 
 the insane requiring asylum care, are chronic cases not demanding 
 medical treatment, and he was likewise firmly impressed, as the 
 preceding record shows, with the value of occupation as a means of 
 treatment, and with a belief that by judicious pains the labor of this 
 large class could be turned to some practical advantage, by way of 
 reducing to some extent the actual expenses of their care. 
 
 Add to these practical convictions, the necessity in those early 
 days of low rates as an inducement to friends to give the insane 
 member at least a trial of asylum treatment, in a State in which 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1844. 73 
 
 every dollar was a hard-earned one, it is not difficult to comprehend 
 the motives, if we fail to appreciate the wisdom, of the course he 
 adopted in this resi)ect, and which was at variance with the more 
 liberal policy indicated in the comments quoted, which was 
 adopted in some other States. This much may certainly with justice 
 be conceded. 
 
 The cost of the extension made to the west wing this year was 
 $4,654.82, as per summary, page 71. 
 
RECORD OF 1845. 
 
 THIS year may be said to begin a new epoch in the history of the 
 Asylum. Hitherto it has been conducted after the manner 
 of a proprietary estabHshment. Henceforth it takes on the 
 character of a public institution. 
 
 Its relation to the State is now clearly defined, its obligation 
 to receive the resident insane poor is recognized, and definite rates 
 for their support are agreed upon. By-laws and regulations for the 
 government of its employes are now adopted, and henceforth become 
 the internal organic law. 
 
 The pioneer stage in its development has now been passed. * Its 
 management continues vested in its Board of Trustees, as provided 
 in the will of Mrs. Marsh ; but the State enjoys the preferred right to 
 its benefits. 
 
 It seems now to have been determined to ask no further assist- 
 ance from the Legislature. The experience of the preceding eight 
 years has demonstrated the possibility of making the Institution self- 
 sustaining, and by careful management, self-creative in the future. 
 
 A confidence in the success of the enterprise at this time is 
 manifested in the first act of the Board at the beginning of this year, 
 as here chronicled : — 
 
 "January 8th, 1845. 
 
 " Trustees met, all but Mr. Seymour present. 
 
 " Voted, That we will enlarge the building the ensuing season, 
 by extending the east wing north forty-five feet and thirty feet wide, 
 thus making it symmetrical with the west wing, an4 also to build 
 from said wing east seventy-two feet, and thirty-two feet wide. 
 
 " Voted, That N. B. Williston and Dr. Rockwell be a committee 
 to superintend said building." 
 
 On the I St of August, "Trustees met at the Bank agreeably 
 to notice, Mr. Williston absent. 
 
 " Voted, That Asa Keyes and Samuel Clark be a committee 
 to draught and report a Code of By-Laws for the government of the 
 Asylum." 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1845. * 75 
 
 August 15, " Trustees met at Bank, and the committee appointed 
 at the last meeting reported a Code of By-Laws, and after reading 
 and discussing the same at length, they were referred to the Superin- 
 tendent, and the further consideration thereof continued till the first 
 Monday in September." 
 
 September ist, "Trustees met at the Asylum, and after discussing 
 the By-Laws reported — 
 
 " Voted, (Mr. Seymour being absent) That the further considera- 
 tion thereof be postponed till the first Monday in October. 
 
 "The Trustees then visited the patients in the several wards of 
 the Institution, and found all things in good order." . 
 
 Trustees met again on September 23rd. 
 
 " Adopted their Annual Report to the Legislature and their 
 Report to the Auditor on the insane poor ; also read and approved 
 the Superintendent's Report, and transmitted said Reports to the 
 Auditor of Accounts at Woodstock, according to the Statute provided 
 in this case." 
 
 The Reports of this year cover but eleven months, being made 
 up to August ist, in conformity with the Act of October 30, 1844, 
 requiring these in future to be incorporated in the State Auditor's 
 Report. 
 
 The Trustees report great pressure of applicants the past year, as 
 a result of the Act for the Relief of the Insane Poor of the previous 
 year, one hundred and thirty-seven beneficiaries having shared in 
 the appropriation, which, however, covered but about three-fifths 
 of their expense the past year. 
 
 To meet this influx of new applicants, which was foreseen by the 
 managers, was the occasion of their early action toward the 
 further enlargement of the buildings, already recorded. 
 
 The policy determined upon at this epoch was the result of 
 careful consideration, as appears in this Report. 
 
 " It was desirable that sufficient accommodations should be pro- 
 provided for as large a number as could well be taken care of, in 
 order that the expenses for each patient might be diminished and 
 brought within the means of his friends ; on the other hand, caution 
 was necessary lest the number of patients should be so large that 
 each one should not receive his proper share of attention. After 
 full deliberation it was decided that the accommodations should 
 be increased, and preparations were immediately made for the 
 erection of new buildings containing about eighty additional 
 rooms." 
 
 The Superintendent's Report states that two hundred and four 
 
76 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 cases were admitted since date of last Report, and ninety-nine 
 were discharged, leaving, at date of this Report, two hundred and 
 sixty-three. 
 
 "During the past year," says he, "three patients were 
 brought to this Asylum on a bed, two of whom were 
 suffering from inflammation of the brain, and the other from 
 a delirium accompanying typhus fever ; two of the three died. 
 When brought to the Asylum they were in a condition not to be 
 returned, and we considered it our duty to receive them and make 
 them as comfortable as possible. We do hope that none hereafter 
 may be offered who are unable to sit up and ride to the Asylum, and 
 that the lives of the patients may not be hazarded by the exposure 
 and fatigue of the journey." 
 
 This experience of forty years ago has hardly yet ceased to 
 be occasionally repeated, although errors of diagnosis are now less 
 likely to be made, under the present very explicit medical certificates 
 required. 
 
 The following extracts from the Superintendent's Report are 
 noteworthy: — 
 
 " Our great means for recovery are medical and moral treatment, 
 bur moral treatment consists in allowing every patient all the liberty 
 consistent with his own good and that of others ; in endeavoring to 
 conciliate them by kindness and attention ; to excite the sentiments 
 of self-respect, and a regard for the good opinions of others ; to 
 awaken their natural and social affections ; to ^ercise their judg- 
 ment in useful employments, and to divert them from their hallu- 
 cinations by directing their attention to other subjects. Our medical 
 treatment consists in endeavoring to restore every part of the human 
 system to its healthy functions. 
 
 " Many of the inmates of a Lunatic Asylum are affected with dis- 
 eases of the physical system. Such as are feeble are not only exempt 
 from all employment, but have the most kind and assiduous care 
 during the whole of their indisposition. Most of the inmates, 
 however, are in such state of health that useful employment pro- 
 motes their mental and physical welfare." 
 
 Mention is made in this Report of a shoe shop in addition to 
 other means of occupation previously detailed, and the benefits each 
 year derived from the publication of the little newspaper are 
 again enlarged upon, with the following historical paragraph. 
 
 " The Asylum Journal is the first regular newspaper ever printed 
 in, and issued from, a Lunatic Asylum. [In 1837 one of the patients 
 of. the Connecticut Retreat, who had been a printer, and also an 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1845. 77 
 
 editor, repaired to one of the printing offices in the city of Hartford, 
 and with the assistance of the printers in that office, issued two 
 odd numbers only, of a httle sheet called the Retreat Gazette. 
 He continued at the Retreat many months after these were printed, 
 and was finally discharged without being restored." 
 
 The financial exhibits henceforward will be understood as 
 including all expenditures, whether for current expenses, improve- 
 ments, or enlargement of buildings or estate. 
 
 That for this year shows. 
 Income from board of patients, etc., $17,341.29 
 
 General expenditure, 16,721.45 
 
 Leaving balance on hand of, $619.84 
 
 Included in the income of each year hereafter, will be any 
 temporarily borrowed funds, and in the expenditures the repayment 
 of any such sums with interest. The Institution in fact has 
 almost always carried a debt, it being the policy of the 
 Trustees and Superintendent to enter upon plans for the 
 development of the Institution as fast as they could see clearly 
 the possibility of working out in reasonable time any temporary 
 involvements on this score. 
 
 The Trustees this year secured by purchase of Eben Wells (Oct. 
 10, 1845) one of the present chief sources of water, at a cost of 
 $200. 
 
 "Monday, October 6th, 1845. 
 "Trustees met (Mr. Seymour being absent). The By-Laws 
 heretofore reported were adopted, and ordered to be recorded. 
 They are as follows, to wit: 
 
 " By-Laws of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane. 
 
 "Art. I. The Trustees shall hold a meeting at the Asylum on 
 the first Monday of every month at two o'clock p. m., to examine 
 into the state of the Institution, the condition and situation of the 
 patients, the accounts of the officers, and to transact any and all other 
 business deemed expedient when met. 
 
 "Art. 2. The Chairman may at any time, and shall on the 
 request of either Trustee or the Superintendent, call special meetings, 
 giving each Trustee personal notice, or notice by letter. 
 
 "Art. 3. No vote shall be passed at any meeting unless there 
 be three Trustees voting in the affirmative. Provided, at a subsequent 
 monthly meeting to which any matter may be adjourned, the same 
 may be passed by a majority of those present. 
 
78 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 "Art. 4. At the monthly meeting in August which shall be 
 the annual meeting, the following officers shall be chosen and 
 appointed, to wit: A Chairman, Treasurer, Secretary and Auditor 
 of Accounts. A Superintendent, also a Farmer, Matron, Assistant 
 Physician and Apothecary, to be nominated annually by the Superin- 
 tendent and appointed by the Trustees. Provided, however, in case of 
 vacancy or in case said officers shall not be chosen at the annual 
 meeting such vacancy may be filled or such officers chosen at 
 any subsequent monthly meeting, and the salaries of all officers shall 
 be from time to time fixed by the Trustees. 
 
 "Art. 5. The Superintendent shall have the general super- 
 intendence of the Asylum and grounds, the charge of the patients 
 and the direction and control of all persons therein, subject to 
 the regulations of the Board of Trustees. He shall visit the patients 
 daily, or when he may deem it injurious he shall learn their condition 
 daily or as much oftener as may be necessary, and shall direct such 
 medical, moral and physical treatm.ent as may be best adapted to 
 their relief, giving the fairest trial to kind and moral management. 
 He shall from time to time give to all persons employed at the 
 Asylum such instructions as he shall judge best adapted to carry 
 into operation all the rules and regulations of the same, and shall 
 cause such rules and regulations to be strictly and faithfully executed, 
 taking care that the Farmer, Matron, Assistant Physician and Apoth- 
 ecary and all others employed about the Asylum perform particu- 
 larly all the duties required of them. 
 
 "Art. 6. Under the Superintendent's direction the Farmer 
 shall take charge of the farm and shall purchase furniture, fuel, 
 stores and other necessary articles, and shall present the bills to the 
 Superintendent for the payment thereof. By the same direction 
 he shall hire attendants and domestics and agree with therh for their 
 wages, and shall perform such other duties in relation to the business 
 in and about the Asylum as shall be required of him by the Superin- 
 tendent. 
 
 "Art. 7. It shall be the duty of the Matron to look carefully 
 to the female patients, to be with them as much as possible, to direct 
 the nurses in their duty, to see that the inmates are kindly treated, 
 that their food is properly served and distributed, and that the female 
 attendants in all respects do their duty. It shall be the duty of the 
 Matron also to superintend the kitchen, the cooking, the washing 
 and ironing, and take care of the clothes and bedding and see that 
 they are always clean and in good order. 
 
 "Art. 8. It shall be the duty of the Assistant Physician to 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1845. 79 
 
 ascertain and record the history of each case and keep a diary of the 
 same so long as the patient shall remain in the Asylum. He shall 
 see all the patients at least once a day and such of the males as are 
 under medical treatment oftener if necessary, and report the results 
 of his observations to the Superintendent. He shall look to the 
 warmth, cleanliness and ventilation of the halls, to the exercise 
 and amusements of the patients, and see that the patients are prop- 
 erly treated, and do any other duty connected with the medical 
 department of the Asylum required by the Superintendent. He 
 shall wait upon company, give them all suitable information, and 
 show such part of the building and grounds as are open to their 
 examination. 
 
 " Art. 9. It shall be the duty of the Apothecary to take care 
 of the office, prepare and put up all medicine, see that all prescrip- 
 tions be properly administered, and ascertain as far as may be, the 
 effect of the same. He shall perform the duties of librarian and 
 take care of the books belonging to the library. He shall see to the 
 bathing and shower baths, shall keep the record of the clothing 
 of the male patients as they come and leave the Asylum, and do any 
 other duty required by the Superintendent. 
 
 "Art. 10. It shall be the duty of the Auditor in the month 
 of July annually to audit all the accounts of the officers of the Insti- 
 tution, take an inventory of all the property of the corporation, also 
 take an account of all the claims in favor of and against the Institu- 
 tion, so as to show its true standing on the first day of August annu- 
 ally. For which services he shall be paid a reasonable compensation 
 to be fixed by the Trustees. 
 
 "Art. II. That the Trustees shall from time to time fix the 
 price of board of the patients, and no patient shall at any time be 
 admitted for a less price than that prefixed by the Trustees, or 
 by their direction, and upon the admission of patients to the Asylum 
 good security shall in all cases be required. 
 
 "Art. 12. No moneys shall be expended or debts contracted, 
 except for the ordinary expenses of the establishment, unless directed 
 by the Trustees. 
 
 Art. 13. Every officer receiving and paying out the moneys of 
 the Institution shall keep a regular cash account of all moneys 
 received and from whom received, and all moneys paid out and 
 to whom paid and for what purpose paid, which amount shall be 
 laid before the Trustees at their meeting for their examination. 
 
 "Art. 14. The Superintendent shall lay before the Trustees at 
 each monthly meeting a statement of the number of patients received, 
 
8o ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 discharged or deceased during the month previous, stating the name 
 and place of residence of each patient, the time of their admission with 
 the security taken therefor, the time of their discharge or decease, and 
 if discharged, whether cured or improved or not." 
 
 "After adopting the foregoing By-Laws and examining into 
 the concerns of the Institution, and condition of the patients, made 
 choice of the following officers until the next annual meeting, to 
 wit : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary. 
 Asa Keyes, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 Farmer. 
 
 Deborah K. Baker, Matron, 
 David T. Brown, Assistant Physician. 
 Henry M. Booth, Apothecary.* 
 " Voted, To send a special agent to the Legislature the 
 approaching session, to attend to the interests of the Asylum before 
 the Legislature, and to procure an increase of the appropriation for 
 the insane poor, and Asa Keyes was chosen such special agent." 
 
 The Legislature of this year passed the following Act, which was 
 approved October 27th, 1845, and remained without alteration for 
 near thirty years. It is introduced as showing that the annual sum 
 drawn from the State during this period, was for the care of the 
 insane poor and no other purpose ; many seeming to entertain 
 the impression that it was devoted to providing additional room 
 at the Asylum, as the grants previously referred to, except the last, 
 were. 
 
 "An Act in addition to an Act for the Relief of the Insane Poor, 
 approved Oct. 30, 1844. 
 
 " It is hereby enacted by the General Assembly of the State of 
 Vermont, as follows, — 
 
 "Sec. I. Instead of the sum mentioned in the first section of 
 An Act for the Relief of the Insane Poor, approved October 30, 
 1844, the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane may 
 
 *The salary of the farmer, at this date was fixed at $300 per annum ; that of the 
 matron at $208; of the assistant physician at $300; that of the apothecary, board 
 and tuition. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1845. 81 
 
 annually in the month of August draw from the Treasury of this 
 State the sum of Five Thousand Dollars, for the purposes expressed 
 in and subject to the provisions of said Act. 
 
 "Sec. 2. There shall be annually appointed by the Legislature 
 a Commissioner of the Insane, whose duty it shall be, monthly, 
 or oftener if need be, to visit said Asylum, with the Trustees or 
 alone, to examine into the condition of the Institution, the receipts 
 and expenditures, the management of the patients, and the general 
 welfare of the Asylum, and to make report thereon annually to 
 the Legislature." 
 
 This last section was suggested by Dr. Rockwell. While it did 
 not clothe this official with any authority in the management, which 
 from the beginning was vested solely in the Board of Trustees, 
 it gave the State an agent with free visitorial power, to observe 
 and report to the Legislature each year, whether or not the wards or 
 beneficiaries of the State were properly cared for, and whether the 
 money appropriated toward their support at the Institution was 
 or was not applied in the manner provided and designed. 
 
 This office of Commissioner of the Insane was continued 
 for thirty-three years, when it was abolished and a Board of 
 Supervisors of the Insane created, with some additional powers. 
 
 The cost of the extension of the east wing effected this year was 
 $6,325.66. 
 
RECORD OF 1846. 
 
 THE Trustees' Report of this year contains the following opening 
 paragraph : 
 "At the time of making our last Report we were suffering 
 for want of sufficient accommodations for our patients. The build- 
 ings, which were then in course of erection, have since been com- 
 pleted, and we rejoice to state that we have accommodations for 
 three hundred patients ; as large a number as we think can be prop- 
 erly taken care of in one Asylum." 
 
 The superintendent reports one hundred and ninety-seven admis- 
 sions, and one hundred and sixty-nine discharges ; two hundred and 
 ninety-one remaining. 
 
 Some remarks upon ill-advised visits to patients deserve notice, 
 and are as true now as then : 
 
 " Next to premature removals are the injudicious visits of friends 
 and acquaintances. These visits serve to awaken former associa- 
 tions, which greatly disturb the minds of the patients and create 
 a desire to return to their friends. Not unfrequently has the recov- 
 ery of a patient been retarded weeks and even months, by an inju- 
 dicious visit. These remarks do not apply with so much force to 
 those cases which are incurable. But frequent visits of friends 
 or acquaintances may make them dissatisfied with their situation, and 
 less comfortable inmates of an institution. 
 
 "While on this subject we wish to be distinctly understood. We 
 have never refused the immediate relatives of the patients from 
 having an interview, and have always allowed them to do so when 
 they have wished it. In some few cases we consider it advisable for 
 the relatives to see the patient, but in most cases we consider it 
 injurious. We always state our opinion candidly to the relatives, of 
 the probable effects of an interview, and then leave it entirely to 
 their own decision. It is left to the discretion of the superintendent 
 whether it is expedient for any but the relatives to have an inter- 
 view with any particular patient. The relatives often make a 
 special request that the patient shall not be exhibited to his acquaint- 
 ances, so long as he remains insane." 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1846. 83 
 
 The following shows the financial result of the year : 
 
 Income, $23,758.46 
 
 Expenditure, 23,168.05 
 
 Balance on hand August i, • $590.41 
 
 A purchase was this year effected of forty-nine square rods of 
 
 land, contiguous to the first purchased estate, for use as a cemetery. 
 
 This was bought of Mr. Addison Brown, for the sum of $92, and has 
 
 since been preserved to that use. Cost of construction thereon of a 
 
 receiving tomb $58. 
 
 The following officers were chosen at the annual meeting of this 
 
 year: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary. 
 Epaphro' Seymour, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 William H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 James M. Shearer, Farmer. 
 
 Deborah K. Baker, Matron. 
 
 Francis A. Holman, Assistant Physician. 
 
 Henry M. Booth, Apothecary. 
 
RECORD OF 1847. 
 
 THE continued expansion of the Institution and increase of 
 patients had demonstrated the necessity for more land in 
 connection with it, but the greater necessity of providing 
 buildings and water supply had hitherto precluded additions to the 
 estate. 
 
 This year, however, enlargement of the farm came under con- 
 sideration, and at a special meeting of the Trustees, in April, it was — 
 
 Voted^ " To purchase of John L. Dickerman the wood lot and 
 pasture owned by him westerly of the Holbrook meadow, of about 
 thirty acres, at his price, being one thousand dollars." 
 
 This piece of land was located a mile away from the Asylum in 
 a north-westerly direction, upon the old road to Newfane, and 
 was purchased principally for the fuel growing thereon, of which the 
 Asylum had great need. The right to lay an aqueduct from the 
 Wells spring, through the farm of Newman Allen, was also this year 
 secured. Consideration $40, and the cost of laying the same with 
 logs was $300. 
 
 The Trustees in their Report of this year refer especially to the 
 purchase of the wood-lot, as opening a new field for labor. 
 
 "Since that time," they say, "the patients have been engaged in 
 cutting the wood and timber and clearing the land. We have 
 already ascertained that the wood and timber, with the labor of 
 the patients, will pay for the whole." "Improvements," they add, 
 "have constantly been made on the farm, which furnishes much 
 produce for consumption in the establishment." 
 
 This quotation indicates a full realization on the part of the man- 
 agers, that now and in the future the success of the establishment 
 must rest upon the basis of self-support, and the practical manage^ 
 ment mu.st be financially that of economy and sagacious foresight- 
 Yet they were not unmindful of the real objects for which the Insti- 
 tution was founded, as the following paragraph shows. 
 
 "In our regular visits to the Asylum we have been gratified to 
 notice the neatness and comfort which prevaded every apartment, 
 and the kindness and sympathy manifested for the unfortunates. At 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1847. 85 
 
 the same time there also appeared a systematic regularity and order, 
 evincing a judicious guidance, which was worthy of all praise." 
 
 During the year past one hundred and thirty-five were received, 
 and one hundred and twenty-two were discharged ; remaining, three 
 hundred and four. 
 
 The Superintendent notes "That the printing of the Asylum Jour- 
 nal has been discontinued in consequence of the recovery of the 
 printers, who have left the Asylum." 
 
 This enterprise deserves to be enlarged upon. Begun in Novem- 
 ber, 1842, it ended with the year 1846. Its history is intimately 
 connected with that of one of the inmates of this early day : 
 
 On the 15th of July, 1842, there was admitted to the Asylum 
 a young man from the northernmost county of the State of New 
 Hampshire, 17 years of age, by trade a printer, four weeks deranged, 
 and laboring under maniacal excitement characterized by exagger- 
 ated personal ideas of greatness, dominant in which was the delusion 
 that he was to be a second Frankhn. 
 
 This morbid exaltation of mind continued, together with other 
 deranged manifestations, according to the record for two months^ 
 when symptoms of improvement began to be evident. On the 21st 
 of October following his admission, he had so far improved that 
 he was allowed to go to the Phoenix office to work at his trade, 
 though he was still in a vacillating state of mind. 
 
 On the 25th of the same month he is reported as " setting up 
 type for a newspaper," and on the 29th he brought home the proof 
 sheet of the Asylum Journal, the first number of a series, which was 
 continued as a weekly production for two years, and as a monthly 
 publication for two years more, as already stated. 
 
 For three months this little sheet was regularly issued from the 
 Phoenix Office, when its success became so well assured a printing 
 press was purchased, and afterward the office of the Journal was 
 at the "White House," the original Asylum building, on the present 
 site of the " Marsh Building." For a year this young man was both 
 editor aud publisher. November i, 1843, just one year after the 
 date of the first issue, it is recorded " That he went home entirely 
 well, — that he printed it with great ability for one of his age, and 
 wrote some able articles for its columns, and that he had been highly 
 complimented for its mechanical execution, and its good appear- 
 ance." 
 
 November 26, 1844, appears a subsequent entry, "That the Jour- 
 nal has been continued another year, and printed by the same 
 party," who appears to have been employed, at least for this service, 
 
86 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 by the Asylum. Exactly how it was conducted the last two years, 
 does not fully appear ; but the further history of the young man 
 does not cease here. He was for a time foreman in the Phoenix 
 office, at the time that paper was owned and managed by William E. 
 Ryther. From Brattleboro he went to North Adams, Mass., to take 
 charge of a newspaper, and thence to Michigan, where he was iden- 
 tified with the Detroit Tribune and subsequently became editor and 
 proprietor of the Lansing Republican, the State paper of Michigan, 
 and was the head of the State Printing Firm at the time of his 
 decease in 1881. 
 
 At the monthly meeting in August of this year the annual choice 
 of officers was made, as follows : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary. 
 Election of auditor postponed. 
 
 RESIEENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 James M. Shearer, Farmer. 
 Deborah K. Baker, Matron. 
 Francis A. Holman, Assistant Physician. 
 Henry M. Booth, Apothecary. 
 At the September meeting, Mr. Seymour having resigned, Jona- 
 than Dorr Bradley was chosen Trustee in his stead. 
 
 . On the 1 6th of November, a special meeting was called, when 
 it was Voted, *' That the Trustees will the next season extend the 
 center building twenty-five feet in front,* and will raise the roof 
 of the same at some convenient height, say, six, eight or ten feet 
 in the discretion of the committee. 
 
 '' Voted, also. To extend the return wing of the east wing exten- 
 sion eighteen feet. 
 
 " Voted, That Wm. H. Rockwell and N. B. Williston be a com- 
 mittee to erect said buildings." 
 
 At the December meeting this year J, D. Bradley was chosen 
 Auditor. 
 
 The financial statement shows: — 
 Income, $26,720.09 
 
 Expenditure, 26,445.80 
 
 Balance on hand, $274-29 
 
 *N0TE. The extension of the center building was made thirty-three feet, instead 
 of twenty-five as per foregoing vote. 
 
RECORD OF 1848. 
 
 AT the monthly meeting in March of this year, the Trustees 
 Voted^ " To buy the west part of the Stephen Bennett farm, 
 of about fifty acres, for pasture and wood lot." (Situated on 
 the old Newfane road.) This was effected on the i6th of the same 
 month, at a cost of $800. 
 
 The enlargement of the center building, and extension of the 
 east wing in its northern section, were under way at the time of 
 making up the Annual Report for this year, and were practically 
 completed before the close of the year. 
 
 The Superintendent in his Report for this year enlarges upon the 
 labor question, in a manner that evinces the steadfast convictions of 
 his mind, and conveys to the reader no uncertain ring. The follow- 
 ing extracts illustrate his views. 
 
 "All out-door employment in which the insane can be interested, 
 has a salutary effect. 
 
 "At every Lunatic Asylum there will be much mechanical labor 
 to be performed, such as repairing buildings and fences, making and 
 mending both furniture and utensils, clothing, and many other kinds 
 of work necessary for the use and comfort of the establishment. 
 They give every mechanic, and those who have a mechanical genius, 
 an opportunity to engage in that kind of labor in which he takes the 
 most interest and delight. 
 
 * " From all these varieties of manual labor there will be some 
 pecuniary profit. The great benefit resulting from manual labor 
 connected with a lunatic asylum however, cannot be reckoned in 
 dollars and cents. Its advantages can only be estimated as one 
 of the most efficient means for the restoration of the curable, and for 
 the cheerfulness, enjoyment and comfort of the incurable. 
 
 " Where one patient can be interested to take charge of another, 
 the effect will be highly salutary to both. The ways in which this 
 can be accomplished are numerous. A patient with sufficient tact 
 and ingenuity, when encouraged by the officers, can engage many 
 patients in this manner. This is one of the most beneficial employ- 
 ments in which a patient can be occupied." 
 
88 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The writer is well aware that the latter assertion is open to criti- 
 cism, nevertheless it was a rule of action with Dr. Rockwell ; and 
 one method in which it was practised was in the matter of giving 
 a parole for purposes of exercise, to two or three, charging each with 
 looking after the others, thus creating a joint responsibility which 
 was felt by all individually. 
 
 At the August meeting the annual election of officers was post- 
 poned, the full Board not being present, but at the November meet- 
 ing the following officers were appointed : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman, 
 Nathan B. Williston, Treasurer, 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary, 
 J. D. Bradley, Auditor, 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent, 
 
 James M. Shearer, Farmer, 
 
 Deborah K. Baker, Matron, 
 
 Francis A. Holman, Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Apothecary. 
 
 Voted, "To ratify the purchase of a piece of land and water 
 right, purchased of Charles Chapin, Nov. 2nd, 1848, for $150." 
 
 This included about one acre of land on the west side of the 
 Newfane road, and just beyond the house of Houghton Pike, subse- 
 quently owned by David Miller, and sold by him to the Asylum. 
 
 The movement of population as shown by the Superintendent's 
 Report, was one hundred and fifty-six admitted, and one hundred 
 and forty-eight discharged, three hundred and twelve remaining. 
 The income was, $31,295.34 
 
 The expenditure, 30j975-93 
 
 Balance on hand, $319.41 
 
 The cost of making the enlargements to center building and 
 north section of east wing this year was $6,485.99. 
 
RECORD OF 1849. 
 
 THE Institution this year rejoices over the extensions of 
 capacity, and increased faciHties for performing the domestic 
 work, which were effected and introduced last year. 
 
 These are referred to in the Report of the Superintendent in 
 detail, as follows : 
 
 "Our new buildings were completed soon after submitting our 
 last Report. The increased size and improved arrangement of 
 the chapel is a very good improvement, and furnishes ample room 
 for all of the patients who wish to attend the religious exercises on 
 the Sabbath. The enlargement of the cooking and washing depart- 
 ments, and the introduction of new apparatus for both, have greatly 
 added to the facilities and comforts of those employed in them. 
 
 " The addition to the north female wing was greatly needed, both 
 on account of the additional room thereby afforded, and also for the 
 more perfect classification of the patients. 
 
 "Two cisterns have been constructed for the purpose of affording 
 a sufficient quantity of water in case of fire. Each cistern contains 
 between eighty and ninety hogsheads of water, and both are con- 
 stantly kept full. There is one on each side of the center building, 
 and if a fire should happen a good supply of water would be ready 
 for use." 
 
 One hundred and thirty-six patients were admitted during the 
 year, and one hundred and thirty were discharged ; leaving:, August 
 ist, three hundred and eighteen under treatment. 
 The income received was, $35^^25.09 
 
 The expenditure, 35,110.23 
 
 Leaving balance on hand of, $714.86 
 
 The following officers were elected at the annual meeting in 
 August, for the year ensuing : — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman, 
 N, B. Williston, Treasurer, 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary, 
 J. D. Bradley, Auditor, 
 
90 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 Warren Eason, Farmer. 
 
 Deborah K. Baker, Matron. 
 
 Francis A. Holman, Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Apothecary. 
 
 " And the said Deborah K. Baker having declined accepting said 
 appointment as matron, on account of other engagements heretofore 
 made, Abigail Rockwell of South Windsor, Conn., was chosen 
 matron," to succeed her. 
 
 One of the most important additions ever made to the Asylum 
 estate, was this year realized by the purchase of John R. Blake, 
 Sept. 22nd 1849, of the tract of land lying between the main build- 
 ings and the village common, and extending easterly to the Putney 
 road, comprising an area of sixteen acres, since devoted to pleasure 
 grounds and culinary garden. 
 
 Jt will be remembered that the original purchase of Nathan 
 Woodcock included the "White House" upon the west side of 
 the road surrounded by a couple of acres of land, and four acres of 
 the terrace in front upon the east side of the road, which together 
 with that now secured of Mr. Blake, embraced the plateau of twenty 
 acres. 
 
 On these four acres were commenced the permanent buildings 
 and already the surrounding area was inconveniently cramped, and 
 the outlook from the buildings unsightly by reason of the unimproved 
 lot lying in front. The price paid for this important tract was 
 
 $3,500. 
 
 Forthwith was effected a vast change in the attractiveness of the 
 surroundings. The post and rail fence separating the immediate 
 Asylum premises from this field, stretching along the whole frontage 
 and within a half dozen rods of the building the whole way was 
 at once removed, and much done by clearing away all undesirable 
 objects preparatory to opening walks and laying out a garden, the 
 following year. 
 
 About one acre of meadow land contiguous to that already owned 
 by the Asylum was also this year secured of Newman Allen (Oct. 15, 
 1849) at $180. Also a tract of land of Samuel Thomas, situated 
 upon Chesterfield mountain (25 acres) valuable only for fuel, at a 
 cost of $250. Deed dated September 15, 1849. 
 
RECORD OF i85o. 
 
 IN May of this year the Asylum premises were further enlarged 
 by one-half acre of land upon the west side of the Putney road, 
 bought of Nelson Crosby, for $ioo. 
 
 Much was accomplished this year toward changing the immediate 
 environment of the establishment. 
 
 An entrance walk through the newly acquired field in front 
 was made from the street at the foot of the hill, and it was in June 
 of this year that the hemlock hedge, bordering it on both sides, was 
 set out, which has ever since constituted one of the most perfect and 
 noticeable artificial features of the grounds. 
 
 The kitchen garden was also located at the east end of the 
 plateau, where it has ever since been continued. 
 
 One hundred and fifty patients were this year admitted, and one 
 hundred and forty discharged ; leaving three hundred and twenty- 
 eight at date of the annual Report. 
 
 Concerning the general course of treatment pursued the Superin- 
 tendent remarks as follows: — 
 
 " The same regard to exercise and employment in the open air 
 for our patients; the same care for exercise and amusements in 
 the establishment; the same endeavors to employ everyone in a 
 manner best adapted to his taste, and calculated to divert his mind 
 from its delusions; the same provision of plenty of wholesome 
 and nourishing food; the same attention to the proper temperature 
 and ventilation of all the apartments of the building, and the same 
 desire to furnish the patients with all the nameless variety of 
 comforts, adapted to each individual case, has been pursued and 
 been attended with the same gratifying results that have crowned our 
 former exertions." 
 
 At the annual meeting the following officers were chosen: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer, 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary. 
 J. D. Bradley, Auditor. 
 
92 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 William H. Rockwell, Superintendent, 
 
 Warren E. Eason, Farmer, 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron, 
 
 Oliver S. Lovejoy, Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Apothecary. 
 
 The income for the year was, 34,240.12 
 
 The expenditure, 33^868.93 
 
 Leaving balance of, 37i-i9 
 
 In the autumn of this year (Sept. 12, 1850) a little more than 
 three acres of meadow land was purchased of Newman Allen, con- 
 tiguous to that bought last year, for which $482 was paid. 
 
 At the December meeting this year it was Voted " To have an 
 alarm bell to use in case of fire, and J. D. Bradley and 
 Dr. Rockwell were appointed a committee to procure and hang said 
 bell ; and it was also Voted^ That said committee be instructed 
 to examine every part of the Asylum thoroughly, and make all 
 necessary improvements to protect the buildings against fire." 
 
 This action was undoubtedly suggested by the melancholy 
 and disastrous fire by which great loss of life and property was 
 occasioned, at the Maine Insane Hospital the same month. 
 
 A farm barn, one hundred feet in length by forty in width, was 
 this year built upon the edge of the meadow, and a horse shed also 
 erected. The cost of both was $1100. 
 
RECORD OF 1 85 1 
 
 AT a meeting of the Trustees, held July 23rd. this year, it was 
 Voted " To bring the water from the Wells Spring in an 
 iron pipe of three inch bore, and William H. Rockwell is 
 appointed a committee to procure this pipe, and lay it down. Also 
 
 " Voted, To build eighteen feet in addition to the east wing 
 extension; and Dr. William H. Rockwell is appointed a committee 
 to erect said building." 
 
 This work was at once commenced, as appears by the Trustees' 
 Report of this year, from the following quotations: — 
 
 "We have commenced enlarging one of the wings occupied 
 by the female patients, not for the purpose of receiving a larger 
 number, but for the better classification and accommodation of 
 the number we now have." 
 
 "The logs, which were laid a few years ago for our aqueduct, 
 [1847] do not bring sufficient water; besides becoming defective 
 they require frequent repairs. It is thought to be the best economy 
 to lay an iron aqueduct in their place. We have accordingly con- 
 tracted with William A. Wheeler, Esq., of Worcester, Mass., to 
 furnish us with 5000 feet of iron pipe, three inches in diameter, 
 which will supply us with an abundance of that indispensable article 
 to a lunatic asylum, plenty of pure spring water." 
 
 The result of the action of the Board at the close of the preceding 
 year, in reference to increasing the safeguards against fire, is thus 
 given in this Report: — 
 
 " After the awful calamity which occurred at the insane hospital 
 in Maine the last winter, the Trustees lost no time in investigating 
 the condition of the Vermont Asylum, and its means of preventing 
 and escaping the dangers' of fire. The Asylum is located at such 
 a distance from other buildings that little danger is to be appre- 
 hended from fire, unless it originates upon its own premises. The 
 cooking ranges in the kitchen are so constructed and managed that 
 they cannot be considered dangerous, and while in use are in charge 
 of careful attendants. The furnaces for warming the buildings are 
 
94 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 so constructed as to prevent any danger. The furnace chambers, 
 and the smoke and warm air flues are built entirely of brick, and 
 plastered on both sides. There is no wood-work of any description 
 which is connected with them. The partitions of all the rooms 
 occupied by the patients are entirely of brick, on which the plastering 
 is done, and no wooden framing or lathing is used. If, however, 
 a fire should be discovered in any part of the establishment, it is 
 believed it would be extinguished with very little delay. We have 
 two cisterns, one oh each side of the center building, which always 
 contains more than 10,000 gallons of water. We have also a reser- 
 voir supplied by springs, elevated nearly one hundred feet above the 
 site of the Asylum, which constantly supplies three cisterns, each 
 of which contains nearly 500 gallons, which are placed in different 
 parts of the attic story. From these cisterns, water is conveyed 
 in pipes to every part of the building, and is delivered by faucets in 
 every hall, so that immediate access can be had to it all times. Fire 
 proof iron doors are placed at every avenue between the center 
 building and the wings, to prevent fire extending from one to the 
 other. A bell of sufficient size has been placed upon one of the 
 buildings to give the alarm, and is never to be rung except in the 
 event of fire. We are sufficiently removed fr^m the village to be 
 out of danger by fire from its buildings, still we are near enough 
 to receive at the shortest notice, the services of a well organized and 
 efficient fire department, and the active cooperation of a public 
 spirited people. With all these resources at hand, the Trustees are 
 of the opinion that the Asylum is so secured against fire as to remove 
 any reasonable doubt. The buildings are so constructed that in 
 event of fire there would be no difficulty in removing the patients." 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows that one hundred and thirty- 
 seven patients were admitted, and one hundred and thirty were dis- 
 charged; three hundred and thirty-five being inmates, at this date. 
 
 An epidemic of dysentery this year is chronicled which prevailed 
 during the months of August and September, 1850: 
 
 " Ninety-three patients were attacked by this disease, of whom 
 sixteen died. Of these nearly all were old and incurable cases, and 
 many of them had previously suffered from exhausting bodily infirm- 
 ity. Besides these nearly all of our attendants and assistants were 
 attacked by the same disease, all of whom recovered. The fidelity, 
 kindness and devotion with which they performed their duties during 
 the prevalence of this epidemic, are worthy of all praise." 
 
 The following remarks relative to committals are made by Dr. 
 Rockwell, and have noteworthy merit: — 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1851. 95 
 
 " There is one class of cases especially which are frequently sent 
 too early to a lunatic asylum. I mean that of puerperal cases. We 
 have repeatedly had women brought to the asylum in less than two 
 weeks from their accouchment. Some of them have recovered very 
 soon, but would probably have recovered as well had they remained 
 at home. Others have died, apparently from exhaustion, who might 
 have recovered had it not been for the exposure and fatigue of the 
 journey." 
 
 The election of officers at the annual meeting was postponed 
 to the following month. 
 
 The following were then chosen: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Samuel Clark, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 Asa Keyes, Secretary. 
 J. D. Bradley, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 William H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 Warren E. Eason, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 Oliver S. Lovejoy, Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Apothecary. 
 
 The income this year was, $35,423.54 
 
 The expenditure, 34,349.66 
 
 Balance at date of Report, $1,073.88 
 
 The cost of the iron aqueduct pipe was $1,436.04. The addition 
 to the east wing extension was $2,000. 
 
 Obligations are this year accredited to E. Weston, Esq., of Bos- 
 ton for ''some elegant castings for a fountain," which were put 
 into use the following year. 
 
RECORD OF i852, 
 
 AT the January meeeting of this year, ''Samuel Clark, [the first 
 of the original Trustees] appeared and resigned the said 
 trust, on account of his age and ill health, and thereupon the 
 other three Trustees proceeded to the choice of a chairman, when 
 Asa Keyes was duly elected. And the Board then proceeded to 
 elect a Trustee to fill the vacancy occasioned by the resignation of 
 Samuel Clark, and the ballots being taken and counted, Frederick 
 Holbrook of said Brattleboro was unanimously elected, and being 
 notified and called in, accepted the trust." 
 
 At the February meeting the Board passed the following vote: 
 "That we build a building the coming season, for a laundry and 
 wash room, and Dr. Wm. H. Rockwell is appointed a committee to 
 superintend the erection thereof." 
 
 Of this, the Trustees say in their Report, "This season we have 
 corrected one mistake in the original construction of the main build- 
 ing. The wash-room was originally situated in the basement, and 
 the steam from that room was diffused throughout the establishment. 
 The consequences of this state of things may be easily imagined. 
 To prevent these evils a separate building has just been erected for 
 a wash-house, drying-room and laundry, and is now occupied for 
 that purpose. We have erected an adjoining building for the boiler 
 for generating steam for the wash-room." 
 
 This building was erected in the rear of the east wing, having a 
 corner connection with the north section of the east wing extension, 
 was thirty-six feet long, by thirty-two wide, parallel with, and fifty 
 feet back of the east wing, a court being enclosed thereby on 
 three sides, in the rear of the main line of the buildings east of the 
 center. The cost of this with machinery and fixtures was $4000; 
 and was one of the much needed provisions, as may be inferred 
 by the comments of the Trustees quoted. 
 
 The Superintendent reports the reception of one hundred and 
 sixty-one patients, the discharge of one hundred and forty-five, 
 and consequent retention of three hundred and fifty-one, since the 
 last official showing. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1852. 97 
 
 The Institution has been over fifteen years in successful opera- 
 tion, but now begins to be foreshadowed some of the perplexities 
 incident to multiplied years, and peculiar to the management of such 
 establishments. Since the opening near two thousand cases, have 
 been treated here, and it could hardly be expected that some 
 individual grievances should not have arisen. Dr. Rockwell very 
 truthfully observes : 
 
 " Most of our patients who recover, cherish the kindest feelings 
 towards those who have assisted in their recovery. Many of those 
 who do not recover indulge the same hard feelings towards those 
 that take care of them here, which they entertained towards their 
 best friends before they left home." 
 
 The officers chosen this year were: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 J. D. Bradley, Secretary 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 William H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 Warren Eason, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 Oliver S. Lovejpy, Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Apothecary. 
 
 The income this year was, $38,290.88 
 
 The expenditure, 39,^73-9^ 
 
 Leaving an indebtedness of, $1,383.08 
 
 This latter occurred mainly from the purchase of land of 
 Houghton Pike, David W. Miller, Addison Brown and Charles 
 Chapin, all in immediate contiguity to the originally purchased 
 estate, at an aggregate cost of $12.55. 
 
 At the close of this year (Dec. 15th) about three hundred acres 
 of mountain woodland lying over the Connecticut River, opposite 
 the village of Brattleboro, in the towns of Chesterfield and Hinsdale, 
 N. H., previously secured by Dr. Rockwell, were turned over to the 
 Asylum at a cost of $4,800. 
 
 At the Legislative session of this year, the disaffection intimated 
 in the Superintendent's Report, culminated in the appointment of a 
 Committee of Investigation. 
 
98 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The following is the Report of this Committee in full: — 
 "To THE Senate an]) House of -Representatives now in Session. 
 
 " Your Committee, to whom was referred the memorial of Still- 
 man Morgan, and the petition of Samuel James and eighteen others 
 praying for an investigation of the management of the Vermont 
 Asylum for the Insane, beg leave to report, That they have attended 
 to the duties assigned them; that the Committee* of the Senate 
 and House joined in the investigation, and now beg leave to join in 
 submitting the result of their labors. A great mass of testimony was 
 presented by the petitioners and also on the part of the Asylum. 
 
 The principal portion of this testimony on the part of the peti- 
 tioners was that of persons who have heretofore been inmates of the 
 Asylum as patients, and now testify to what they say took place 
 when they were thus inmates of the Asylum. If this testimony were 
 to be received without allowance, and fully relied upon, the Insti- 
 tution would doubtless be open to the censure of the Legislature, 
 and unworthy the patronage of the public. But it will at once be 
 perceived that all testimony of this character must be weighed 
 with great caution, and with a wise and careful discrimination. For 
 such witnesses testify to what they believe took place while they 
 were insane, and while their minds were exercised with bitter hostility 
 towards those they regarded in the light of enemies — and as persons 
 unjustly depriving them of liberty — and seeking to do them the 
 greatest of injuries. Indeed, in some of the cases which came under 
 the observation of the Committee, it was perfectly clear that the wit- 
 ness was narrating not facts which had occurred, but the mere 
 delusions of his own disease. How far these impressions thus 
 vividly impressed on their minds while laboring under aberrations 
 of intellect are truthful, it must of course be very difficult to deter- 
 mine. Testimony of this character considered with that of witnesses 
 who had never been insane, led a part of your committee to believe 
 that some instances had occurred in which the attendants had failed 
 to exercise proper discretion in controlling patients when excited 
 and violent; or in other words, that more force was used than was 
 necessary under the circumstances. Your committee think it would 
 be strange if it were otherwise. In the management of such an 
 Institution for sixteen years, with so great a number of patients and 
 attendants, it would be very remarkable if no such instances had 
 occurred. 
 
 Your committee all concur, however, in the opinion that the 
 patients must be held under control, or the usefulness of the 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1852. 99 
 
 Institution would be wholly lost. But it is indeed difficult to define 
 the precise degree of force which is necessary to accomplish that 
 object. 
 
 Your committee did not differ in opinion so much as to make 
 it necessary to offer more than one report of the result of their 
 investigation, for all concur in the opinion that the Asylum has been 
 well managed; that its management should be rather the subject of 
 commendation than of censure; that untiring pains have been taken 
 to employ respectable and intelligent nurses and attendants; that 
 they have been taken from the families of our highly respectable 
 farmers; that the sanitary rules of the Asylum have been well 
 cared for, and great pains taken in regard to the health of every 
 patient. 
 
 Your committee beg leave in conclusion to say, that in their 
 opinion the Asylum in all its departments is as well managed as 
 could be reasonably expected; that its usefulness under the present 
 worthy and skillful superintendent, Doctor Rockwell, and the able 
 Trustees, is increasing from year to year with their increase of 
 means; that it is now highly useful and honorable to the State, 
 and well entitled to the patronage of the public. 
 
 Your committee, therefore, respectfully recommend that said 
 petitioners and memorialist have leave to withdraw, all of which 
 is submitted by John F. Deane, Chairman. 
 
RECORD OF 1853. 
 
 THIS year opened with plans for still further enlarging the 
 Asylurh. 
 At the February meeting of the Trustees they 
 
 Voted^ " That Dr. Rockwell be hereby authorized to build the 
 new wing, and enlarge the existing return wing, on the male side of 
 the Asylum, on the plan proposed by him." 
 
 This work was immediately taken in hand, and with so much 
 vigor that the Trustees in their Report August ist say, 
 
 " We have erected the west extension wing this season, and also 
 enlarged the west return wing [the north section] by which about 
 seventy rooms have been added to the Asylum. 
 
 " These additions were necessary to complete the proper propor- 
 tions of the building, and, what was of much greater importance, 
 to increase the accommodations for room, and the proper classifica- 
 tion of the patients." 
 
 The Superintendent in his report of this year, shows one hundred 
 and fifty-nine admitted, and one hundred and thirty-eight discharged, 
 three hundred and seventy-two remaining. An epidemic of an 
 unusual kind is this year noted^ and stands singly in the catalogue 
 of annual occurrences. 
 
 " During the month of March the small-pox made its appearance 
 in the gallery occupied by the better class of female patients. In 
 what manner this alarming disease was introduced among us/emains 
 in some measure a mystery. A short time before the first case 
 occurred a patient was admitted from a section of .'ccxintry where 
 this disease prevailed, although neither herself nor any of her family 
 had been exposed or suffered by it. We know of no other way in 
 which it could have been introduced. 
 
 "The first case was very mild in its character [varioloid] and 
 attracted no particular attention. About two weeks afterwards, 
 eight or ten other patients were affected with this disease, three 
 of which were of the confluent form, and were very severe. These 
 were immediately placed in a gallery by themselves [an attic dor- 
 mitory] attended by nurses who had previously been affected with 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1853. loi 
 
 the same disease, and were familiar with the proper kind of atten- 
 tion and care which they required. All communication with other 
 parts of the Asylum, was as far as possible prevented, and every 
 person connected with the establishment was vaccinated. As soon 
 as any new case occurred it was immediately removed to the same 
 gallery. 
 
 '' The disease continued with us about ten weeks. One of our 
 nurses, and twenty-seven female patients were attacked by it, and 
 only one, a female seventy-two years of age, died. None of our 
 male patients were affected with this disease. 
 
 " I should do injustice to my own feelings did I not make honor- 
 able mention of all who were in any way employed at this time 
 in the Asylum. Not one abandoned her post of duty but all appeared 
 to be actuated by the principle, that ' Whatsoever ye would that 
 others should do to you, do ye even so to them.' May they have 
 their reward." 
 
 Great credit is due Dr. Rockwell for his wise foresight and 
 judicious management on this occasion, as well as for his own per- 
 sonal devotion to those who fell victims to the infection. 
 
 At the outbreak of the malady a panic occurred among employes 
 and their friends, who on the impulse of the moment were prompted 
 and tempted to forsake their positions. 
 
 Dr. Rockwell calmly reminded them that they had already 
 been exposed before the danger was recognized, but that every pre- 
 caution had now been taken; if attacked the)^ would be cared for; 
 while to leave and go to their several homes would be to incur 
 the risk of spreading the disease broadcast, and especially among 
 their own families. This sober second thought prevailed, and the 
 result attested the wisdom of their decision. 
 
 During the whole epidemic Dr. Rockwell alone performed the 
 medical service, leaving to his assistant the professional charge 
 of the non-infected portion of the household. 
 
 The following officers were elected at the annual meeting: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, 'J'reasurer. 
 J. D. Bradley, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 Warren E. Eason, Farmer. 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 B. W, Chase, Assistant Physician. 
 , Apothecary. 
 
I02 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Income this year received, $40j305-73 
 
 Expenditure, 41,877.18 
 
 Leaving an indebtedness of, $1,571.45 
 
 A piggery was this year built; cost $500. The cost of the west 
 wing addition and extension this year, was $8000. One half acre of 
 land, at the corner of Chase and Asylum streets, was this year 
 purchased of W. E. Eason for $300, and thirty-six acres of the Eben 
 Wells farm for $3700. 
 
RECORD OF 1854. 
 
 THE work of this year commenced with the removal of a Hne of 
 wooden buildings situated in the rear of the west wing of the 
 main buildings, preparatory to the construction of more per- 
 manent ones. 
 
 The Trustees in their Report of this year say, "They have 
 erected a new brick building, eighty feet in length, and forty in 
 breadth, with a cellar under the whole, the same being divided 
 into various apartments, which makes it a very convenient and com- 
 modious store-house." The cost of this building was $4000. 
 
 "Great and permanent improvements," say the Trustees, "have 
 been constantly made on the farm, and especially for the last two 
 years. The products have greatly increased, and those of this year 
 have far exceeded those of any former one. 
 
 " It was found there was not sufficient cultivated land belonging to 
 the Asylum to furnish adequate employment for the male patients 
 in the open air. We also needed a large increase of pasture land 
 for the purpose of keeping a sufficient number of cows on our 
 own land. The patients are generally fond of milk, and the excel- 
 lent fresh article which is furnished from the farm affords a healthy 
 diet. 
 
 "We have accordingly purchased most of the farm belonging to 
 the late Eben Wells, Esq., containing, originally, over two hundred 
 acres. We shall now be enabled to keep a large number of cows, 
 besides having some excellent land for tillage. The additional 
 employment furnished our male patients by this means greatly 
 increases the facilities for their restoration." 
 
 I'he Superintendent likewise refers this year to the great improve- 
 ments made upon the farm and garden by which greatly increased 
 productiveness has been realized, and says, " For these improve- 
 ments we are under the greatest obligations to Hon. F. Holbrook 
 for the interest, advice and personal attention which he has so gen- 
 erously bestowed upon them." This interest, it may here be 
 remarked, has never waned ; and through all the subsequent years 
 
I04 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 the development of the resources of the farm has been his special 
 study and particular labor of love. Under his direction the meadow 
 has been drained and made to yield under cultivation almost all 
 crops, and land too wet for ploughing has been brought into English 
 bearing grass, while the run out pasture lands have likewise been 
 tilled and restored. 
 
 One hundred and sixty-three patients were this year received, 
 and one hundred and forty-six discharged. Three hundred and 
 eighty-nine were in the Asylum at date of the Report. 
 
 A balance against the Institution is this year shown of $701.87. 
 The income being, $44,492.33 
 
 The expenditure, 45,194.20 
 
 The officers elected at the annual meeting were: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 J Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 Warren E. Eason, Farmer. 
 Abigail Rockwell; Matron. 
 Henry M. Booth, Assistant Physician. 
 The bulk of the Eben Wells farm, this year purchased, cost 
 $5,185. A small piece of land was also bought of Nelson Crosby 
 for $90, which included a slate ledge, yielding suitable stone for the 
 foundation walls of buildings. 
 
 It is gratifying here to note that while the Trustees were greatly 
 engrossed in the development of the Institution according to will of 
 the founder, they did not lose sight of their obligations toward 
 those who were committed to its care, and for whose benefit it was 
 created. 
 
 At their May meeting this year, at the suggestion of Mr. J. 
 D. Bradley, it was Voted, ''That the several wards be numbered, 
 and blank interrogatories be printed [as per form furnished] and 
 that each attendant answer them each month." 
 The following are the questions: — 
 
 1. In which ward or department have you rendered services 
 during the past month ? and in what capacity ? 
 
 2. Has any violence or constraint been used towards any patient 
 in your ward, other than that ordinarily incident to mere detention ? 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1854. 105 
 
 3. If so, towards what patient ? 
 
 4. By whom was it ordered ? 
 
 5. For what cause? 
 
 6. To what extent or degree ? 
 
 7. Who were present? 
 
 8. What were the circumstances ? 
 
 9. Has any patient, during the past month, used any violence 
 against any attendant or other patient, or against himself? 
 
 10. If so, state the circumstances. 
 
 11. Whether you were present? and from whom your inform- 
 ation was derived, and who were present ? 
 
 12. Have you known in this Institution during the past 
 month, of any misconduct on the part of any attendant toward any 
 patient ? 
 
 13. Or of any neglect of duty on the part of any attendant? 
 
 14. Or of any act of any attendant showing a temper unfit 
 for the care of insane patients, or showing a want of the special 
 patience and forbearance which such a trust requires ? If so, state 
 particulars. 
 
 15. Has any patient in your ward attempted any escape during 
 the past month ? 
 
 16. If so, state the circumstances, and how far the attempt suc- 
 ceeded. 
 
 17. Do you assume the duty, so long as you shall be connected 
 with this Asylum, of giving each month candid answers to the fore- 
 going questions? 
 
 This requirement, thus instituted, continued in force for some 
 ten years, when it fell into disuse. 
 
RECORD OF i855. 
 
 AT the first meeting of the Trustees this year it was Voted^ " To 
 engage Jacob CatUn as apothecary to the Institution, with 
 an annual salary of two hundred dollars." 
 
 This office, although created by the Trustees, it will be noticed 
 had never been regularly filled, and was often left vacant at the 
 annual elections. But the continued increase of numbers now made 
 it necessary to fill it, and add to it a suitable salary, as seen above. 
 
 At the February meeting of the Board it was Voted, "That W. 
 H. Rockwell be hereby directed to build an infirmary for the 
 male department of the Institution, and that said building be made 
 of brick, and be constructed with the greatest practicable safety 
 against fire ; and also one for females." 
 
 This work was immediately entered upon and practically com- 
 pleted during this year. The site for the building, in connection 
 with the male department, was secured by removing the rear wing of 
 the "White House," and was constructed sixty feet long by thirty- 
 six feet wide, and two stories in height. That for the female 
 department was connected with the new laundry building, of the 
 same width and height as the latter, and extended westward fifty 
 feet, in the rear of the center building. 
 
 The erection of these two wings seems to have been suggested 
 by the epidemic experiences of the immediately preceding years. 
 
 The Trustees in their Report of this year say, "Our accommoda- 
 tions for the sick, heretofore, have been as good probably as those 
 in other similar establishments, but in all institutions of this kind 
 there should be a hospital department, where the sick can be 
 removed from all annoyance, and where the immediate friends 
 can, if they desire, bestow their kind attention and sympathy." 
 
 In addition to the work of building, it became necessary this 
 year to take measures for the protection of the bank in the rear 
 of the buildings, lest the foundations of the latter be weakened from 
 the washings of heavy rains, the descent from the building plateau 
 to the meadow below being some sixty feet in the perpendicular 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1855. lo? 
 
 height. To secure this, a foot-wall two hundred and sixty-four feet 
 in length, eight feet in height, and six feet in thickness was con- 
 structed, which still remains. 
 
 The Superintendent reports that one hundred and sixty-four 
 patients were received since the last Report, and one hundred 
 and fifty-nine were discharged during the same period, three 
 hundred and ninety-four remaining. 
 
 Immediately after the date of the last Report, another epidemic 
 of dysentery seized upon the household, and continued with unabated 
 severity through the hot season of 1854. 
 
 Of this Dr. Rockwell says, "When a disorder of this kind obtains 
 a foothold in a building where there is a large assemblage of persons, 
 there is sufficient effluvia arising from the sick, to vitiate to a greater 
 or less degree the surrounding atmosphere, and unquestionably 
 many persons are attacked who otherwise might have escaped. 
 
 "To be in readiness for emergencies of this kind in future, we 
 have commenced the erection of two infirmaries, one for males and 
 the other for females. By isolating the sick in this manner the phy- 
 sician can visit them frequently during the day and night, without 
 disturbing others or exciting their fears ; and at the same time 
 the rest of the household are free from the exposure which must 
 otherwise exist." 
 
 In this case the provision thus planned proved analagous to 
 putting a lock upon the stable door after the horse had been stolen. 
 No epidemic of any kind, has since then gained a foothold, and 
 the buildings created for this emergency have been devoted to 
 ordinary occupancy. 
 
 It may be remarked that all the three epidemics now noted were 
 in reality endemics. They did not prevail in the surrounding popu- 
 lation. Beyond a doubt the dysenteries were of local origin. The 
 causes for this are at this distance of time necessarily more or less 
 speculative, but in all probability they were external to the buildings, 
 else each year would have developed more or less of the malady. 
 At that time malarial influences were less understood than now, but 
 looking at certain facts existing at that period, in the light of to-day, 
 it does not seem difficult to arrive at the probable secret of these 
 special outbreaks. 
 
 The sewers from the beginning of the establishment opened out 
 upon the slope in the rear of the buildings, and the sewage was 
 conducted in spouts to the meadow level, where was situated a 
 compost bed which took up at first the liquid discharges, but after 
 this they were absorbed by the meadow bottom. 
 
io8 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 At the time of the first epidemic the meadow had not been 
 drained, and it is remembered that the season was unusually dry. 
 The unusual evaporation from this stagnant deposit undoubtedly 
 gave rise to the development of the germs of disease which were 
 wafted by the prevailing winds to the contiguous buildings, thus 
 in all probability, giving rise to the disorder therein developed. 
 
 At the time of the present epidemic the conditions were similar 
 as to drought, but the drainage had been effected. Advantage had, 
 however, been taken of the dry time to grade to some extent the 
 meadow surface, and in doing this the ground saturated for many 
 years with sewage deposits, had been broken and turned over to a 
 large extent, hence setting free again the germs to be borne by the 
 same wind currents toward the buildings, to be followed by like 
 unsanitary effects. Howbeit, no subsequent like experiences have 
 resulted, since the sewage was thus provided with a direct channel 
 to the river, and the meadow ceased to absorb and retain it. 
 The income this year was, $49,805.11 
 
 The expenditure, 50,924.42 
 
 Balance against the Asylum, $1,119.31 
 
 At the annual meeting this year it was Voted, "To appoint 
 
 annually two assistant physicians to the Vermont Asylum." 
 Made choice of the following officers: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent. 
 
 W. E. Eason, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 E. R. Chapin, ) 
 
 H. M. Booth, [ A^^'^'^"' P''y^"^'^"^- 
 
 Jacob Catlin, Apothecary. 
 
 At this meeting it was Voted, To purchase certain lands upon 
 the mountain side for purposes of fuel, which was done at a cost 
 of $450, by deed dated December 28th. 
 
 This purchase was made of Dr. Rockwell, who had previously 
 secured the same, and was contiguous to that likewise secured by 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1855. 109 
 
 him in 1852. Fifty acres adjoining this was also purchased of 
 John L. Sargent, December 28th for $210. 
 
 A wood-house was this year built at the Marsh Building cost, $400. 
 The cost of the two infirmaries was $5,000 each. Total, $10,000, 
 
 It is a matter of record that Mr. Keyes was this year deputed to 
 procure an Act of the Legislature providing for the appointment of a 
 medical examiner, whose duty it should be to certify to the insanity 
 of applicants for admission to the Asylum ; no statute heretofore 
 existing relative to this requirement. 
 
RECORD OF 1856. 
 
 THIS year opened with no new plans for enlargement. It will 
 be seen that more than ordinary expenditures and liabilities 
 were incurred the preceding year, both in new erections and 
 in securing additional land. This year therefore it was necessary to 
 suspend fresh outlays. 
 
 At the February meeting it was Voted^ ''That the Superintendent 
 furnish, as soon as may be, sufificient ladders for all the buildings of 
 the Asylum," and it seems to have been a year devoted mainly to 
 the current work of the Asylum, professionally and otherwise. 
 
 One hundred and seventy-two patients are reported as having 
 been received during the preceding year, and one hundred and fifty- 
 nine discharged; four hundred and seven remaining August ist. 
 
 The Report of the Superintendent is largely given to the discus- 
 sion of insanity, and the practical bearings of its treatment. The 
 following quotations show its drift: 
 
 " However mysterious and incomprehensible the operations of the 
 human mind in the natural state, the brain, the organ by which the 
 mind is manifested, must be in a sound and healthy condition. 
 
 " Insanity is frequently the result of an impression made upon 
 the brain by some sudden and powerful emotion, or prolonged and 
 inordinate action of the mind. The brain in such instances is 
 usually prepared or rendered liable to the influence of such impres- 
 sions, either from development of a constitutional predisposition 
 or from disease in itself, or from sympathy with some other diseased 
 organ, or from debility in common with the general powers of the 
 whole system, 
 
 " But in whatever manner insanity occurs, a continual exposure 
 to the exciting cause that gave rise to it would evidently have 
 a strong tendency to increase the difficulty. Therefore it becomes 
 the imperative duty of the responsible friends of a deranged person 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1856. in 
 
 to remove him at once from the associations by which he is sur- 
 rounded at the time of the attack, and to place him in a hospital for 
 the insane, where alone such diseases can be treated with much 
 chance of success. 
 
 "Although it is very desirable that cases of insanity should 
 be placed in some proper Asylum in the early stages of the disease, 
 still, we would caution those who are interested not to bring their 
 friends who are afflicted with other diseases, or before their insanity 
 is fully developed. It is no uncommon circumstance to have sent 
 us a case in the early stage of delirium, and while suffering from 
 acute bodily disease. When they reach us they frequently are 
 too feeble to be returned to their homes. These cases frequently 
 prove fatal, and death in many instances is hastened by the ex- 
 posure and fatigue of the journey. 
 
 " The removal of patients before they have had a fair trial is for- 
 tunately becoming less common than in former years. From this 
 Asylum they are seldom prematurely removed, save occasionally 
 under circumstances which the following case will illustrate. 
 
 " A young married lady had been a few weeks in the Asylum, and 
 was rapidly convalescing. When she came she was in a highly 
 excited state, and her mind was filled with the strangest delusions. 
 She had now become more calm. The delusions had nearly all 
 faded away, and she began to be conscious of her situation. But 
 her mind was still in a very weak state, liable to a relapse at any 
 moment, and the greatest caution was necessary to keep from her all 
 extraneous excitement. At this critical period her husband came to 
 see her. He was charged with a common idea that there might 
 be something in his presence that would have a happy influence 
 upon the mind of his wife. We endeavored to dissuade him from 
 seeing her, but his mind was fully made up to take the risk He 
 found her much better than he expected, and she seemed better the 
 longer he talked with her. She asked after every member of 
 the family, and said she was glad he had come for her. His mind 
 was not made up to take her away just at present, but she talked so 
 well, and had so clear a recognition of her past situation, that 
 he could not resist the eloquence of her arguments and appeals, and 
 they went home together. The result was anticipated by us. Her 
 mind soon gave way under the rush of old associations and new ex- 
 citements, and she was brought back again in a worse condition than 
 at first. It will be a long time before she will be so near well again, 
 and it will be fortunate indeed if she is not a confirmed lunatic." 
 
112 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 At the annual meeting this year the Trustees made choice of the 
 following ofificers: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 Warren E. Eason, Farmer. 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 Ha 
 
 J. R Clement, f 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Clerk. 
 The office of apothecary here ceases. 
 The income this year was, $53,609.03 
 
 The expenditure, - ^ ■ 53,161.59 
 
 E. R. Chapin, , . 
 
 Assistant Physicians. 
 
 Balance in treasury, $447.44 
 
 At the September meeting the Trustees Voted, " That W. H. 
 Rockwell be authorized to remove the building called the 'White 
 House,' and to erect on the same site another building made of 
 brick, and to be constructed with the greatest practicable safety 
 against fire. 
 
 " Also, Voted, To give a site for the school-house on the common 
 and move it on the same, provided the school district would consent 
 to have it done." 
 
 The school district, on the loth of this same month, acceded 
 to this proposition, "On condition that the Asylum furnish a site 
 and build a new building, of one school room, to the acceptance of a 
 committee appointed for that purpose; the material of the old house 
 to be used as far as practicable." 
 
 The work of the removal and re-location of the school house was 
 entered upon without delay, and effected during the autumn and 
 winter succeeding. 
 
RECORD OF 185;. 
 
 EARLY this year a wood lot of fifteen acres, upon the West River 
 road in Brattleboro, but disconnected from the Asylum 
 estate proper, was purchased of P. B. Francis at a cost 
 of $300. 
 
 On the 30th of March the Trustees formally turned over the 
 reconstructed school-house, and gave to the school district a deed of 
 the new site at the corner of Chase and Asylum streets, where it 
 still stands. By this was accomplished the desired object of freeing 
 •the village common of all obstructions to the view from the Asylum 
 in front. 
 
 The Congregational church, which also formerly stood upon that 
 ground, was removed to its present site on Main street in 1842. The 
 grounds of the Asylum and those of the village common, being both 
 laid out in walks and planted with trees, and separated from each 
 other only by a low hedge of buck thorn and Osage orange, along 
 the brow of the hill, now gave to the stranger the appearance of an 
 extended and continuous park; an effect alike advantageous to the 
 Asylum and the village. 
 
 Land, small in area, was also this spring purchased in contiguity 
 with the Chase street school-house, of the Misses Crosby, for $600. 
 
 At the April meeting it was Voted, by the Trustees, ''That 
 Frederick Holbrook and W. H. Rockwell be authorized to build an 
 addition to the center building, for the purpose of protecting the 
 records of the Institution against any destruction by fire." 
 
 It was determined by the committee that fire proof safes in the 
 offices would meet best the requirement, and such were accordingly 
 procured. 
 
 "In noticing the events of the past year," say the Trustees, 
 "steady and regular improvements have been made for promoting 
 the comfort and restoration of the patients. 
 
 "Last fall we removed the old wooden building with which 
 we .first commenced operations. On the same site we are now 
 erecting a larger building of brick, and better adapted for the pur- 
 
114 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 poses of the Institution. It is one hundred feet in length, thirty- 
 seven feet in breadth, and three stories in height. When completed 
 it will greatly increase our facilities for the classification and treat- 
 ment of its inmates. 
 
 " During the past year great improvements have been made on the 
 common in front of the Asylum. The school-house and buildings 
 connected with it have been removed. Much labor and cost has 
 been expended in improving the grounds, laying out walks, trans- 
 planting trees, and otherwise beautifying the grounds, all of which 
 has contributed to make the view from the Asylum pleasant and 
 delightful." 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows one hundred and forty-seven 
 admitted, one hundred and forty-one discharged, four hundred and 
 thirteen remaining. 
 
 Dr. Rockwell refers in this particularly to the burdens felt by the 
 relatives of the insane, in the following graphic manner: 
 
 "The families of insane persons have often an amount of trials 
 and perplexities to endure, and difficulties to overcome, before they 
 make up their minds to remove their afflicted friends to an asylum 
 for the insane, that few individuals, besides those in charge of such 
 institutions, have any adequate conception of. 
 
 "In the course of our inquiries into the circumstances that 
 may have had weight in giving rise to a disorder of the mind, we 
 are often made acquainted with many sad experiences on the part of 
 the distracted family, that are scarcely to be equalled in intensity, in 
 any other of the numerous misfortunes of life. None but they 
 can know how terrible a shock to them is the discovery that one 
 of their number has become insane. The disease sometimes comes 
 on suddenly, following severe illness, or some overwhelming misfor- 
 tune ; but oftener its approach is by slow degrees, frequently giving 
 rise to no suspicion of its presence, until some overt act forces the 
 sudden conviction that the past vagaries of the mind are all eviden- 
 ces of insanity. The long growing eccentricities and irregularities 
 of conduct, that had caused much sorrow and bitterness of feeling, 
 and perhaps estrangements between individual members of a family 
 are thus accounted for, and their hearts are filled with sorrow as 
 they reflect upon the unjust and unholy thoughts they have so 
 long harbored against an innocent relative. 
 
 " Perhaps the trial is as hard to be borne when the fond mother 
 becomes the unhappy victim to this dread disorder. She, upon 
 whom they had leaned in the hour of sickness and trial, the center of 
 all their affections, has become changed by this mysterious malady 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1857. 115 
 
 into a being strange and all unlike herself. The integrity of the 
 family circle is broken by this sad calamity, and like the affliction of 
 death it seems to bind the remaining members more closely together. 
 They naturally resolve to spare no efforts to soothe their mother's 
 excited or perverted spirit, and win it back to reason again. They 
 strive to anticipate every wish, and oppose her will in nothing. 
 Above all they endeavor to avoid anything that may irritate a sensi- 
 tive mind. Thus weeks and months roll on, and though their efforts 
 are redoubled with the increasing extravagancies of their insane 
 parent it is usually of no avail, and the disease goes on increasing in 
 intensity, and. unknown to them perhaps the very sacrifices and 
 efforts they are making to allay the malady only tend to increase its 
 force. At length to her everything appears changed. The strongest 
 attachments become objects of suspicion, distrust and enmity. Her 
 husband appears cold, indifferent and careless of her comfort. She 
 fancies the hearts of her children are turned against their mother. 
 In vain with kindness and caresses all try to dispel these painful illu- 
 sions, with strongest arguments and appeals to her better judgment. 
 At this stage of her disorder it is evidently the true interest of all 
 parties to remove the afflicted person to a hospital especially adapted 
 and designed for the treatment of disorders of the mind. But one 
 who has no experience in such matters would be surprised to learn 
 the obstacles, real and imaginary, that lay in the way of such an 
 apparently simple act of duty and interest. Often by the difference 
 of opinion among the immediate relatives, friends and acquaintances 
 of the patient, through indecision, false pride and other motives, she 
 remains at home until her case has become incurable. ■ After it is too 
 late the friends vainly regret that they had not in due season 
 used the proper means for her recovery." 
 
 The Report shows the income to have been, $55j745-43 
 
 The expenditure, 56,238.12 
 
 Leaving balance against Asylum of, $492.69 
 
 The Trustees at their annual meeting made choice of the follow- 
 ing :— 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
ii6 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Alanson Weatherhead, Farmer. 
 
 Ab.igail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 E. R. Chapin, ) 
 
 T P ri t \ Assistant Physicians. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Clerk. 
 
 At the October meeting the Trustees Vofed, " To purchase the 
 Prouty lot," so called, which was negotiated for and secured of 
 Nathaniel Samson and Charles S. Prouty, together, for the aggregate 
 sum of $2010. Cost of Marsh building $10,000. 
 
 Thus far the year had been one of unequaled financial pros- 
 perity, but it was not destined to close without a reverse. The 
 large farm barn, erected in 1850, was, with all its contents, in the 
 last month of this year totally destroyed by fire. The Trustees lost 
 no time in taking steps toward replacing the same, as appears by the 
 following record on the second Monday of December : 
 
 " Fofed, That the Superintendent make the necessary prepara- 
 tions for the erection of a new barn early in the spring." 
 
 The village newspaper [The Phoenix] of December 12th, gives 
 the following detail of this occurrence : 
 
 "Another I^ire in Brattleboro — More Incendiarism. 
 "Just three months from the great fire in September the torch of 
 the incendiary was lighted in our village. About half past eight 
 o'clock on Saturday evening the large barn connected with the Ver- 
 mont Asylum for the Insane was discovered to be completely on fire. 
 Upon immediate inspection the doors at the north end, which had 
 been closed for the night, were found sufficiently open to admit the 
 passage of a man. As that was the windward as well as the rear 
 end of the barn, the incendiary had selected it for his ingress 
 and egress. The barn was so thoroughly on fire, the flames being 
 facilitated by the cellar below and ventilator above, that it was found 
 impossible to release the cattle from their stalls, or in any way 
 arrest the progress of the devouring element. Consequently the 
 barn, which was 100 feet long by 40 wide, with about 100 tons of hay, 
 eighteen selected cows, six oxen and five calves were destroyed. 
 The cattle were probably all dead when the fire was discovered, 
 as they were not heard to make any noise. The fire was prevented 
 from communicating to the large piggery on the south, containing 
 about one hundred swine, and to a shed and corn barn on the north, 
 in which was stored about one thousand bushels of corn, by the 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1857. 117 
 
 efficient efforts of all branches of the fire department. The loss 
 is estimated at $4,000, — $1,500 each on the barn and stock and 
 $1000 on the hay. There was $1,450 insurance on the property, 
 $850 on the barn and $600 on the produce, all in the Vermont 
 Mutual. 
 
 " The next morning tracks were discovered in the snow, leading 
 from the north end of the barn up the banks, over fences, across 
 roads, through wood lots, and into the street where they were lost. 
 There can be no doubt that the fire was the work of an incendiary 
 or incendiaries. What their motive could be in causing such wanton 
 destruction of property no one can tell. We trust our citizens will 
 see the necessity of instituting a rigid examination into the origin of 
 the fire, and if possible discover the perpetrators of such a villainous 
 deed." 
 
 The guilty party was ultimately found to have been the author of 
 other incendiary acts, the motive for which was believed to have 
 been morbid in its nature. 
 
 The Journal of Insanity, Utica, N. Y., in a review of this year's 
 report makes the following comments : 
 
 " In the annual reports- of his institution Dr. Rockwell confines 
 himself very uniformly to the general statistics of the year, the 
 various architectural or other improvements which may have been 
 made, suggestions in relation to the admission and removal of 
 patients, and brief remarks on the cause and treatment of the dis- 
 ease, designed more particularly for popular instruction. Very few 
 gentlemen in our specialty have a larger experience in the care and 
 treatment of the insane, or in the management of institutions for 
 their reception. A professional connection of several years with the 
 Retreat at Hartford, and twenty-two years of service in the institu- 
 tion at Brattleboro have given him the possession of no ordinary 
 amount of practical knowledge. Although he has not deemed 
 it expedient to occupy the pages of his annual reports with the dis- 
 cussion of subiects strictly medical, .we sincerely tru.st that the 
 profession will receive the benefit of his ripened experience in some 
 other and perhaps better way." 
 
 It is for the reason that we have no other written exposition 
 of his views upon any subject connected with psychological medi- 
 cine, that we have gleaned so closely as we have from his reports, 
 which contain the only published evidence of his views upon 
 the specialty to which he devoted his entire life. 
 
 At the second meeting of the American Association of Superin- 
 . tendents of which he was a member, he was appointed to report 
 
ii8 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 upon " The comparative value of the different kinds of manual labor 
 for patients, and the best means of employment in winter," which 
 he did in a written paper at the third meeting of the Association in 
 New York in 1848. 
 
 In 1850 he prepared and presented to the Association at its fifth 
 meeting, in Boston, an article on "The diet and dietetic regulations for 
 the insane," and in 1858 at the meeting in Quebec, a paper upon 
 "The general characters of epilepsy connected with insanity," 
 which elicited a strong discussion. 
 
 These we believe to have been the only occasions in which 
 his views upon subjects of professional interest were elaborated 
 upon paper, and these with all his other manuscript writings were 
 lost in 1862, by the fire which then destroyed so large a portion of 
 the Asylum buildings and their contents. 
 
 If we mistake not greatly, the points we have thus dilligently ex- 
 tracted from ' the foregoing annual reports, will show him well 
 abreast with the specialists of his time in his general views and prin- 
 ciples of management of the insane, and in some points standing 
 signally alone, as in respect to the question of parole, more fully 
 noticed in the history of the year 1848. 
 
 In the great practical result of Dr. Rockwell's labor in developing 
 the Institution, the annalist feels that the Doctor's professional repu- 
 tation became to a notable extent overshadowed by his superior 
 administrative accomplishment. It has been therefore his endeavor 
 to bring into the record each year, so far as possible, those proofs 
 of sound professional theories and skilful medical practice, of which 
 there are ample evidences, and which the writer personally knows 
 he possessed in no ordinary degree. This point certainly calls for 
 recognition, all the more from the fact that it was never made prom- 
 inent by himself. 
 
RECORD OF i858. 
 
 IN February of this year, a small purchase of land was made 
 of Shepard Rice, [thirty square rods], giving a connection 
 between the " Prouty lot," last year purchased, and lands pre- 
 viously owned by the Asylum. Price paid, $20.00. In March, the 
 farm of Newman Allen was negotiated for, containing one hundred 
 and seventy-five acres more or less, and being the bulk of the so 
 called " Kingsley farm," originally offered to the Trustees as a site 
 for the Asylum [see 1836]. The cost of this extensive purchase was 
 $10,500, which was paid for in annual instalments of $1,000 ; the 
 same being secured by a mortgage upon the property. This consti- 
 tutes the principal portion of the meadow and cultivated part of the 
 farm, to-day. 
 
 This month was also secured additional woodland upon the 
 mountain, of John Heywood and others, at a cost of $840. 
 
 While the Trustees were thus with wise foresight enlarging the 
 domains of the Asylum, they were not unmindful of the needs of the 
 household in detdil, and the sanitary welfare of the inmates of the 
 Institution. 
 
 The evils incident to a crowded house were now sensiby felt, and 
 along with this, measures for overcoming practical inconveniences 
 were suggested. At the April meeting of the Board, it was Voted^ 
 "That J. D. Bradley and F. Holbrook, together with the Superinten- 
 dent, be a committee to devise the best mode of ventilation." The 
 method of heating the Institution being by hot air furnaces, a forced 
 system of changing the air was impracticable. It was, therefore, 
 determined to increase the exit flues, which was done by construct- 
 ing additional chimneys in each wing, with registers opening into 
 them from each floor. 
 
 The report of the Trustees gives the following authentic state- 
 ment of the burning of the farm barn at the close of the preceding 
 year. 
 
 " On the fifth of December, the larger barn belonging to the 
 Institution was entirely destroyed by fire. It contained about ninety 
 tons of hay, twenty-nine cattle, and a considerable amount of grain. 
 
I20 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 "The fire was discovered about 8 o'clock in the evening, and was 
 evidently the work of an incendiary. It spread with such rapidity 
 that the whole building and its contents were in flames before it was 
 discovered. But so prompt, vigorous and efficient were the fire 
 companies of this village, that the fire was confined to the large barn, 
 and the three large contiguous buildings were saved. Too much 
 praise cannot be bestowed on the fire companies especially, and also 
 on the citizens of this village generally, for their efficient and suc- 
 cessful efforts in stopping the progress of the fire. A new barn has 
 since been built of larger dimensions and in an improved manner." 
 The cost of the latter was |p2,ooo.oo, toward this an insurance was 
 received of $1,448.63. 
 
 The Trustees also refer as follows to the recent enlargement of 
 the estate : 
 
 " We have purchased the farm lately owned by Mr. Newman 
 Allen, and which lay in the midst of land belonging to this Institu- 
 tion. This farm is easy to cultivate, and the soil is rich and produc- 
 tive, and will afford much useful and pleasant employment to the 
 patients. With the exception of one or two small pieces of land, 
 which are nearly surrounded by that belonging to the Institution, we 
 shall not need any further addition to the farm." 
 
 The Superintendent reports admissions, one hundred and fifty- 
 seven ; discharges, one hundred and fifty-five ; remaining August 
 ist, four hundred and fifteen. 
 
 He refers to the building erected the preceding year, on the site 
 of the original "White House," and which at its opening was desig- 
 nated the " Marsh Building," in remembrance and honor of the 
 founder of the Asylum, and says, " it has added greatly to the facili- 
 ties for the classification and treatment of the patients. 
 
 " It greatly relieves us " [he further adds] " from the crowded state 
 of the Institution, from which we suffered before it was completed. 
 In the front part of the building, we have a number of suits of rooms, 
 where a limited number of quiet patients can be accommodated. 
 They can take their meals with the Superintendent, and be entirely 
 separated from the rest of the patients." 
 
 This arrangement for a limited number of patients as boarders, 
 cases of dipsomania, or nervous disorder short of pronounced in- 
 sanity, in persons of superior social position, was continued as shown 
 above, for many years. It is further noted, that "great improve- 
 ments have been made the past year for warming and ventilating all 
 the buildings throughout the establishment, which are occupied by 
 the patients." 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1858. 121 
 
 The income for the year was, $58,663.44 
 
 The expenditure, 58,890.58 
 
 Balance against the Asylum, $227.14 
 
 The following officers were chosen for the year ensuing : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 VV. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 Alanson Weatherhead, Farmer. 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 F. C ^Veeks 1 
 
 n Tvir r> rr ' r Assistant Physicians. 
 
 G. M. Buffum, \ •' 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Clerk. 
 
RECORD OF i859. 
 
 AT the first meeting of the Board this year, the Trustees Voted, 
 " That Frederick Holbrook and W. H. Rockwell be a com- 
 mittee to erect a brick horse-barn, in a substantial and im- 
 proved manner." 
 
 This it was determined to locate contiguously to the brick store- 
 house at its eastern extremity, and in the line of buildings at the 
 rear of the west wing of the main buildings. The wooden building 
 heretofore serving as stable, was removed still further to the rear, 
 and fitted up as a shop for mechanical work. Other changes were 
 likewise made in the rear line of wooden structures between the new 
 stable and female infirmary, particularly in providing a store-house 
 for fuel in the rear of the center building. The cost of these im- 
 provements was $2,500.00. 
 
 In June of this year a half acre of land near the Asylum was 
 purchased for the sum of $30.00 of Mary A. Knowlton. 
 
 One hundred and fifty-six patients are reported as received, and 
 one hundred and forty discharged ; leaving August ist, four hund- 
 red and thirty-one. The Superintendent refers below with especial 
 satisfaction to the improved means of illumination, in connection 
 with the village enterprise this year established. 
 
 " Arrangements have been made with the Brattleboro Gas Com- 
 pany, by which the Asylum is now brilliantly lighted in this manner. 
 The air of cheerfulness, which now pervades the Institution, is in 
 striking contrast with its former condition." 
 
 He also discourses as follows upon the importance of, and diffi- 
 culties in securing proper persons as attendants. " Few things are 
 more important in an Asylum for the Insane than a proper selection 
 of suitable persons for attendants. Unless they possess a good share 
 of common sense, together with kindness, industry, and tact in enter- 
 ing into the views of the patients, and making their situations 
 agreeable, and are themselves governed by the golden rule 
 * Whatsoever ye would that others should do to you, do ye even so to 
 them,' they should never engage in this important calling. They 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1859. 123 
 
 should ever bear in mind that the patient is insane, that his out- 
 breaks are the result of his disease, and that he is not responsible 
 for acts over which he has no control. Unless such persons are 
 employed for this purpose the endeavors and labors of the" Superin- 
 tendent will, in a great measure be frustrated." 
 
 The finances of the year show, 
 Income, $59»433-7o 
 
 Expenditure, 60,408,76 
 
 Balance short, $975-o6 
 
 At the annual meeting the following officers were chosen : — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Alanson Weatherhead, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 F. C. Weeks, ) 
 
 G.M.Buffum,l^'^^'^^^^^P^>^^^^''^"^' 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Clerk. 
 Additional land upon the mountain was also this year secured by 
 Dr. Rockwell, and turned over to the Asylum by him December 17th 
 at a co.st of $100. 
 
RECORD OF i860. 
 
 IN March of this year eighteen acres of cultivated land were 
 added to the Asylum estate, by purchase of Keith White, 
 for the sum of $1700. This is the open lot upon the western 
 side of Cedar street, opposite the Asylum Park. 
 
 In June three meetings were held by the Trustees, to discuss the 
 question of raising all the roofs of the main line of wings, thus 
 adding another story for occupancy by patients. 
 
 At the third meeting it was Voted^ " That J. D. Bradley, Esq., 
 invite Mr. Silloway, architect, of Boston, to visit Brattleboro and 
 ascertain the practicability of raising the buildings," and also, Fofed, 
 "If considered practicable, that the said buildings be raised one 
 story next year." 
 
 The report of the architect showed the project to be feasible, 
 and preparations were accordingly begun without delay. 
 
 This was a year devoted to the current routine of Asylum work. 
 "Since the opening of the Institution," say the Trustees, "an almost 
 uninterrupted success has attended its operations. We are ready 
 to admit that some would have recovered at home, but many others 
 would have passed into an incurable state, and prolonged a wretched 
 existence deprived of the comforts and enjoyments of life, and a 
 source of constant anxiety and affliction to friends. 
 
 "Improvements are constantly being made for the comfort 
 and welfare of the patients, and the facilities are increased for 
 their restoration. 
 
 "The Trustees, in their visits to the Asylum have noticed 
 the comfort and good order which everywhere prevailed, and believe 
 the designs of the Institution are carried out in a faithful and 
 judicious manner." 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows constantly increasing num- 
 bers treated. One hundred and forty-three were received, and one 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR i860. 125 
 
 hundred and thirty-eight discharged, leaving four hundred and 
 thirty-six in the Asylum August ist. 
 
 His report is devoted largely to the consideration of mental 
 disease, from which the following extracts are made : 
 
 '* Insanity is evidently on the increase in this country. There 
 are various causes for producihg this result. The rigid discipline 
 of our ancestors in the education of their children, has given place 
 to another extreme which is far more injurious to the healthy action 
 of the mental faculties. By permitting the passions to riot without 
 control, a character is forming which will prove unfavorable for 
 preserving a well balanced mind, 
 
 " Overtasking the young mind is another fruitful source of 
 insanity. In childhood the brain is too tender an organ to be 
 excited by any over exertion of intellectual labor, without hazarding 
 serious and permanent injury. Parents are too frequently desirous 
 of hastening the mental attainments of their children, and at the 
 same time are almost entirely neglectful of their physical welfare. 
 
 "The exciting and hazardous speculations in which the people 
 of this country frequently embark, and which so often result in 
 disastrous failure, and consequent mortified pride and disappoint- 
 ment, are frequent causes of insanity. Besides these and various 
 other causes, anything which tends to disturb the health and nervous 
 system, predisposes to insanity. In attempting the restoration of 
 the insane one of the first indications for their recovery is to remove 
 them from all the influences that operated to produce the disease, 
 and place them in situations that shall awaken new associations, and 
 divert the mind from all those painful impressions with which jt has 
 been afflicted. 
 
 **In the classification of our patients we have always endeavored 
 to associate those together who shall be a mutual benefit to each 
 other, or at least shall not be injurious. Regard is always had 
 to their former condition, education and habits of life. The sensi- 
 bilities of the insane are frequently rendered more acute by their 
 disease, and require the greatest caution that they are not annoyed 
 by those whose habits are disagreeable and unpleasant." 
 
 The resources for the year ending August ist were, $59,270.28 
 
 Expenditures, 57,809.68 
 
 Balance on hand, $1,460.60 
 
126 ANNy\LS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The following officers were elected at the annual meeting 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell^ Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Alanson Weatherhead, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 F. C. Weeks, , 
 
 Joseph Draper, \ Assistant Physicians. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Clerk. 
 
RECORD OF t86i. 
 
 THIS year was devoted to the work planned in the preceding, 
 and was otherwise uneventful. 
 The Trustees in their report say, "During this season 
 we have raised the roofs of the wings of the main building, and are 
 adding another story, thereby furnishing nearly one hundred addi- 
 tional rooms. Our means of classification and facilities for restora- 
 tion will be greatly improved. This last story is in progress of 
 completion, and we hope will soon be finished for the 'accommoda- 
 tion of patients." 
 
 One hundred and forty were this year admitted, one hundred 
 and thirty-eight discharged, leaving August ist, four hundred 
 and thirty-eight in the Asylum. 
 
 The Superintendent refers to the chief work of improvement in 
 the following terms : — . 
 
 "For several years the buildings have been so crowded that 
 wq have experienced the want of additional room to furnish all the 
 accommodations necessary for the comfort and restoration of the 
 inmates. 
 
 " From the inconveniences and annoyances attending the altera- 
 tion and enlargement of the buildings, the care and duties of 
 all in charge of the patients were greatly increased and rendered 
 difficult and laborious. I have the pleasure and satisfaction of being 
 able to state that all these duties were performed with a cheerfulness 
 and alacrity which was worthy of all praise." 
 
 The following professional observations command notice. 
 
 "I would recur to the oft repeated fact, the great importance 
 of placing the patients at a proper asylum in the first stages of their 
 disease. If the patient be suddenly attacked with a violent form of 
 mania, or because dangerous, and the friends have not the means of 
 restraining him, he will be generally taken to an asylum where 
 the usual facilities and appliances for his recovery can be available, 
 and he will usually be restored to his friends and usefulness in 
 a short time. But when the incipient stage of insanity comes on 
 
128 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 insidiously and almost inperceptibly, is slow in its progress, and the 
 patient is harmless and passive in his conduct, the friends cherish 
 the hope that the disease will soon wear away, and they will be 
 saved the painful necessity of parting with their dear relative, and 
 committing him to the care of strangers. Notwithstanding they act 
 from the very best of motives and kindest intentions, this course 
 has been the means of depriving many of a radical and permanent 
 cure, consigning them to a hopeless, incurable state. 
 
 "Among the causes which tend to produce this afflicting malady, 
 intemperance has long been known to be one of the most prolific. 
 Its effects are not confined to that form of insanity familiarly known 
 as delirium tremens. In noticing the causes of insanity many 
 causes are attributed to Moss of property,' 'ill health,' 'domestic 
 affliction,' and similar causes, all of which are frequently produced 
 by intemperance. Insanity and death are both more liable to 
 be produced at the present time by intemperance than formerly. 
 The recent developments of the poisonous adulteration of alcoholic 
 stimulants should be sufficient to deter everyone from the use of all, 
 excepting as unavoidable medicines, and then the purest liquors 
 only should be used." 
 
 Income this year, $59,7o4-75 
 
 Expenditure, 61,797.24 
 
 Balance short, $2,092.49 
 
 At the annual meeting the following officers were chosen for the 
 year ensuing : — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Alanson Weatherhead, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 F. C. Weeks, ) 
 
 Joseph Draper, \ Assistant Physicians. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Clerk. 
 The expenditure involved in the raising of the roofs of the 
 wings and building another story under them, was $12,000. 
 
RECORD OF 1862. 
 
 AFTER another story had been superimposed upon the wings, 
 some difficulty and inadequacy of heating the same from the 
 existing furnaces, was experienced. The subject early 
 came under discussion by the Board of Trustees, and the matter 
 reached the following action at their July meeting : 
 
 Voted, " That W. H. Rockwell be authorized to procure the 
 materials for a new building, for the purpose of warming the main 
 building by steam, and for other purposes." 
 
 The i^eport of the Trustees, August ist, notes the completion 
 of the work of the previous year, and adds, " We are now realizing 
 all the benefits we anticipated by the addition of a whole tier [flat] 
 of excellent rooms, the opportunities for greater classification, and 
 the increased facilities for the restoration of the inmates. 
 
 " Improvements have also been made on the farm, in the mode 
 of its cultivation, and in the increased products which have resulted 
 from it. The farm, although its pecuniary consideration is of 
 secondary importance, is still of great value, by its furnishing 
 healthy employment for the male patients, and by its contributing to 
 their comfort and recovery." 
 
 In the financial affairs of the Asylum the Trustees say, they 
 "have carefully watched the expenses and income and fixed 
 the terms as low as practicable, consistently with the best interests 
 of the Institution. While they have studied economy, they have 
 also endeavored to withhold no reasonable expense in the curative 
 treatment of the patients." 
 
 The Superintendent reports four hundred and sixty-three patients 
 in the Asylum, August ist. One hundred and forty-six having been 
 admitted, and one hundred and twenty-one discharged, in the 
 preceding twelvemonth. 
 
 Dr. Rockwell says, "There has been little of novelty in our 
 mode of treatment the past year. Whenever we find physical 
 disease we endeavor to remove it by the usual means, and restore 
 
130 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. . 
 
 the general health of the patient. In our moral treatment we 
 endeavor to furnish pleasant and useful employment for all we 
 can engage in that manner, not neglecting the usual amusements 
 and entertainments afforded at the Institution. 
 
 "Provision is made for reading, walking, riding, various games, 
 and other amusements, which serve to divert the mind from its 
 delusions. We encourage especially all amusements which require 
 exercise of the body as well as diversion of the mind, • such as 
 ten-pins, billiards, quoits, and the like. 
 
 "When the patients can be induced to take an interest in some 
 useful employment requiring active physical exercise, the result 
 is more lasting and beneficial. The grounds in front of the Asylum, 
 the flower and culinary garden and the extensive farm furnish abun- 
 dant occupation in the summer season for all our male patients who 
 will assist in their cultivation and improvement. The pleasant 
 reflection of having done something for the benefit of others, affords 
 them much satisfaction. 
 
 " In our mechanical shops we have furnished useful and pleasant 
 employment to many who have derived pleasure in contributing 
 their share in benefitting the Institution. We have endeavored 
 to employ each one in his own particular department, and much by 
 way of repairing and improvement has been accomplished by this 
 means. 
 
 " The female patients are employed in making and repairing their 
 own dresses, and those of other patients. Much is also done by 
 them in making and repairing bedding, and other work for the 
 Asylum. Some are employed in embroidery, painting, drawing, 
 playing on the piano, and like occupations. 
 
 " One great source of novelty and entertainment to the patients 
 is the various manifestations of ideas by other patients. Those 
 whose minds are not too imbecile or demented easily perceive the 
 insane notions of the other inmates. By this means their minds are 
 diverted from their own delusions, and they begin to distrust their 
 'own wild fancies, and a commencement is made towards their 
 recovery. It is supposed by some that the wild notions of the insane 
 in a lunatic asylum would retard rather than accelerate the recovery 
 of the rest. This is not the case when the inmates are judiciously 
 classified. 
 
 " Many of the patients have received benefit by administering to 
 the wants and comforts of thpir fellow inmates. We always encour- 
 age these acts of benevolence, as beneficial to both the giver and 
 receiver." 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1862. 131 
 
 This last paragraph is particularly significant, and illustrates 
 again a principle firmly believed in by the Doctor, of recognizing 
 and encouraging mutual dependence, and the mutual sharing of 
 responsibilities. 
 
 The following is the result of this year's annual election: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 Joseph Draper, | • . . 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr. f Assistant Physicians. 
 
 The financial statement shows. 
 Income, $60,381.02 
 
 Expenditure, 59,653-59 
 
 Balance on hand, $727.43 
 
 In November twenty-five acres of mountain woodland were pur- 
 chased of Farnsworth & Colburn for $200, and in December another 
 tract of forty-four acres of Colburn & Cobleigh for $400. 
 
 The Superintendent closed his report August ist, in the following 
 words: — 
 
 " Encouraged by our increased facilities and the success which 
 has attended our past labors, we would again commend this Institu- 
 tion to the same protecting Providence which has thus far sustained 
 it, humbly trusting that the means here used for the benefit of 
 the unfortunate will promote their comfort and restoration." 
 
 But events totally unforeseen- were destined to occur before 
 the close of the current year. 
 
 In September Hon. J. D. Bradley, a member of the Board of 
 Trustees for the fifteen years past, was removed by death. 
 
 At the December meeting of the Board on the second Monday 
 of the month, the Trustees remaining, proceeded to elect a suc- 
 cessor. 
 
 " The ballots being taken and counted, Hon. Daniel Kellogg was 
 unanimously elected, and being notified of his election, accepted the 
 trust." 
 
132 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Immediately following this date, on the 21st of the month, 
 occurred the most disastrous fire that has ever befallen the Institu- 
 tion. 
 
 The following account of this event is taken from the Vermont 
 Phoenix of December 25th. 
 
 The Fire at the Asylum. 
 
 "A fire broke out in the Asylum in this village on Sunday morn- 
 ing last about 2 o'clock, and before it could be arrested the center 
 and the wings west of it were consumed. The night was bitter cold, 
 and the wind was strong, but fortunately blew in a direction favor- 
 able for saving the buildings in the rear, on the north side. The 
 engines were there as promptly as the distance [half a mile] would 
 allow, and did good service. The first thing was to take the patients 
 to a place of safety. They were removed as soon as possible to the 
 building on the west side of the road, and to the Center church 
 in the village. A part of the furniture, stores, clothing, bedding, 
 etc., was removed from the entire building, and every exertion was 
 made to stop the progress of the flames. It was hoped at one time 
 that the center might be saved, and strong efforts were made to that 
 effect, but without success. In consequence of the brick wall and 
 the iron doors leading from the center to the wings on the east, and 
 by judiciously playing with the engines, the fire was held at bay 
 in the center, and the east wings were saved with but slight damage. 
 It was a difficult thing to convey the patients to safe places, as many 
 of them were so bereft of reason, and were so much excited by 
 the fire, that they were as likely to run to, as from the flames. Con- 
 sidering their number, and the circumstances of the case, we should 
 naturally expect that a large number would have perished in the 
 flames, but it has not been ascertained with certainty that more than 
 one perished. The loss of property is great, but is covered, we 
 understand, to the amount of something more than twenty-eight 
 thousand dollars. None of the propety lost was insured in this 
 State, but in several insurance companies in Massachusetts and 
 Connecticut. Arrangements will very soon be made so that the 
 patients will again have comfortable quarters, and as soon as the 
 weather will permit we presume the buildings destroyed will be 
 rebuilt. Several of the patients wandered away or ran away during 
 the fire, but most of them have been recovered. 
 
 "Much credit is due to the fire companies for their prompt 
 and efficient services, and to our citizens generally who turned out 
 on that inclement night to save life and property. Many men and 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1862. 133 
 
 many women exposed themselves that dreadful night to render what 
 assistance they could. We have heard several persons speak of the 
 self-possessed, cool manner in which young Rockwell, son of the 
 superintendent, gave information of the situation of things, and 
 instructions as to what should be done, and how his directions 
 might be carried out. How the fire caught is not positively known. 
 It commenced in the basement near one of the furnaces, but whether 
 from some defect in the furnace or the chimney connected with it, 
 or from some oth^r cause we are unable to say. It is a great calam- 
 ity, public and private, and Doctor Rockwell and his family, and 
 patients have the deep sympathy of many friends in this sad misfor- 
 tune. 
 
 The people of the village freely sent supplies of food to the 
 patients, until arrangements were made otherwise to furnish them, 
 and on Sunday forenoon some of the churches in the village omitted 
 public religious services for the performance of a pressing religious 
 duty to the suffering. 
 
 P. S. We learn since writing the above that of the patients 
 missing after the fire all but five have returned, and two of those 
 five have been heard from; also, that it is not quite certain that even 
 one perished in the flames." 
 
 An authoritative communication to the American Journal of 
 Insanity, in the January number following, states that, " During the 
 removal of the patients from one building to another at the time of 
 the fire a considerable number escaped. All have been returned 
 but four, and two of these have been heard from. It is not known 
 that any one has been destroyed by the fire." 
 
 It may here be stated that no certain knowledge of the missing 
 four, referred to in the latter account, has ever been obtained; and 
 it is possible they may have fallen victims to this casualty. 
 
RECORD OF 1863. 
 
 PROMPTLY, at the first regular meeting of the Board this year, 
 the Trustees Voted, ''To rebuild that portion of the estab- 
 lishment which was destroyed by fire, as soon as possible." 
 
 In their report of this year we have an official statement of this 
 occurrence: — 
 
 " Since submitting the last annual report the center building and 
 adjoining male wings were destroyed by fire. At two o'clock in the 
 morning of the 21st of December last, the fire was discovered in the 
 room directly over the furnace in the male wing, immediately 
 adjoining the center building. The stairway which led from one 
 story to another, and made of combustible materials, was directly 
 over the furnace, and served as a means of communicating the fire 
 to the upper parts of the wing. In consequence of a high wind, the 
 flames extended rapidly to the center building, which with the male 
 wings were entirely destroyed, excepting the outer walls of the 
 wings. The walls of the center building were rendered entirely 
 useless. The fire companies were immediately on the spot, and 
 prevented the fire from extending to the female department. By the 
 extraordinary exertions and well-directed management of those who 
 had the care of the patients, they were removed to a place of safety, 
 while nearly all of the furniture and other property in the consumed 
 buildings were destroyed. 
 
 By appropriating the large Marsh Building, which previously was 
 only partially occupied, and the female infirmary for the accommo- 
 dation of the male patients, they were made quite comfortable, and 
 especially so as soon as a portion of them could be removed by their 
 friends." 
 
 The decease of Mr. Bradley is thus commented upon by the 
 Trustees: 
 
 " During the past year the Institution has lost one of its early and 
 devoted friends, in the removal by death of the Hon. J. D. Bradley, 
 one of the Trustees. He always manifested a strong sympathy for 
 the unfortunate, and was always ready to cooperate in any proper 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1863. 135 
 
 way for the amelioration of their condition. His labors for the 
 interest of this Institution, and the welfare of its unfortunate sub- 
 jects, will be held in grateful remembrance." 
 
 In the report of the Superintendent, Dr. Rockwell observes: — 
 
 "I should do injustice to my own feelings if I failed to pay a 
 passing tribute to the memory of the late Hon. J. D. Bradley, one 
 of the Trustees. He was a member of this Board more than fifteen 
 years. He was not merely a nominal officer of the Institution, but 
 during the whole of this time he manifested a deep interest in its 
 welfare, and was always ready and willing to contribute his time and 
 influence to its best interests. He was always kind, affable and 
 courteous in his intercourse with all, and the patients looked on him 
 as their particular friend." 
 
 In consequence of the destruction of so large a part of the 
 buildings, the number of admissions this year falls much below that 
 of the immediately preceding ones. Ninety-eight were received, 
 and one hundred and nineteen discharged; leaving August ist, four 
 hundred and forty-two under care. 
 
 It will be remembered that at this time too, our country was 
 in the midst of that great struggle for national life, which during its 
 continuance vitally affected the population of every state, and might 
 be supposed to figure more or less as an element in developing 
 the insanity of the time. Upon this point Dr. Rockwell thus writes: 
 
 " In noticing the causes of insanity we have failed to see as many 
 cases produced by the progress and results of the war as might 
 be anticipated. The fears, the anxieties and suspense of those who 
 have had some dear relative in their country's service; the grief and 
 affliction of those whose affectionate objects have died on the battle- 
 field or in the hospital, not to mention the fears of those who suffered 
 intensely lest they should be drafted to sustain and defend their 
 country and its liberties, all have had their influence, if not in pro- 
 ducing, at least in giving a form to the insanity of the time. 
 
 "On the other hand, the general, if not universal desire to lessen 
 the hardships of a soldier's life, and to promote his comfort and 
 welfare while in his country's service, has called forth that generous 
 labor, and awakened that disinterested benevolence, and diverted 
 the mind from its personal trials and afflictions, the tendency of 
 which is favorable to the preservation of mental soundness." 
 The income this year was, $60,488.51 
 
 The expenditure, • 63,151.81 
 
 Balance short, $2,663.30 
 
136 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The cost of rebuilding the burned portion of the estabUshment 
 was $41,000. 
 
 This is not included in the current receipts and disbursements, 
 but was expended in the building account, and if included, should 
 be offset by the addition of this amount to the item of improvements 
 and repairs. 
 
 Toward this an insurance was received of $25,300. 
 
 The following additions of land were this year made: 
 
 One lot of ten acres upon the meadow, of Gov. Frederick Hol- 
 brook, for $1,700. This gave to the Asylum complete possession of 
 the whole tract between the Newfane road and West River. About 
 seventy acres of woodland of John F. Stearns, Sallv Nurse and 
 others of Dummerston, for the price of $1,752. 
 
 The following was the result of the annual election in August: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 Joseph Draper, ) . , . . 
 
 ,,, -.__,. 11 T r Assistant Phvsicians. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., C 
 
RECORD OF 1864. 
 
 THE record of this year shows but a single unusual event. The 
 Trustees in their report make note of a bequest, which 
 though small, is the only one of which the Institution has 
 been the recipient since that of Widow Anna Marsh, the founder. 
 
 "We are glad to be able to state [say the Trustees] that the late 
 Amherst Willoughby, Esq., of Berkshire, Vt., in his will bequeathed 
 the interest of one thousand dollars annually to the Vermont 
 Asylum, to be expended for the benefit of the insane poor of this 
 state. We hope the example may be followed by others; and we are 
 sure that more deserving objects of charity cannot be found, than 
 within the walls of this Institution." 
 
 At the annual meeting the following choice of officers was made: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, 'J'reasurer. 
 J. D. Bradley, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 - W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 x\bigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 Joseph Draper, ) . 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr. [ A^^'^'^"' P'^y^"^'^"^- 
 The Superintendent reports one hundred and twenty-eight ad- 
 missions, and one hundred and twelve discharges; leaving August 
 ist, four hundred and fifty-eight in the Asylum. 
 
 Dr. Rockwell writes, " We have of late discovered no important 
 new principles in the treatment of the insane. We watch the prog- 
 ress of improvement in this great cause of humanity, both in this 
 country and in Europe, and endeavor to keep pace with every 
 advancement that may be made. The medical and moral treatment 
 of each patient is varied by the particular indications of each case. 
 
138 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 " There are always more or less patients in a lunatic asylum who 
 are disposed to be usefully occupied when opportunity presents. If 
 these persons are confined in the halls they frequently become 
 irritable, discontented and unhappy. But if they are allowed to 
 engage in some useful occupation, they become cheerful and pleas- 
 ant, and use the direct means for improvmg their physical and 
 mental condition. We have always noticed that those patients who 
 have been suitably employed have been the soonest to recover. 
 
 "We encourage amusements as well as useful occupation for the 
 benefit of the patients. Almost any kind that will occupy the atten- 
 tion, and divert the mind from its delusions, will promote their 
 recovery. 
 
 " One of the most important objects in the treatment of the 
 insane is to create in them the feelings of self-respect, and the most 
 effectual way of accomplishing this is to treat them with all kindness, 
 respect and attention. By so doing they wiU exercise all the self- 
 control of which thev are capable, and endeavor to deserve all 
 the confidence they receive. In order to accomplish this system 
 of management, it is very desirable that the attendants possess the 
 necessary intelligence, kindness and tact for their situation. With 
 few exceptions we have been very fortunate in obtaining this class 
 of assistants." 
 
 An abstract of the state of the finances shows: 
 Income, $61,744.27 
 
 Expenditure, 64,335.14 
 
 Balance short, $2,590.87 
 
 At the close of this year forty-six acres of woodland were pur- 
 chased in Vernon, of Mr. Wells (xoodhue for the sum of $1800. 
 
 The following biographical facts, relative to the before mentioned 
 donor of the fund to the Asylum, have been obtained largely from 
 Judge Myron W. Bailey of St. Albans, and persons of whom he 
 made inquiries. 
 
 Judge C. R. Brewer of Enosburgh, Vt., thus writes : " I have 
 made some inquiries about Amherst Willoughby, of his old neigh- 
 bors in East Berkshire (Vt.) and give you what little I could learn. 
 I was unable to learn for certain when he was born, nothing appears 
 on his monument. * * * 'I'lie old neighbors think he was 
 born in Connecticut; could not learn where he took his degree 
 in medicine. I learn that he married Miss Hannah Bingham of 
 Tinmouth, Vt., and first kept hduse in Russia, N. Y.; practiced 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1864. 139 
 
 medicine there. From there he came to Richford, Vt. How much 
 he followed his profession there I could not learn. * * * 
 From there he moved to East Berkshire and was in trade awhile; 
 formed a partnership with Solomon Bingham and William Barber. 
 I cannot learn that he ever had any particular love for his profes- 
 sion, or practiced very long. I could learn nothing definite as 
 to what prompted him to make the bequest for the poor insane." 
 
 Another says, " Both he and his wife were people of great 
 refinement and culture, moved in the highest circles, wxre capable of 
 adorning any position, and had but few intimate friends." 
 
 As to what induced him to make the bequest to the Asylum, 
 Judge Bailey says, " I have heard Judge Barber, the executor of his 
 will, state that a few years before he died, a poor clergyman, who 
 had charge of the parish where he lived was taken insane [and 
 I think taken to the Asylum] and Judge Barber thought that 
 this event caused him to make the bequest." 
 
 Dr. Willoughby was a devout Episcopalian, and during his life 
 time built the little church opposite his dwelling in East Berk- 
 shire, which he rnade residuary legatee, after the Vermont Asylum 
 bequest and the legacy to the Vermont Episcopal Institute. He 
 died July 27, 1855, at East Berkshire. 
 
 The vagueness and broadness of this legacy to the Asylum, 
 in respect to its application, has prevented its benefits from being 
 fully appreciated by any one in particular, and is a suggestion that 
 to be of most real advantage, such bequests should be applied to 
 meet the want of a specific class of individuals. If this was 
 suggested by the needs of a poor insane clergyman, as above hinted, 
 and had been bequeathed specially to such cases, its benefits would 
 have been more pronounced. 
 
 M W , one of the patients of note, died this year, after a 
 
 residence of more than twenty years in the Asylum. He was 
 admitted first in 1841. A blacksmith by trade and of gigantic 
 stature [six feet four inches in height], he became insane in con- 
 sequence of a blow upon the head, while at work near Lowell, Mass. 
 He was not maniacal, but on the contrary labored under a constant 
 apprehension of being injured; and for the first two or three months 
 after admission would cry in the most puerile manner, at the most 
 trivial causes, such behavior being almost ludicrous when observed 
 in connection with his giant size. He then became actively suicidal 
 for a time. A year after admission he became violently maniacal 
 and destructive to property and clothing, and this phase lasted 
 nearly through the second year. 
 
I40 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 About the beginning of his third year he began to improve, 
 and conceived the idea of making a wooden man, and being natur- 
 ally ingenious and accustomed to the use of tools, he was indulged 
 in his fancy. The making of this image occupied him many 
 weeks. "A queer thing it is, too," says the record; and it is much 
 to be regretted that it has not been preserved. Soon after, he 
 became wild and troublesome again, then comparatively docile, but 
 still unsettled. At this stage he was removed; and for a year and a 
 half was kei)t closely confined in a room, by the authorities of 
 the town where he belonged. He was then returned to the Asylum 
 where he remained until his decease. Seven months after his 
 return it is recorded that he was allowed about the premises on 
 parole, and was employed in the care of the dairy. From this time 
 on he was never again obliged to be closely confined, and hence- 
 forth Moses became a marked character. He was childish in 
 many things and delighted in fantastic ornaments, and display 
 of watch chain with odd appendages; but ingenious, industrious, and 
 always good natured and obliging. He had also natural executive 
 ability, and nothing so much pleased him as the managing of two or 
 three fellow inmates, willing workers, but passive, in the accomp- 
 lishment of some piece of work for which he felt himself responsible, 
 and in which he could lead and direct. His quaint expressions were 
 always to the point, showing at bottom strong common sense and 
 keen comprehension. When the capped granite posts at the foot of 
 the front door steps were erected, on the rebuilding of the center 
 building after the fire in 1862, Moses surveyed them for a few min- 
 utes in silence, then broke into a laugh and walked away, wagging 
 his head and saying " Well now, everybody that comes '11 think the 
 Doctor is dead," which in his view would be a huge joke. His 
 parole grew unlimited and in the last ten years extended to menage- 
 ries, circusses, and attendance upon the county fairs. When dressed 
 in his Sunday and holiday suit, with tall hat, he was certainly a 
 marked personage. He. died of pulmonary consumption, but 
 resisted the progress of the malady with the most invincible courage, 
 unwilling even to admit he was ill until compelled from sheer 
 inability longer to keep about, and bemg confined to the bed in 
 reality but a few days. His affection for the Asylum was great, and 
 he would have felt at home nowhere else. His case shows that 
 chronic insanity even is not without some mitigations, and that 
 it is not, as is sometimes affirmed, always a ''living death." Not 
 only was a fair measure of enjoyment his, but the little world in 
 which he moved, at least, was the better for his having lived in it. 
 
RECORD OF 1 865. 
 
 THE first action of the Board in relation to the work of this 
 year, was taken at their February meeting, when it was 
 Voted^ " To authorize the superintendent to erect a suitable 
 barn at the Newman Allen place, in a proper location," 
 
 At a special meeting on the fourth Tuesday in May the salary of 
 the superintendent was taken into consideration, and it was Voted 
 " To pay him fifteen hundred dollars a year for his services, to date 
 from August ist, 1864. 
 
 It may here be remarked that no change had been made in 
 the salary of this official since November ist, 1842, when it was 
 fixed at twelve hundred dollars. Prior to that it was one thousand 
 dollars. 
 
 The changed values of all comodities as well as labor, by reason 
 of the disturbed state of the country at this time, very much 
 deranged all ordinary calculations, and occasioned difficulties of 
 management that were felt by the Trustees with unusual anxiety. 
 
 "Much skill," say they in their Report, "has been required to 
 manage the financial affairs of the establishment so that the patients 
 would have all of their usual comforts and facilities for recovery, and 
 at the same time to confine the expenditures to the income which we 
 derive from the various sources. The superintendent deserves much 
 credit for the success with which he has managed this difficult part 
 of his labors. The large farm has been of great service in sustain- 
 ing the Institution, as well as in affording the means of cure for 
 many of the male patients. 
 
 " In an institution of this kind there must necessarily be a large 
 outlay for repairs and improvements. 
 
 " One of the old barns had become so decayed as to render 
 it unsafe for occupation any longer. It was therefore wholly 
 removed to make room for a large, new, and substantial one, which 
 has been erected this season, containing many improvements upon 
 the old building." 
 
142 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The cost of the new one was $2,500. The resident number 
 of inmates August ist this year had reached four hundred and 
 eighty. One hundred and forty-four were received, and one hun- 
 dred and twenty-two were discharged, during the year immediately 
 preceding. 
 
 The Superintendent, in his report, discourses as follows upon the 
 subject of insanity: 
 
 "The great increase of nervous diseases in this country, which 
 to say the least, predispose to insanity, makes it necessary to allude 
 to some of their causes in order to prevent their occurrence. 
 
 "The want of proper or suitable mental and physical education, 
 frequently lays the foundation, and prepares the way for insanity. 
 Physical education is all important for mental as well as physical 
 labor. For any great mental exertion it is desirable that a person 
 should have a sound mind in a sound body; whatever promotes the 
 general health also promotes the strength and energy of the mind. 
 Without health it is nearly as difficult to perform mental labor 
 for any considerable time as to perform physical labor without it. A 
 proper exercise of the mental or physical system imparts strength, 
 energy and power to each; and each system is weakened by the 
 excessive use, or by the neglect of exercise of either. 
 
 "The youthful brain should not be over taxed with studies 
 which require too much mental labor. On the other hand a judicious 
 mental exercise is necessary for healtny mental exertion. Avoiding 
 physical exercise will never strengthen the physical system, so 
 the unemploying of the mind will never qualify it for healthy 
 exercise. 
 
 "One predisposing cause of insanity is the excessive mental 
 labor in the process of education. It is rare that insanity is induced 
 in childhood, but over exertion produces that morbid condition of 
 the brain and nervous system, that sooner or later will result in 
 insanity by apparently slight and insufficient causes. It is a fortu- 
 nate circumstance that most children have not sufficient fondness for 
 study to have their minds or brain receive any injury. But there 
 are cases in which excessive mental labor proves injurious if not 
 fatal. 
 
 "Uncontrolled desires, and unrestrained indulgence of temper, 
 will often prepare the young for that disordered state of the brain 
 which strongly predisposes to insanity. 
 
 "One great preventive of insanity is the forming of correct 
 habits. A person of a peevish, fretful habit, and inclined to look on 
 the dark side of things, is far more liable to become insane than one 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1865. 143 
 
 of a cheerful and hopeful disposition, who makes the best of every 
 condition of Hfe. 
 
 "Another preventive of diseases of the nervous system and 
 insanity, is a temperate and regular mode of life. Regular sleep, 
 regular meals, plain nutritious food, and plenty of exercise in the 
 open air are necessary, and whatever tends to promote the general 
 physical health also directly tends to prevent nervous diseases 
 and insanity. The great desire of many to embark in some active 
 and even hazardous speculation, is a fruitful source of insanity. To 
 engage in some regular and legitimate business, which will ultimately 
 result in success, is too slow a process for their ideas of acquiring 
 a fortune. They must engage in something which will cause so 
 much hope, fear, anxiety and difficulty, as to result in sleepless 
 nights, and frequently to complete failure of the enterprise. Disap- 
 pointment and mortified pride follow in the train, and the mind 
 is strongly predisposed to mental disorder. 
 
 "Among the agents which produce insanity, that of intemper- 
 ance has a prominent place. Opium and tobacco also have their 
 victims. Intemperance is one of those sins which are vital upon the 
 children of succeeding generations. It frequently produces insanity 
 in the next generation, when the parent escapes it. The children of 
 intemperate parents who escape insanity are frequently afflicted 
 with epilepsy, idiocy or some mental obliquity or vicious propensity. 
 
 "Persons predisposed to insanity should avoid everything that 
 has a tendency to impair the general health, such as want of physical 
 exercise in the open air, passing too much time in warm rooms, 
 sleeping on feathers, engaging in employment that will not allow 
 of sufficient sleep at proper hours, and allowing themselves to be too 
 much disturbed by the unpleasant trials of life. 
 
 " The patient after recovering from insanity, should carefully 
 avoid the causes which produced his disorder. But there is a class 
 of unfortunate cases, who, after having recovered and returned 
 home, find the same causes operating which produced their disorder. 
 The pecuniary embarrassments, the loss of dear relatives, the 
 enfeebled health, the domestic afflictions of various kinds which 
 surround them, continue to operate, and unless they are fortified 
 against these trials their minds will be apt to succumb to the outward 
 pressure which produced their former insanity." 
 
 Income, $66,164.93 
 
 Expenditure, 67,358.37 
 
 Balance short, August ist, $1,193.44 
 
144 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The following officers were, at the annual meeting, chosen 
 for the year ensuing: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 L X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., } , , . . 
 
 TVT T-k 1) ( Assistant Phvsicians. 
 
 N. D. Rumsey, ) 
 
RECORD OF 1866. 
 
 AT the February meeting of the Board the question of provid- 
 ing shelter on a large scale for the storage and working up 
 of fuel, was considered, and it was Voted, " That the super- 
 intendent erect a suitable wood-house on the west side of the road." 
 There was accordingly this season erected a building 100 feet long 
 by 40 feet broad, open upon one side, and capable of containing 
 a whole year's supply of wood. 
 
 The cost of this was $1,500, and it was situated south of the 
 Marsh building. 
 
 At the meeting in June the water question again came under 
 consideration and it was Voted, "To lay a lead pipe from a spring 
 on the south side of the Allen lot [farm] to the Asylum." 
 
 In their report of this year the Trustees say, "Few things con- 
 tribute more to the health and comfort of the insane than an abun- 
 dance of pure spring water. We had a good supply, but the bursting 
 or rather breaking of the iron pipe last winter, which conveys the 
 water from the [Wells] spring to the Asylum, during a spell of 
 severe cold weather, caused such an inconvenience for a short time 
 that we concluded to lay another pipe from another source, which 
 yields a large quantity of excellent water. It would be singular 
 if both sources should fail at the same time." 
 
 By the constant increase of inmates, the requisitions for water 
 and air become always the most pressing necessities. We have 
 already referred to the demand for additional ventilation, and now 
 the added water supply claims attention; and also the experience of 
 the last winter demonstrates the undesirability of a dependence upon 
 a single source. Two points are therefore this year made — the 
 securing of an added and an independent supply. 
 
 Four hundred and ninety-three patients are reported in the 
 Asylum August ist. The movement of population shows one hun- 
 dred and sixty-one admitted, and one hundred and forty-eight dis- 
 charged in the twelve months last past. 
 
146 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Dr. Rockwell in his report observes, "The farther we depart 
 from the simple customs and habits of our ancestors the more 
 we shall prepare for the introduction of this disorder. When we 
 take a view of our country, and witness its advancement in wealth, 
 civilization and refinement, the many powerful temptations to 
 embark in some hazardous enterprise; the sudden accumulation and 
 loss of property which frequently happens, the freedom of our insti- 
 tutions, by which the humblest citizen may aspire to the highest 
 office in the gift of the people; the fierce and persevering strifes 
 which are everywhere carried on, both in the accumulation of 
 wealth and obtaining political distinction, and the many trials of 
 disappointment and mortification . to which all are liable; who can 
 doubt the many active and operating causes to increase this disease 
 in our country ? Persons of all classes and stations in life are liable 
 to this affliction. Those who are now rejoicing in the blessings of 
 health and reason may soon be afflicted with this severe calamity." 
 
 Income for the year, $76,289.19 
 
 Expenditure, 76,904.17 
 
 Balance short, $614.98 
 
 The following officers were chosen this year: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 Abigail Rockwell, Matron. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr. 
 
 T. -n T^T- r Assistant Physicians. 
 
 E. B. Nims, . ) -^ 
 
 About'one hundred square rods of land was this year purchased 
 of Henry F. Smith, in immediate contiguity to the Asylum cemetery, 
 at a cost of $250. 
 
RECORD OF 1867. 
 
 THE experiences of the last year in respect to the water supply, 
 though temporarily bridged over, seem to have resulted in 
 a conviction that the source hitherto depended upon, even 
 when supplemented by the smaller spring upon the farm, as detailed 
 in last Report, was inadequate. This year therefore the Asylum 
 secured of James H. Capen a second supply, equal in volume 
 and quality of water to that purchased of Eben Wells in 1845, which 
 since that time has been principally depended upon. These two, 
 the Wells and the Capen springs, the latter some half a mile beyond 
 the former, in the same direction from the Asylum, constitute at 
 present the dependence of the Institution for this most essential ele- 
 ment; and it is safe to assert that so far as abundance of pure water 
 and air go, no asylum in this country is better off. 
 
 The reports of the officers of this year show five hundred and 
 eleven patients in the Asylum August ist; one hundred and forty- 
 three having been received, and one hundred and twenty-five having 
 been discharged since the previous report. 
 
 The Superintendent states, " It is gratifying to know that we 
 have accommodations for all of the insane of this state that require 
 hospital treatment. With the exception of one year, when part 
 of the buildings were destroyed by fire, we have not refused to 
 receive any patient of this state, whatever might have been the con- 
 dition of the patient." 
 
 The income this year was, $78,938.29 
 
 The expenditure, 78,450.11 
 
 Leaving on hand August ist, $488.18 
 
 The following officers were chosen at the annual meeting: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor, 
 
148 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 ■ • W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 Frances M. Palmer Matron. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., ) 
 E B Nims I ^^^istant Physicians. 
 
 '' During the past year," writes the superintendent, "the former 
 matron, Miss Abbie Rockwell, who had so ably and faithfully 
 labored to promote the comfort and welfare of the patients and the 
 best interests of the Institution, died of pneumonia. Miss Frances 
 M. Palmer has been appointed in her place, and has thus far filled 
 it in a manner to gain the approbation and confidence of the officers 
 and friends of the Institution." 
 
RECORD OF 1868. 
 
 EXTENDING along the main road to Newfane upon its western 
 side and to the north of the Marsh building, stood a row of 
 houses owned and occupied by old residents from the 
 opening of the Asylum until now. They were four in number, and 
 all, together with their gardens attached, occupied an area of but 
 small extent, not exceeding three acres, with some six hundred feet 
 of frontage. The whole settlement together was known as "Pike- 
 ville," from the name of the oldest inhabitant, Houghton Pike. 
 
 Three of these small proprietary free-holds were this year pur- 
 chased [those nearest to the Asylum buildings] of Willard Edwards, 
 Francis T. Green, Mary A. and William Knowlton respectively, for 
 the aggregate sum of $5,400. 
 
 Apart from the purchase of these additions to the real estate, no 
 extra outlays were this year incurred, for the very good reason that 
 the Trustees had no funds to appropriate in any direction outside of 
 current expenses, as appears from their report, in the following quo- 
 tation: 
 
 " The high price of labor and of most of the necessaries of life, 
 has continued through the year; but by skilful management, with 
 the aid of a large farm, we have been able to furnish the necessaries 
 and comforts of life, and the means of restoration of the patients, 
 with the regular income of the Institution." 
 
 The report of the Superintendent shows five hundred and fifteen 
 inmates in the Asylum August ist, one hundred and thirty-five 
 having been received and one hundred and thirty-one having been 
 discharged since the date of the preceding report. 
 
 The income received was, $79,554.28 
 
 The expenditure, 78,943.72 
 
 Leaving balance, August ist, $610.56 
 
150 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Choice was made of the following officers at the annual meeting 
 this year: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer, 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 I. X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr. ) 
 
 T. T~» TVT- r Assistant Physicians. 
 
 E. B. Nims, ) ^ 
 
RECORD OF 1869. 
 
 THE constantly increasing number of residents, since the rebuild- 
 ing of the Asylum after the fire of 1862, has been noticed. 
 The pressure for additional room becoming more and more 
 felt each year led to new plans for enlargement. The laundry built 
 in 1852, which was thirty-two by thirty six feet in dimensions, and 
 two stories in height, had become insufficient for the wants of the 
 constantly increasing household, but being connected with wings 
 occupied by patients, at both ends, could be made most serviceable 
 in that connection, by subdividing its interior into apartments for 
 patients and by extending the central hall of the female infirmary 
 through this, wards eighty-six feet long could thus be obtained, 
 which were very desirable. 
 
 To effect this it was determined to erect a building to the west- 
 ward of the female infirmary, its front on line with the rear wall 
 of the last mentioned building, and its rear line forty feet to the 
 north. The length of this building was seventy feet, and it occupied 
 the place of the wood store-house for fuel and other uses, mentioned 
 as fitted up for this purpose in 1859. This was constructed of 
 brick, two stories in height, and has served to the present time 
 for laundry, sewing rooms, and steward's department. 
 
 The cost of its erection and fitting up, and washing machinery 
 with new boiler and engine, and that of reconstructing the old 
 laundry into wards and rooms for patients, was $12,000.00 
 
 By these changes, rooms were provided for about thirty additional 
 patients. 
 
 The following officers were chosen at the annual meeting, for the 
 yiear ensuing: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
152 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr. ) 
 
 D. H. Lovejoy, ] Assistant Physicians, 
 
 The income this year was, $81,472.07 
 
 The expenditure, 80,028.63 
 
 Balance on hand, ^1,443.44 
 
 The reports of the Trustees and Superintendent show a year 
 devoted to the every-day duties of asylum life, without any notable 
 incidents. 
 
 The state commissioner this year reports his observations as 
 follows: — 
 
 " I have in every instance found the Superintendent at his post, 
 constantly watching and guarding his trust. His assistant physicians 
 are gentlemen of kind and benevolent natures, well-fitted for the 
 place. The matron and all the help, so far as I am able to discover, 
 are kind, patient and industrious, doing all in their power for the 
 comfort and benefit of those under their care. I have never been 
 able to discover any deficiency in the quantity or quality of their 
 food. There was always as much variety as could reasonably be 
 expected or required for the health of the patients." 
 
 At the annual meeting this year it was Voted, "That Daniel Kel- 
 logg be employed to investigate the legality of using the water of a 
 spring on our own land." 
 
 This was a question arising in connection with the purchase of 
 the Capen spring in 1867, it being claimed that its use by the Asy- 
 lum would be to the detriment of a water privilege depended upon 
 by parties below, to which it doubtless contributed. 
 
 There were admitted this year one hundred and twenty-four, 
 discharged one hundred and twenty eight; five hundred and eleven 
 being the resident number at date of the annual report. 
 
RECORD OF 1870. 
 
 IN March of this year the Trustees Voted, '' To remove the wood- 
 house [erected in 1866] from its present site [south of Marsh 
 building] to the lot purchased of Mary A. Knowlton in 
 1868. 
 
 " Also, Voted, To build a new house for the farmer of the Insti- 
 tution, on the same site as where the old one now stands." 
 
 This constituted the principal work of improvement this year. 
 
 On the 29th day of July, 1869, Mr. A. H. Bull, a resident of 
 Brattleboro, died, leaving an estate of $130,000, which, by will dated 
 June 25th, 1867, made the Vermont Asylum residuary legatee of the 
 bulk of this property, after che Hartford Retreat, in event of the 
 latter declining or forfeiting the same. The conditions of the will 
 were such that neither institution could afford to accept the bequest, 
 and moreover the validity of the will was contested by the heirs, and 
 the widow's provision waived by her. At this juncture the Trustees 
 took the following action thereupon, under date of July 7th, 1870. 
 
 '^ Resohed, that whereas, A. H. Bull, late of Brattleboro, deceased, 
 in and by his last will and testament made the Trustees of the Insane 
 Retreat at Hartford, Ct., residuary legatee, in trust for certain 
 purposes therein named, and in case of the non-acceptance by said 
 Insane Retreat made the Vermont Asylum for the Insane residuary 
 legatee subject to the same trusts, which said will has been allowed 
 in the probate court, and is now pending in the county court by 
 appeal of the heirs at law. Now therefore — 
 
 " I. Resolved, That we will do nothing toward the establishment 
 of said will, and will pay no part of the expenses thereof. 
 
 *' 2. That if said will be established, and said trust shall fall upon 
 the Vermont Asylum by the non-acceptance of the Insane Retreat 
 at Hartford, we will not accept the same, under the burdens and 
 duties therein imposed by said will." 
 
 The provisions by which the legacy was encumbered were in 
 brief, that the income should be annually devoted to " Such indigent 
 clergymen of the Orthodox Congregational or Presbyterian faith, 
 
154 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 professing the Calvinistic doctrines, as have labored faithfully in 
 the cause of Christ, and have become so far advanced and infirm as 
 to be unable to support themselves by further labor in said cause, 
 and have become insane; and also the support at said Retreat [or 
 Asylum] of the wives of such clergymen, always giving preference 
 to such as have labored in the missionary cause, provided that 
 not more than five dollars per week shall ever be expended for 
 the support of one such person at said Retreat [or Asylum], pro- 
 vided, also, that no distinction shall be made between clergymen 
 of different States." 
 
 The Trustees say in their annual report that " At no time since 
 the Institution was first opened, has it been in a more prosperous 
 condition, or had so great facilities for the benefit of its inmates. 
 
 " The improvement of the older buildings and the erection of 
 new ones have increased the expenditures the past year. 
 The whole income has been, $85,281.72 
 
 The whole expenditures have been, 83,163.49 
 
 Leaving a balance in favor of the Asylum of, $2,118.23 
 
 " Many improvements are yet to be made, most of which must 
 be postponed to the next year." 
 
 The number of patients in the Asylum August ist of this year 
 reaches its maximum in the whole history of the Institution, stand- 
 ing at five hundred and eighteen. One hundred and twenty were 
 received and one hundred and thirteen discharged, during the fiscal 
 year. 
 
 The Superintendent, in his report, dwells somewhat upon the 
 great principles of treatment, and emphasizes particularly the value 
 of occupation, as follows: 
 
 " By proper employment the maniac expends his excitement to 
 some useful purpose, rather than in noise, violence, and mischief, 
 and annoying his fellow inmates. The attention necessary for the 
 melancholic to perform any kind of labor withdraws his mind from 
 his gloomy forebodings, and serves to awaken more rational views 
 of life. The monomaniac forgets his delusions in the occupation of 
 his mind on more rational subjects, and will eventually find his 
 vagaries supplanted by mora correct ideas." 
 
 While the foregoing observations must be recognized as true, the 
 reader must not suppose that the practical application of these prin- 
 ciples can be demonstrated in all cases. Extreme cases of excite- 
 ment, depression, or delusion constitute exceptions to the rule, for 
 reasons that are obvious on reflection. And while this qualification 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR 1870. 155 
 
 must be interpolated it is but just to say, particularly as we are now 
 quoting from the last report made in full by Dr. Rockwell, Sr.. that 
 to him, more than to any other superintendent during his lengthened 
 period of practical work, is due, beyond question, the credit of insti- 
 tuting and developing the labor question, both in its curative and its 
 economic aspects and results. He fully believed in it, and carried 
 it out with the courage of his full convictions, to the end of his 
 official connection with the Asylum. 
 
 At the annual meeting the officers of the last year were re- 
 elected for the year ensuing. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Wm. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., ) 
 
 p. TT y . ^ y Assistant Physicians. 
 
 At the November meeting the Trustees Fo^ed, "To purchase 
 Henry H. Rice's farm at a reasonable price." 
 
 This was situated in contiguity with land already belonging to 
 the Asylum estate, and added especially to the pasturage. It con- 
 tained seventy acres and cost $3,500. The cost of the farm-house 
 erected this year was $2,500. 
 
RECORD OF i87T-'72. 
 
 BY An Act of the General Assembly of the state of Vermont, 
 approved November ist, 1870, it was made the duty of the 
 Trustees and Superintendent of the Vermont Asylum for the 
 Insane, to make their reports thereafter biennially, in conformity 
 with the change in the State from the annual to the biennial system, 
 and such reports were henceforth to be addressed to the Governor, 
 and published in the volume of State Officers' Reports, instead of 
 with that of the Auditor of Accounts, as since 1844. 
 
 In chronicling the future annals of the Asylum therefore, it will 
 be most convenient, as well as most satisfactory, to consider the 
 results of each brace of years together, as the statistics are thus 
 summed up in association in each biennial report. 
 
 A current record of the doings of the Trustees, and of the oper- 
 ations of the Asylum each year, will however be continued as here- 
 tofore, as the change in the State system only affects the Institution 
 in respect to the requirement noted. 
 
 In March, 1871, the purchase of David Miller of the Pike home- 
 stead for $2,600 gave final possession to the Asylum of all the prop- 
 erties referred to in 1868, and jointly known as "Pikeville." 
 
 At the annual meeting in August the following officers were duly 
 elected: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Superintendent and Physician, 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., , , . . 
 
 P TT rp V Assistant Physicians. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyi-'ya. 157 
 
 . It was Voted, "That W. H. Rockwell be authorized to negotiate 
 with Calvin Weld and Isaac Taft, on the best terms for the Asylum, 
 in supplying an additional amount of water." 
 
 This action was supplementary to the vote of August, 1869, mak- 
 ing Daniel Kellogg the agent of the Board to determine certain 
 legal points in reference to the use of the Capen spring. 
 
 A practical result was promptly reached after the present action 
 by the purchase [September 5th, 1871 J of Calvin J. Weld, of all his 
 right, title and interest in said spring, for a cash consideration of 
 $500; and [September nth, 187 1] •of Isaac B. Taft, his right, title 
 and interest, for a money consideration of $250, and a reservation 
 of "the right to take from said water sufficient to fill a half inch 
 pipe, and carry the same to his house or elsewhere." 
 
 The like reservation was also made to James H Capen, when 
 the spring was purchased of him in 1867, the cash consideration 
 being nominal, and supplemented at this date [September nth, 
 1 871] by a deed conveying right of way through his land for the 
 aqueduct, also at a nominal consideration. 
 
 The like right of water-way through land of James A. Capen was 
 also negotiated for, and purchased from his executors, for the sum 
 of $50; and thus was secured the way for laying the three-inch iron 
 pipe from this spring to the Asylum, which latter was immediately 
 procured of B. S. Benson & Sons of New York, at a cost of $3,375.44- 
 
 Following these important negotiations, the estate of the late 
 James A. Chase, lying in contiguity to the Wells farm purchased in 
 1853-4, embracing some twenty acres, was purchased November 3rd, 
 187 1, of the executors and heirs, at a cost of $3,075. 
 
 The year 1872 affords an unusual record. It is memorable 
 especially for unlocked for changes. Other events that were to 
 some extent anticipated, also reached their culminating point this 
 year. It is seldom that the administration of the internal affairs of an 
 institution, continues so long without a change in the chief executive. 
 For near thirty-six years had Dr. Rockwell conducted the affairs 
 of the Asylum, both professional and financial, with signal ability, 
 and with great success, as the preceding annals show. Neverthe- 
 less his labors were about to close, in a manner as unexpected as 
 painful. On the loth of May of this year he was overturned and 
 thrown from his carriage as he was leaving the Asylum for a drive, 
 and sustained a fracture of the neck of the thigh bone, together 
 with a severe concussion of the system, which was succeeded by 
 
158 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 prostration from which he never fully rallied, and for the remaining 
 eighteen months of his life he was wholly confined to his bed, in a 
 gradual decline. 
 
 By this unlooked-for occurrence the charge of the Asylum at 
 once devolved upon his son, then senior assistant, who conducted as 
 acting superintendent the affairs of the Institution for the remainder 
 of the current year. 
 
 At the annual meeting in August Dr. Rockwell, Sr., tendered his 
 resignation as superintendent, by reason of the disability detailed. 
 It was accepted as inevitable;* and the following expression of 
 the feeling of the Board on this occasion, prepared by Ex-Gov. Hol- 
 brook, chairman, was submitted and ordered to be recorded. 
 
 " Whereas, Dr. Wm. H. Rockwell, having tendered his resigna- 
 tion of the office of superintendent of the Vermont Asylum, on 
 account of advanced years, and particularly of the injuries occasioned 
 by the severe accident which happened to him a few months since, 
 and which he fears may result in permanent infirmities, 
 
 " It is therefore Resolved by the Trustees of said Asylum, this 
 day in full Board assembled, that while they reluctantly accept 
 Dr. Rockwell's resignation, they hereby express their full approba- 
 tion of his past services as superintendent of said Asylum, and their 
 high estimate of his unwearied labors in building up the Asylum 
 from its infancy, and carrying forward its interests and its benevolent 
 mission to the present time. 
 
 "And it is further Resolved, in appreciation of the long and emi- 
 nent services of Dr. and Mrs. Rockwell in behalf of this Institution, 
 and of their benevolent and self-sacrificing labors, for the comfort 
 and care of the many unfortunate insane persons who have found 
 asylum here, that the Board of Trustees do hereby tender to them a 
 home at said Institution during the remainder of their lives, and 
 during the life of the survivor. 
 
 '^Resolved, that the secretary is directed to furnish a copy of 
 these resolutions to Dr. and Mrs. Rockwell." 
 
 The Trustees then proceeded to the election of officers, and the 
 following were unanimously chosen: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 W, H. Rockwell, Jr. Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEAR S i87i-'72. 159 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 *W. H. Rockwell, Jr., Superintendent and Physician. 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 C. H. Tenney, 
 
 V Assistant Physicians. 
 
 Dr. John M. Clarke was selected to fill the place of second assist- 
 ant physician, and entered upon duty October ist of this year. 
 The income for the two years preceding 
 
 August I, 1872, was, $160,708.51 
 
 The expenditure, i55,77i,73 
 
 Leaving balance on hand of, $4,936.78 
 
 The number of patients in the Asylum August ist, 1872, was 
 four hundred and ninety-five ; two hundred and forty-one having 
 been admitted and two hundred and sixty-four having been dis- 
 charged, in the two years preceding that date. 
 
 As the time of the legislative session of this year approached, 
 it became evident that some movement was contemplated looking 
 to an investigation into the management of the Asylum. Twenty 
 years had elapsed since the first inquiry, which has been detailed 
 in the record of 1852. Nothing is truer than that complaints 
 are cumulative, and are gradually magnified by repeated telling, 
 as is the snowball by every turn, until at last an irresistible avalanche 
 is created. It is also true that every institution which in the mission 
 it performs cannot be with propriety freely open to the public, 
 is naturally looked upon with some degree of distrust, predisposing 
 it to the suspicions of the public. 
 
 But perhaps it is most likely to suffer from the misapprehensions 
 or perversions of fact, imbibed by those under care, whose malady 
 instead of terminating in recovery, becomes only so far modified in 
 respect to its violent manifestations as to permit a release from cus- 
 tody. In such cases the morbid impressions are circulated wherever 
 the individual goes, and being erroneous conceptions, or at least 
 exaggerations of fact, are nevertheless believed more or less fully, 
 by those who knew the statements of the individual formerly to 
 be reliable. In many cases the person is sincere in his convictions, 
 but his premises have been misapprehended ; and those who know 
 him are themselves ignoront of the real basis of delusion, hence all 
 parties may be honestly misled. 
 
 *The salary of the superintendent was at this date fixed at $2,000 per annum ; 
 that of the farmer at $450 ; that of the matron at $300 ; that of the first assistant 
 physician at $1,000 ; and that of the second assistant at $600. 
 
i6o ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 In other cases insanity more especially affects the moral character, 
 the intellectual faculties being little disturbed apparently. In such, 
 perversion of facts becomes often a mania, especial delight is taken 
 in creating false impressions, and the integrity of the intellectual 
 processes lends to the most perverted statements an element of 
 plausibility that is irrisistible to credulous minds. 
 
 However this may be, the investigation of this year grew largely 
 out of the statements made by two individuals, who had been 
 inmates of the Asylum. 
 
 It is not my purpose to criticise the judicial decisions in these 
 cases; they stand to be judged of from the individual standpoint 
 of each one who may give them attention. But in all such cases 
 there is an inside history, which in these in question I feel bound to 
 give, as they especially figure in the official investigation which 
 follows. 
 
 In 1869 [July 24th] there was committed to the Asylum a patient 
 from Pennsylvania, one Joseph A. Stockton, who had been adjudged 
 a lunatic under the laws of that state, and been placed under the 
 guardianship of a "Trustee of person and property," and who had 
 been in three different asylums in Pennsylvania, viz., that at West 
 Philadelphia under charge of Dr. Kirkbride, that at Harrisburg under 
 Dr. Curwen, and that at Dixmont under Dr. Reed, for a period 
 averaging two years in each, before he was committed to this. He 
 was transferred directly from the Dixmont asylum to Brattleboro. 
 Back of his asylum history he had a war record and ranked as 
 colonel. There were irregularities in this period which could only 
 be excused on the ground of mental disorder. His insanity was 
 due to long continued habits of intemperance, and partook largely 
 of a disposition to exaggerate and misrepresent, while his irrepres- 
 sible conceit and love of notoriety amounted to a monomania for 
 distinction of any kind, in which he might play the hero. While in 
 asylums he was ever restless, and always charging illegality in 
 the proceedings. Facts upon which opinions were based respecting 
 his sanity, if pointed out to him, his ever fluent and plausible tongue 
 assigned reasons for, either specious or untrue. He was a disturbing 
 element everywhere. Outside of asylums always getting into per- 
 sonal trouble; inside, a promoter of disaffection. Opinionated, 
 he became by reason of his conceited and dogmatic utterances, 
 the oracle of those naturally of much better talents than himself, but 
 whose disordered minds were overshadowed by the clouds of 
 progressive dementia, as well as the leader of those of similar 
 derangements to his own. He made bold to assert that many of the 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iS'ji-'72. i6i 
 
 inmates were not insane, and never failed to charge upon the officers 
 of asylums mercenary motives. He had a penchant for writing, and 
 while at Dixmont asylum wrote a book of verses, which in his 
 own estimation ranked with the poets of classic authority. Clandes- 
 tine acts were much more to his liking than straightforward ones, 
 and there was an unscrupulous disregard of truth characteristic of 
 that state of degeneracy and demoralization which is consequent 
 upon prolonged dissipations and irregular life. If it be questioned 
 whether an asylum for the insane is the best place for such a person, 
 that guardianship and restraint are needful cannot be doubted; 
 nor will it be disputed by alienists that such a case is one of mental 
 derangement, affecting especially those attributes upon which moral 
 integrity depends. 
 
 In the Asylum at the time of the admission of Stockton was one 
 Peter H. Shaw, an inmate of the Asylum for the second time (since 
 March 15, 1869), whose somewhat erratic history may be briefly 
 stated as follows: He was a clergyman of the Presbyterian faith, 71 
 years of age, and by the account of a near relative always possessed 
 of some peculiar traits, " a man of very strong feelings, and preju- 
 dices equally strong. If he once formed, a dislike for any person 
 or thing, he could never overcome or subdue that feeling; no matter 
 how the circumstances might change he would remain perfectly in- 
 vulnerable." He lacked, however, steadiness of purpose, had little real 
 efficiency, and was exceedingly egotistical and overbearing. At the 
 age of 23 he was licensed and settled over his first charge, and also 
 married. In this year he also sustained a pecuniary disappointment 
 by the failure of an expected legacy, which seemed permanently 
 to have affected his mind. After being settled over his first charge 
 six years, his health somewhat failed him; he was troubled with 
 dyspepsia, and always suffered more or less from it. Being advised 
 at that time by physicians to use as little meat as possible, he then 
 espoused the theory of vegetarianism, which he subsequently carried 
 out and perfected in his own way. Upon this subject and pecuniary 
 questions, he all his life entertained, to say the least, "cranky" 
 views. 
 
 For several years after resigning his first charge he was without 
 a settlement, though supplying some of the time a pulpit. Then he 
 secured a second pastorate which he held for about eight years, 
 subsequently taking charge of a parish for one year, and at the age 
 of 40 virtually retiring from the ministry, never subsequently bring- 
 ing any support to his family, always declaring that "he could find 
 no society adapted to himself, and that people did not appreciate 
 
i62 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 him; always possessing himself of the feeling that he was some- 
 thing superior to any one else, a feeling which he always carried out 
 even to his own family." 
 
 Soon after resigning his last charge he was brought very low 
 with typhus fever; for two weeks lying with constant hiccough, and 
 for three months confined to bed. All his natural traits seemed 
 afterwards intensified, and a "morbid inertia" took possession of 
 him, so far as the ability to apply himself to steady labor was 
 involved. His hair at that time changed, and his whole appearance 
 became altered. In his family he was irritable and arbitrary, always 
 asserting his own rights, no one's opinion or judgment having any 
 weight with him. This animus gradually cut him off from the sym- 
 pathy of friends and relatives. His wife died and he became to 
 some extent a recluse in his habits, not mingling with the family 
 with whom he lived except at meals, and, except when out taking 
 exercise, remaining in the seclusion of his own room. At the time 
 of his wife's death, he had forbidden all her relatives the house. 
 
 Another disappointment of a cherished plan was the dissipated 
 course of a son whom he designed should enter the ministry; and 
 henceforth is to be traced the unfortunate influence of this son upon 
 the subsequent life of the parent, which continued up to the time 
 of his commitment to the Asylum. 
 
 Though supported by the voluntary charity of relatives for many 
 years, he was continually chafed by the manner in which it was done. 
 He could not understand why the means necessary for that purpose 
 should not be placed in his hands, to be expended by himself in his 
 own way. The demands of the son referred to were never resisted 
 by the father, but given without discretion to the fullest extent of his 
 ability. Doubtless the exactions of this kind, which were never 
 ceasing:, induced to some extent a course of action on the part of 
 the father, which for three or four years preceding his confinement, 
 he was especially addicted to, that of borrowing on false pretences 
 and promises sums of money from any and all friends, relatives, and 
 benevolently disposed persons, indiscriminately. This became his 
 chief occupation, and so notorious did he become, that even his 
 brother clergymen declared him "the most accomplished beggar they 
 ever saw, and that he was certainly laboring under a monomania, 
 and a fit subject for a lunatic asylum." 
 
 His daily habit and uniform practice for some time preceding his 
 commitment to the Asylum, was to take his hat on rising from the 
 breakfast table, and start out on these begging excursions (living 
 then with a member of his family in Brooklyn), and his usual state- 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i87i-'72. 163 
 
 merits were to the effect that he was starving, without a home, and 
 without friends, refusing to give his address if asked, but ahvays 
 promising to return the moneys at a specified time, and never doing 
 so in an isolated instance. Under these circumstances his friends 
 instituted his examination, and by men familiar with his personal 
 history, by competent medical authority, he was declared a lunatic "so 
 disordered in his senses as to endanger his owm person, and the per- 
 sons and property of others, and that it is dangerous to permit such 
 lunatic to go at large." 
 
 With this history, and this decision as to his mental unsoundness, 
 he was received into the Asylum on the 22d of June, 1868, from 
 Brooklyn, N. Y., but was removed by his son on the 4th of July fol- 
 lowing. Eight months after he was recommitted, this time by the 
 authorities of his native town of Barnet, Vt. 
 
 In the history of these two men some points of resemblance may 
 be noted. It will be observed that both broke down mentally soon 
 after middle life, though from the operation of different causes. 
 The moral sense in each suffered more than the intellect, and in fact 
 became in both quite lost. Both were possessed of excessive self 
 esteem, which not only survived the moral faculties but seemed 
 to flourish over their decay until its overgrowth amounted to a 
 species of monomania, both entertaining the most overweening con- 
 sciousness of their superiority over their fellow men. 
 
 It is curious to trace the phenomena of the fraternization of these 
 two inmates, in which, however, the controlling influence of the 
 younger is apparent. By artfully affecting a pious turn of mind, he 
 succeeded in completely duping the man of God into the belief 
 of his sincerity, as the following testimonial in the hand-writing 
 of the latter indicates; though whether a solicited or voluntary 
 tribute does not appear : 
 
 "It has been my privilege to form an acquaintance with Col. 
 J. Addison Stockton of Pittsburgh, Penn Have had more or less 
 of intercourse with him daily for some weeks. Am happy to say 
 I find him a Christian gentleman of much more than ordinary liter- 
 ary acquirement. This has been shown by prose and poetical com- 
 positions, submitted to my inspection. His religious poetical talent 
 is quite above what is common. 
 
 " Col. Stockton is desirous of being useful in a Christian sphere. 
 My own opinion is that with some preparation he might be quite 
 useful in the Christian ministry. His Biblical acquirement is already 
 considerable. P. H. Shaw. 
 
 "Member of the Presbytery of New York, September 6th, 1869." 
 
i64 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 This early sympathy established between the two, and continuing 
 for some three years, predisposed them to act together when the 
 hour struck their time ; and as might be expected the leader lost 
 little time in bringing to his aid his devoted dupe, relying not a little 
 upon his clerical standing and affiliation for countenance and pre- 
 sumed veracity. 
 
 The ball was set in motion by the elopement of Stockton, May 
 30th, 1872. He soon after appeared in Burlington in this State, and 
 the authorities of the Asylum being notified that he was there held, 
 sent for him, but before he could be returned from there, he was 
 brought before Judge Pierpoint of the Supreme court of Vermont 
 upon a writ of habeas corpus. At the hearing in the case, July loth, 
 Judge Pierpoint, learning the fact that he was under guardianship by 
 reason of insanity, and was therefore legally held at the Asylum, 
 recommitted him thereto. Before, however, he could be returned to 
 the Asylum, another writ was issued bringing him before Judge 
 Smalley of the United States court, upon the ground that Judge 
 Pierpoint had no jurisdiction in the case, as Stockton was a resident 
 of another State, the hearing being set for the following day. At 
 this, Judge Smalley decided the case to come within his jurisdiction, 
 and fixed upon the 2d of August for a full investigation into its 
 merits, and meanwhile remanded Stockton to the charge of the 
 proper officer, with directions "to restrain him no more than might 
 be necessary to have him present at such hearing." From this time 
 forth therefore, he had the liberty of the city, and with the aid of 
 lawyers and sympathizers inaugurated a line of inquiry having for 
 its object the investigation of the Asylum by the Legislature, which 
 was to convene in October following. 
 
 It is interesting to note the intense enjoyment of the situation by 
 the patient, at this turn in his affairs, by which his mania for notori- 
 ety gained free scope. In a letter dated at the "Jail," July 2d, to 
 an attendant at the Asylum, he writes, "My friends are going to 
 make it a very interesting trial. I secured three good attorneys here, 
 two more have volunteered^ and there will in- others. Gov. Stewart 
 will be invited to be present, so he can understand the uwrkings of 
 and at the Asylum. Of course Lovejoy [Dr.] will be here, so Dr. 
 Tenney and I will have a good week's work. 1 have to thank him 
 for being madci a lion of. I have quite disti/iguished visitors hourly, 
 
 but, think of it, Iwuquets of flowers^ almost equal to those on J 
 
 F 's grave!" 
 
 At the hearing before Judge Smalley on the 2n(l of August, at 
 which testimony was presented upon both sides, Stockton was 
 adjudged sane and unconditionally discharged. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i87i-'72. 165 
 
 The next step in the progress of the scheme was, as may be 
 anticipated, the institution of legal proceedings in the case of Shaw. 
 He too was brought before Judge Smalley on a writ of habeas corpus 
 and discharged as sane on the 5th of the following month. 
 
 In the foregoing sketch of these two cases the writer, having no 
 personal acquaintance with either, has drawn entirely upon docu- 
 ments in the possession of the Asylum, and as may be inferred by 
 preceding quotations, principally in the handwriting of the parties, 
 and covering the whole period of their stay in the Institution. The 
 animus pervading them all is such as would hardly fail to convince 
 any expert of the mental unsoundness of the writers, which is most 
 manifest in two directions, to wit: in a demoralization, and a certain 
 puerility and garrulousness belonging only to a state of mental 
 degeneracy, consequent upon cerebral disease or senility, or both 
 combined. 
 
 The subsequent history of these men throws no new light upon 
 their cases. Inquiry of the relatives of both concerning after facts, 
 shows that both died within a couple of years after their release from 
 this Institution. Col. Stockton after his return to Pennsylvania, 
 " was carefully examined " writes one of his family, "by two of our 
 best physicians, and pronounced unmistakably insane. As a result 
 he was placed in a private institution near Philadelphia, where 
 he died about two years after." 
 
 Information concerning the subsequent history of Mr. Shaw, de- 
 rived from similar inquiry, elicits the following facts: 
 
 After Mr. Shaw was taken from the care of the Asylum in 1872, 
 he was for several months at Northfield, Mass., then went to Brook- 
 lyn, N. Y., where he remained through the following winter with his 
 daughter. In the spring of 1873, ^t the instance of his son, he went 
 to New York to board at a hotel, where he died in September of 
 that year. 
 
 A friend of his and of his family thus writes, " I had known 
 Mr. Shaw since the year 1845, ^'^d more intimately from the year 
 1857, continuously until he was taken to your Institution. I consid- 
 ered his mind as gradually failing from the year 1850 until then; 
 and from my subsequent knowledge of his case up to the time of his 
 death am satisfied that he was hopelessly insane. I had every 
 opportunity of knowing the above to be true." 
 
 After the judicial decisions in these cases, active work was entered 
 upon under the guidance of these two discharged inmates, and in 
 the month intervening before the General Assembly convened, other 
 disaffected and unrecovered ex-patients were sought out, and made 
 ready for a sensational deiiouetnent at the proper time. 
 
i66 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The Legislature convened on the 2nd of October. On the 4th a 
 Joint Resolution was passed, "That a committee of two senators and 
 three members of the house of representatives be appointed to visit, 
 investigate, and make report upon the condition of the persons con- 
 fined in the Vermont Insane Asylum as insane persons, and whether 
 any persons are now or have been confined there during the last two 
 years as insane persons who are not or were not insane, with full 
 power to send for persons and papers." 
 
 On the I St day of November following a second Joint Resolution 
 was also passed in concurrence, " That the special committee already 
 appointed to visit and inspect the Insane Asylum at Brattleboro, 
 Vermont, be authorized and instructed to visit the Insane Asylum at 
 Concord, New Hampshire, for the purpose of comparing the condi- 
 tion and treatment of the patients in the two asylums, and the State 
 Lunatic Hospital at Northampton, Massachusetts," and they were 
 further authorized, if necessary, " to pursue their investigations after 
 adjournment of the Legislature, and make report to the Governor on 
 or before July ist, the following year." 
 
 The minutes in full of this investigation were not printed, but 
 the conclusions of the committee were embodied in a report to the 
 Governor, under the instructions noted, and will be given in due 
 chronological sequence. It may here be remarked, however, that in 
 this inquiry, as well as in that of 1852, the committee found it neces- 
 sary to exclude the testimony of former inmates, principally, for the 
 same reason as then, that their statements were so colored by their 
 morbid feelings and disordered impressions, that they could only be 
 taken at great discount and with many allowances. 
 
 The election of Dr. Rockwell, Jr., to the superintendency, at the 
 annual meeting of this year, was accepted by him reluctantly and 
 with the understanding that he should be early relieved, as it was 
 not his desire to continue in the specialty ; although in view of the 
 critical condition of health of Dr. Rockwell, Sr., he recognized it as 
 an expedient duty for him to perform for the time. 
 
 At the December meeting of the Trustees (on the nth of the 
 month), he tendered to the Board his resignation of the office. 
 " After due consideration it was Voted, To offer the position to Dr. 
 Joseph Draper, at present First Assistant Physician of the Asylum 
 at Trenton, N. J., and the secretary was instructed to write him 
 to that effect." 
 
 At another meeting of the Board held on the following day, plans 
 for the future were more fully discussed, and with a view to ])utting 
 in steam-heating apparatus and increasing the facilities for ventila- 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i87r-'72. 167 
 
 tion, it was Voted, "To build two additional wings, as it would be 
 necessary to use the basements [hitherto occupied by patients] for 
 putting in the fixtures for heating by steam; and F. Holbrook and 
 W. H. Rockwell, Jr., were appointed a committee, to make esti- 
 mates and contracts for the same." * 
 
 The superintendent elect duly received the official communica- 
 tion of the secretary, and on the 14th of the month signified to the 
 Trustees his acceptance of the charge and his willingness to enter 
 upon its responsibilities at the earliest practicable moment. 
 
 It will be noted that this is the second action of the Trustees looking toward the 
 introduction of steam heating. The first was in 1862, as already recorded, but the 
 great fire immediately following, prevented the immediate carrying of it out, and 
 the constant pressure of other plans subsequently, delayed it to the present time. 
 
RECORD OF i873-'74. 
 
 DR. DRAPER assumed the medical charge of the Asylum on 
 the 1 6th of February. 
 The superintendence of the constructive work, determined 
 upon at the close of the preceding year, devolved upon Dr. Rock- 
 well, Jr., and the general charge of the finances remained in his 
 hands until May of the following year. 
 
 At the regular meeting of the Trustees in May, 1873, it was Voted 
 ''That Dr. Rockwell, Jr., be authorized to procure a portrait of his 
 father, for the use of, and at the expense of the Asylum," which was 
 duly accomplished as desired. 
 
 On the 30th of June the joint committee of the General Assembly 
 of the preceding year made report of their findings to the Governor, 
 which was published in the newspapers of the State. 
 
 At the meeting of the Trustees in July following, this Report was 
 discussed by the Board, and while in many respects it seemed unjust, 
 and upon many points requiring explanatory comments, they did not 
 deem it best to respond to it in any official way in the public prints. 
 
 This Report. commences with the somewhat remarkable confession 
 that, " It was a matter of surprise to some members of your commit- 
 tee to learn at the inception of their investigation that the Asylum 
 was not the property of the State." Then followed an epitome of 
 the history of its original endowment and subsequent development, 
 including the nature and amount of aid it had received from the 
 State, concluding with the perhaps unintentional but somewhat 
 unfortunate statement that ''The property is owned hy a private cor- 
 poration, the Trustees of which are Asa Keyes, N. B. Williston, 
 Frederick Holbrook, and F)aniel Kellogg." 
 
 The objection to this phraseology is that it tended to perpetuate 
 a quite prevalent supposition, that it was a joint stock corporation 
 for money-making purposes, instead of a property in trust for a 
 specific object, out of which, under the provisions of its charter, 
 it would be impossible for its managers to appropriate anything 
 to themselves, personally. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS J^iy'U- 169 
 
 ''The Trustees," they then proceed to say, "While refusing to 
 recognize any authority in your committee, yet afforded them free 
 access to all parts of the buildings and grounds, and inspection of. 
 the records and other papers of the Institution, and treated us with 
 uniform courtesy." 
 
 The primary complaint entered against the Institution was in ref- 
 erence to the number of its inmates, and against the use of the base- 
 ment story for patients, as follows: — 
 
 "At the time of our first visit, we found the number of patients 
 at the Asylum to be four hundred and eighty-five, a number, as the 
 committee believe, and as the officers of the Institution admit in 
 their testimony, far too large for the capacity of the buildings com- 
 fortably to provide; in this view your committee is sustained by the 
 testimony of Commissioner Bullard, who fixes three hundred patients 
 as the maximum number which the i\sylum could accommodate. 
 
 "About seventy-five of the patients were at the time of our visit 
 confined in underground apartments, which are damp, unwholesome, 
 and entirely unfit for occupation by human beings. The sleeping 
 apartments in this underground portion were small, illy ventilated, 
 warmed and lighted. The sleeping apartments of the males being 
 altogether too small, while some in the female ward were only nine 
 feet in depth by four feet in width and eight in height, opening into 
 a narrow hall, and ventilated only by eight two inch auger holes 
 through the door. About midway of the length of one of these 
 lower wards, and at the end of another ward, and at the side, are 
 sinks which receive the urine and slops from the wards above, and at 
 all seasons of the year must impart unwholesome odors. On the 
 occasion of our first visit, although disinfectants had been freely 
 used, your committee found the odors extremely unpleasant. The 
 officers of the Institution offer as an excuse for confining patients in 
 this unwholesome manner, that at the time the Asylum was built it 
 was common to use underground apartments for confinement of 
 patients; and Dr. Bancroft of the New Hampshire asylum informed 
 us that a portion of that asylum was so built, but had not been used 
 for any such purpose for many years past. We believe the confine- 
 ment of any person, sane or insane, in these underground apart- 
 ments to be cruel, and that the officers and employes of the Institu- 
 tion should be prohibited under heavy penalties from hereafter plac- 
 ing any insane person in these apartments." 
 
 That the number of inmates was, and had been for several years 
 much beyond the actual capacity of the Institution, could not be dis- 
 puted; and to this cause, more than to all others cornbined, the 
 
lyo ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 writer is disposed to charge all the complications at this time involved. 
 The average number in the seven years immediately preceding 
 this year, had been in excess of five hundred. Just in proportion as 
 an institution becomes crowded, are discomforts increased, frictions 
 engendered and classifications subverted, while individuality is over- 
 looked if not lost. Then it is that restless spirits riot in their oppor- 
 tunity, and chaos rather than order prevails. Universal experience 
 would doubtless show that harmony and effective work go hand 
 m hand with comfort and judicious association, and that perplexi- 
 ties and results short of satisfactory follow in proportion as depar- 
 tures from these conditions are forced upon such a household. Even 
 if the number of attendants is proportionately increased, the evil 
 is largely irremediable. Collisions are necessarily more frequent, and 
 coercive measures become more frequently unavoidable. That such 
 at least had been the experience realized at this Institution, seems 
 evident. 
 
 Again the constantly crowded state of the Asylum had rendered 
 almost impracticable many changes in the accommodations of 
 the Institution that were desirable, and deferred the introduction of 
 increased facilities for care and treatment of the inmates, which 
 were recognized by the management as needed. The committee 
 especially dwell upon the evil's connected with the basement story of 
 the building, and from their description of the same, quite a false 
 impression of these accommodations went abroad. They were 
 spoken of as "underground apartments," while full half this story 
 was above the ground level. In fact the arrangement of this floor 
 exactly coincided in its construction with those above. There was 
 the same long central corridor with rooms on either hand, and the 
 brick partition walls dividing the apartments above rested upon 
 foundations upon the basement level, and enclosed here the same 
 spaces. In the matter of light, too, each room had its window three 
 feet in height and of the same width as those above, in the upper 
 half of the room and resting upon the foundation belt of stone above 
 which the brick walls were superimposed, and entirely above the 
 ground level. 'i'he only exception to this arrangement was one 
 which was adopted from the pressure of circumstances which neces- 
 sitated more rooms for the separate isolation of violent cases, and 
 which consisted in dividing upon the rear side of the building some 
 rooms into two, giving the dimensions quoted in the foregoing 
 extract from the Committee's Report, and the doors to these apart- 
 ments being made of a double thickness of boards, had circular 
 openings in their upper portion for the purpose of observing the 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS t873-'74. 171 
 
 occupant without always opening the door. These narrow apart- 
 ments had each a window of half the width and equal height with 
 those given as the the general size; yet the impression given in this 
 Report was that of unlighted and unventilated cells, save by these 
 apertures in their doors. In fact the idea conveyed of this whole 
 story was that of a cellar, instead of a basement floor. Again, the 
 sanitarv arrangements for these basement wards were specially com- 
 plained of, but differed in no respect from the arrangements in the 
 upper wards. Faulty, it may be conceded; but essentially unsani- 
 tary they were not, else epidemics of disease would surely have co- 
 existed. In thus critically reviewing these comments upon con- 
 structive faults, we do not attempt to extenuate them; but we 
 submit that such wholesale condemnation of an institution by a 
 Legislative committee, seems to some extent unwarranted, when it is 
 remembered how little this State had done toward making provision 
 for its wards, in comparison with those of the neighboring States, 
 whose asylums this committee were instructed to visit and compare 
 with this, unless some conclusions were likewise to be drawn, based 
 upon the relative expenditures of the several States in creating 
 asylum accommodations. 
 
 In the second place we read, " Your committee find the fact that 
 the whole of said Asylum was at the time of their first visit, inade- 
 quately warmed and ventilated; we also noticed at this and subse- 
 quent visits, the almost entire absence of anything to relieve the 
 harshness of restraint; very few pictures broke the hard outlines 
 of the hall walls; while at Northampton and Concord, we found the 
 walls embellished with pictures, not costly, but pleasant to the eye 
 and sense, and which we believe must tend to draw these unfortu- 
 nates from contemplation of themselves, and form a means toward 
 their cure. At Northampton we found a large yard decorated with 
 shrubs and yet securely enclosed, where the more dangerous class of 
 patients might exercise; and in the center of this yard an artificial 
 mound had been made enabling these unfortunates to enjoy the 
 beautiful landscape. At Brattleboro we found nothing of this kind 
 except some small yards enclosed with high and close board fences, 
 without tree, shrub or even grass to relieve their untidiness. We 
 were told, it is true, that other classes of patients had exercise in 
 labor upon the farm, or in walks taken under the direction of their 
 keepers, but for this class no effort looking toward opportunity for 
 out door exercise or amusement seems to have been made. The 
 cost of such yards as the one at Northampton can be but trifling, 
 and we recommend that suitable yards be built. We also find that 
 
172 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 at Northampton nearly every evening the patients, or at least as 
 many of them as are able, are collected together in the chapel of the 
 asylum and some of the officers of the institution read, or cause to 
 be read to them poetry or prose, and entertain them with music or a 
 lecture; and that patients' minds are thus for the time turned from 
 themselves or the particular subject of their mania into other chan- 
 nels, and in the language of Dr. Earle, the superintendent, ' are 
 relieved much more rapidly, and their minds regulated and much 
 sooner restored than they would be without this diversion.' No 
 such exercises are practised at the Vermont Asylum, though we learn 
 incidentally that Dr. Draper, the new superintendent, has introduced 
 them to some extent." 
 
 In respect to the inadequacy of warming and ventilation, it may 
 be said that under the old method of heating by furnaces, the 
 x\sylum was unequally warmed as compared with the subsequent 
 method by steam, but that this was inadequate in amount could 
 hardly be affirmed with truth. As to ventilation it was doubtless 
 open to criticism, by reason chiefly, as already affirmed, of the number 
 of inmates in excess of its proper capacity. 
 
 Portions of the building were also, as stated, devoid of ornamental 
 furnishings, but not the wards devoted to the better grade of patients. 
 Particular and undue stress, as it seems to us, was also laid upon the 
 small court yards devoted to the limited number of the most excited 
 and most demented classes, while the full and free use by the female 
 patients generally, of the front grounds and garden walks, which had 
 always been the rule, escaped the notice or recollection of the com- 
 mittee entirely. Religious and other exercises commented upon 
 favorably in the other institutions visited, suggest some additional 
 facts in this connection. The careful reader of these annals will 
 have observed the inauguration of family worship in the early years, 
 and subsequently the institution of a Sunday service, in which a 
 sermon was read by the superintendent, with the usual devotional 
 program, singing, etc. This was continued through the whole term 
 of service of the elder Rockwell. But in addition to this, provision 
 was early secured for the attendance in the churches of the village 
 of any and all of the inmates of the Asylum whose condition would 
 allow of this privilege. Pews in the several churches in the village 
 were early purchased for this purpose, and deeds of twelve slips 
 in five of these churches are now held as vouchers for this fact in the 
 archives of the Asylum; and these were used by virtue of these 
 deeds of ownership, or by the payment of rentals, during the whole 
 period of the charge of Dr. Rockwell, Sr. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i873-'74. 173 
 
 When the superintendency devolved upon Dr. Rockwell, Jr., the 
 practice of procuring the services of the clerg3aiien in town to offic- 
 iate on Sundays at the Asylum was instituted, and has since then 
 been continued. It may also be added that when the present Super- 
 intendent entered upon service, a series of dramatic exhibitions had 
 been inaugurated, preceded by a dance on Christmas evening, 1872. 
 
 The committee further say, "We find punishments are sometimes 
 inflicted at the Vermont Asylum." Upon exactly what testimony 
 this conclusion was reached, the present writer has no data; but cer- 
 tainly every rule and regulation governing officers and employes in 
 the care of the insane, was directly opposed to any such principle of 
 management, and it is totally at variance with every sentiment drawn 
 from the published utterances of the veteran superintendent, as 
 quoted in these annals for the period of an entire generation. More- 
 over the authorization of any such practice was distinctly denied by 
 the resident officers at the time. Such facts, therefore, if proven to 
 the committee, must be relegated along with other departures 
 already deprecated, from the domain of responsible control to the 
 realm of incidental irregularities, prmcipally resulting, as before 
 stated, in the opinion of the writer, from the overcrowded state 
 of the Asylum, in which year by year individuality in the matter 
 of treatment became more and more overlooked or lost. 
 
 Again the commrttee say, "We are satisfied persons have been 
 admitted to sad Asylum who were not insane," but as this statement 
 was deduced, as expressly stated, from the cases already fully dwelt 
 upon, comment upon this point further is uncalled for. Some 
 redeeming features were conceded in concluding, as follows:^ — 
 
 "Your committee find that the supplies of food at the Institution 
 are sufficient in quantity and quality, and we are unanimous in 
 the opinion that the food is well cooked and properly served." 
 
 Again, " Your committee find that, notwithstanding the draw^- 
 backs surrounding the Institution, the death rate among its patients 
 has been for ten years past less than at any other institution of 
 the kind in New England, except the New Hampshire at Concord, 
 and but a small per cent above that." 
 
 The following article by an anonymous writer in defense of 
 the management, appeared in the Boston Daily Advertiser in the 
 issue of July 29th, 1S73, and is here introduced as the candid 
 and just expression of the views of the citizens of Bratttleboro 
 who had best opportunity to judge of the life-long character and 
 work of Dr. Rockwell and his son, in the charge and development 
 of the Institution, now subjected to critical investigation. 
 
174 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 "We have read with astonishment and indignation the Report 
 of the investigating committee of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane. 
 Dr. Rockwell has long been known among us as an upright and 
 honorable man, who has given his best endeavors 'for many years to 
 benefit the Asylum committed to his charge. He took the Institu- 
 tion in its infanc}^,. and with a meagre endowment of $10,000 and 
 $23,000 given by the State, has raised its pecuniary value to $500,- 
 000 through his able management and great financial ability. At 
 present confined to a bed of lingering sickness, disabled from 
 answering the charges brought against him, it is but right that his 
 friends should defend his character when it is so bitterly attacked. 
 In many instances the Report is so worded as to entirely mislead the 
 mind of the reader. When in the account of some of the so called 
 'dungeons,' rooms that in reality are not sunk nearly so low beneath 
 the level of the ground as the basement kitchens common in cities, 
 it is said 'these are only ventilated by eight two inch augur holes 
 bored through the door,' omitting all mention of the windows with 
 which all the rooms are provided, and which certainly contribute to 
 the ventilation. 
 
 "Again the Report, after speaking with commendation of the 
 enclosed yards at Northampton, adds, 'At Brattleboro we found 
 nothing of the kind except some small yards enclosed with high 
 board fences, without trees, shrubs, or even ^rass to relieve their 
 untidiness.' No mention is made of the large and beautiful grounds 
 belonging to the Asylum to which all patients, with the exception of 
 a few of the very worst and most dangerous, have access, and while 
 an impression is given that no amusements of any kind are afforded, 
 to our knowledge theatricals and dances have often been got up 
 for the entertainment of the patients, and the female patients are 
 frequently taken to drive. Every Sunday afternoon regular service 
 is held in the chapel, conducted by one or other of the different 
 clergymen of the village, or by strangers who may happen to be vis- 
 iting the town. 
 
 "When the committee were so careful to mention all the faults, 
 real and imaginary, that they could find in the Institution, it is a 
 matter of regret that they did not enlarge a little on some of its 
 merits, as they briefly mention that tnere is very much in the conduct 
 of the A.sylum that they can commend. 
 
 " Dr. Rockwell is not responsible for the laws of the State of Ver- 
 mont touchmg the insane. He has neither made, nor has he broken 
 them. Doubtless they could be much improved, and none would 
 hail the improvement more gladly than himself. The most serious 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i^iyiA- i75 
 
 , charge made by the committee is that ' they are satisfied that per- 
 sons have been admitted to said Asylum who are not insane.' Why 
 are they so satisfied? The only case mentioned is that of Joseph A. 
 Stockton, who was discharged as 'sane' in the face of testimony 
 proving that he had already been confined in three asylums in 
 Pennsylvania, had made frequent attempts on hia own life, and that 
 while in the army, when sentenced to the penitentiary for a year, 
 and to pay a heavy fine on account of misdemeanors committed, his 
 friends, and among them the late Secretary Stanton, procured his 
 release on the ground of his insanity. The decision under these 
 circumstances that he was to be considered a sane man, is certainly 
 a strange one. Stronger proof than this should be given before such 
 heavy charges are made. 
 
 '' The case of the Rev. Peter Shaw, frequently commented on in 
 the newspapers, is a somewhat analogous one. This poor old man 
 was the victim of monomania, and on the Superintendent's testifying 
 that he was harmless, was discharged by the judge, who advanced 
 the doctrine that none but dangerous lunatics should be considered 
 insane enough to be confined in asylums. 
 
 "At the investigation this old gentleman testified that two patients 
 from Canada, were, upon their arrival at the Asylum set upon by the 
 attendants, stamped to pieces, killed, and the remains boxed up 
 and sent to their friends. He could not give the names of these 
 victims, nor did he assign any motive for the useless murder. 
 He also testified that he saw another patient cruelly beaten by 
 an attendant whose name he gave. When minute distinct charges 
 are made they are easily refuted. It was at once proved that the 
 attendant in questioa had left the Asylum a year before the time 
 stated in the accusation, and that Mr. Shaw, being in another hall 
 from the much abused patient, could not have witnessed the beating 
 even if it had been inflicted. The officers of the Institution dis- 
 tinctly deny the charge that punishments, as suck, are ever used 
 by them, and it is from testimony like the above, the creation of dis- 
 ordered minds, that sensational stories, which have been going 
 the rounds of the papers, of a system of torture worthy of the dark 
 ages, have sprung. 
 
 " The committee admit that the quantity and quality of the food 
 are all that could be desired, and the significant statement made by 
 them that the death rate at the Vermont Asylum is less than at any 
 other asylum in New England, with the exception of that at Concord, 
 N. H., coupled with the kindred fact that the number of those 
 discharged as cured is larger than at most of the similar asylumsi 
 
176 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 would of. themselves prove the absurdity of the stories of neglect, 
 insufficient care, inadequate warmth and ventilation, ill treatment, 
 etc.; such results do not follow such causes. 
 
 ^' The final representation made in the report is that the present 
 changes and improvements have been in progress since the appoint- 
 ment of Dr. Draper, the present Superintendent of the Asylum. 
 This is true, but it is also true that these improvements were planned 
 and commenced by the former Superintendent, and are now going 
 on under the charge of Dr. Wm. H. Rockwell, Jr., in whom the 
 Trustees have high and deserved confidence. This young man was 
 for a few months, in consequence of his father's illness, placed by 
 the Trustees at the head of the establishment, but with the express 
 stipulation, made by himself, that he should resign as soon as a suc- 
 cessor could be found. He was neither turned out for extravagance, 
 — as the Springfield Republican asserts — nor did he resign on account 
 of intended investigation, as the Rutland Herald states. He left of 
 his own free will, and in opposition to the urgent request of the 
 Trustees, that he would still continue at his post. 
 
 ''We ask you, in the name of justice, to publish these few and 
 simple statements of facts. What seems to us a cruelly unjust story 
 is being spread far and wide through the land. We claim at least 
 the privilege, given us by long acquaintance and high esteem, of 
 speaking in defense of the accused." 
 
 At the annual meeting the following officers were chosen: — ■ 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Asa Keyes, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph ])raj)er. Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 C. H. Tennev, ) . 
 
 T M ("]' k r Assist^^^t Physicians. 
 
 At the October meeting a Code of Rules for the government of 
 the attendants and employes of the Vermont Asylum for the insane, 
 prepared by the Superintendent, was approved by the Trustees and 
 ordered to be printed. 
 
 On the 30th of November of this year Dr. Rockwell, Sr., died at 
 the Asylum. More than thirty-seven years before he had entered 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i873-'74. 177 
 
 upon the work of building up the establishment, with what result the 
 preceding annals show. Save by reason of sickness he had never 
 ceased to labor, and virtually he died, as it had been his oft 
 expressed wish that he might, in harness. 
 
 For the year and a half preceding his death he was confined 
 to his bed, suffering much from his fractured limb, gradually wearing 
 •away and sinking to his final rest; and then it was that the strong 
 points of his character shone out with the most striking brilliancy. 
 Realizing that his work was done, and that he had done it faithfully, 
 he expressed his willingness to be judged by it. Undisturbed by 
 the shafts of malice and indiscriminate censure, he calmly observed, 
 "that his work would be better appreciated and his motives be better 
 understood after he had gone." And so he passed away; dying as 
 he had lived, strong in the faith of his life-long convictions, and 
 relying with unshaken confidence upon the Divine justice, which 
 metes out to every man the full measure of his deserts. 
 
 At the May meeting of the Board, 1874, Judge Kellogg offered 
 his resignation as Trustee, which was duly accepted, and the remain- 
 ing members then proceeded to the election of his successor. 
 
 Voted, and chose Dr. Wm. H. Rockwell. Judge Keyes then ten- 
 dered the following communication, likewise resigning his office: 
 
 "To THE Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane: 
 
 " Having served as one of the Trustees for about thirty years, 
 and having arrived at the age of eighty-seven years this month, 
 1 deem it my duty as well as privilege to decline further continuing 
 in said trust. I do therefore resign. 
 
 ASA KEYES." 
 
 James M. Tyler was then nominated and elected to fill the 
 vacancy. 
 
 At this time also the charge of the finances, which had hitherto 
 remained in the hands of Dr. Rockwell, was placed in those of the 
 Superintendent. 
 
 The following oflficers were chosen at the annual meeting: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 F, Holbrook, Chairman. 
 N. B. Williston, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Auditor. 
 
178 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 •Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 J. M. Clark, ) 
 
 H. T. Whitney, \ Assistant Physicians. 
 
 Since the last election Mr. Haywood had resigned the position of 
 farmer, and Mr. Gilkey had been selected to fill his place. 
 
 Dr. Clark had performed the duties of first assistant since the 
 death of Dr. Tenney, [April 27th, '74,] and Dr. Whitney had been 
 secured for the vacancy of second assistant, and entered upon 
 the work. 
 
 The Report of the Trustees to the Governor of the State of Ver- 
 mont is here given in full: — 
 
 "The Trustees of the Vermont Asylum for the Insane respect- 
 fully present this, their biennial report for the preceding two years, 
 
 "The Superintendent's Report shows that 699 patients have been 
 inmates of the Asylum during the past two years. There were 495 
 August ist, 1872, since which 204 have been admitted, 228 have 
 been discharged, and 471 now remain. 
 
 " The past two years have been the most eventful of any since 
 the Asylum was founded; as during this time we have suffered the 
 irreparable loss by death of Dr. W. H. Rockwell, who for so many 
 years filled the responsible position of Superintendent, and by whose 
 forethought, fostering care, and remarkable executive ability-, the 
 Institution has attained the position it now maintains; also by 
 the resignation of two of the most honored and best known mem- 
 bers of the Board, Judges Asa Keyes and Daniel Kellogg, who have 
 been identified with the best interests of the Asylum since its 
 infancy, and who by their counsel and aid have done so much 
 for its welfare, and for that of the unfortunate class committed to its 
 care. 
 
 "In 1872 Dr. W. H. Rockwell, Jr., was appointed Superintendent 
 and accepted the position temporarily, as he had long expressed 
 a desire to retire from the Asylum, having then been in active 
 service there for more than fifteen years; and on his resignation 
 in 1873, we appointed Dr. Joseph Draper, who brought with him 
 a long experience in the care and treatment of the insane, to fill 
 the vacancy. 
 
 " During the past year we have completed two additional wings 
 to the Asylum, and also a boiler house for the steam heating appa- 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i873-'74. 179 
 
 ratus, in which we have placed four large boilers and a steam engine, 
 but have been unable to complete our plans, owing to lack of funds. 
 We, however, hope before another winter to have them in full work- 
 ing order. 
 
 "Owing to the outlay for new buildings, steam works and other 
 improvements, the expenses have exceeded the receipts by $45,000, 
 which we have had to borrow from banks and individuals; and there 
 are still other bills that have not been settled, which will swell 
 the amount to a larger sum. 
 
 "We would respectfully request the Legislature for an increase 
 of the rate we are now allowed to charge for those receiving State 
 aid, as the present amount is not sufficient for their support, being 
 less than the average cost of each one, and less than that allowed to 
 other institutions in this State, and much less than is paid to any 
 other asylum in the New England States. The number of patients 
 steadily increases each year, thereby debarring us from receiving as 
 many from elsewhere — for we are continually importuned so to do — 
 and consequently materially lessening our income, as they pay 
 a larger amount than those from Vermont. 
 
 "We have frequently visited the Asylum during the past two 
 years, together and individually, and have endeavored to watch over 
 the welfare of those under its care, and from our personal observa- 
 tion believe the designs of the Institution are faithfully carried out. 
 We would cordiall}^ commend it to all, as well worthy of the confi- 
 dence and esteem it so long has held." 
 
 The Superintendent's Report elaborates as far as possible the 
 statistics of the two hundred and four cases anmitted, and the two 
 hundred and twenty-eight discharged, and dwells largely upon 
 the general history, objects, and practical working of the Institution; 
 the late Legislative inquiry having shown that many misapprehen- 
 sions concerning it were prevalent, even among persons of general 
 information and intelligence. 
 
 In doing this. The Policy of the Institution in Relation to Admis- 
 sions and Discharges, The Organization of the Institution, and 
 General Principles of Treatment, The Ownership of the Asylum, 
 Legacies, Public Supervision, Capacity of the Buildings, Heating 
 and Ventilating, Embellishments, Religious Services, Amusements, 
 Policy of the Institution in Relation to Labor, Correspondence, 
 Medical Certificates, Appropription of State Aid, and Legislation of 
 the State in Reference to the Insane, were separately discussed 
 and commented upon. 
 
i8o ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The following quotation, supplementing the detailed statement 
 of the work of the past two years contained in the Trustees' Report, 
 is added to make the record more complete. 
 
 "Between the 24th of January last and the 13th of April follow- 
 ing, the new wings were opened, and the entire basement story 
 vacated by patients, seventy-five inmates being then transferred 
 to better constructed wards. They were for the most part cases 
 of chronic dementia, long habitues of the place, who little minded 
 the change apparently, and some even moved reluctantly, and mani- 
 festly failed to find in their new quarters that degree of contentment 
 which they had grown to feel in their old tenements. Still we 
 rejoice in the change as a step in the advance, and in accordance 
 with the ideas of the times. And the vacated story subserves an 
 equally necessary and important purpose in locating new heating 
 pipes and radiators for warming the building by steam, and for 
 the purposes of storage. 
 
 "In addition to the construction of the buildings, a good deal has 
 been done in the way of furnishing; movable settees in the halls have 
 been replaced by an approved pattern of permanent wall seat, 
 and one hundred iron bedsteads have been introduced in furnishing 
 the new wings. 
 
 " The libraries [of which there are three] have been increased, and 
 additional framed pictures have been hung in the recesses of the 
 halls. 
 
 "So far as our income has allowed we have endeavored constantly 
 to add to the conveniences and arrangements of the household, with- 
 out losing sight of means less practically useful, but scarcely less 
 essential in a moral point of view to the welfare of the patients; with 
 larger resources we would gladly do more." 
 
 The Report closes with brief obituaries of Dr. Rockwell and 
 Dr. Tenney, and acknowledgements due for gifts, and individual 
 services. 
 
 The financial exhibit for the two years shows, $213,810.66 
 received and $213,929.11 expended, leaving a deficit of $118.45, 
 August T, 1874. 
 
 Thedebtof $45, 000 incurred in 1873 principally, seemed to forbid 
 the introduction this "year of the works in detail, and hot air furnaces 
 were therefore placed for temporary use under the new wings. 
 
 The cost of the east and west extensions of the wings, (onslnuted 
 in 1873-74, was $43,214.18, of the boiler house, chimney stack, 
 tunnels, boilers and engine, $13,000.00. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i873-'74. i8i 
 
 The cultured taste shown in the embelHshment of the grounds 
 of the Asylum, it is proper to say in this connection, was the result 
 of the personal oversight and direction of Mrs. Rockwell, Sr., whose 
 interest in it was unflagging, and whose enjoyment in it was so gen- 
 uine as to make this a pastime rather than a labor. 
 
 In the care of the flower garden, shrubbery, etc., she had a use- 
 ful assistant in one William Moss, an inmate of the Asylum some 
 seventeen years, and who deserves an honorable mention in this 
 connection. This patient was an Englishman by birth, and bred 
 a gardener in the old country. His dominant delusion when 
 admitted, and which in fact continued up to his removal a few 
 months since by a daughter who had married and settled in the West, 
 was, "that he was about to be arrested or murdered, or in some way 
 injured or kidnapped." At first he was very wretched, afraid to 
 sleep in his bed, spending his nights in watching at his door, and 
 holding conversations or remonstrating with imaginary ' persons 
 whom he believed he heard plotting against him. After a few 
 weeks passed in this unhappy manner, he was induced to go into the 
 garden to work. Here Mrs. Rockwell interested herself in him, and 
 became his friend, and by her he was taught to read. Thus was the 
 intensity of his mental derangement relieved and his condition 
 improved by the occupation of his hands, and the new resource 
 afforded by the acquirement of the art of reading. Like Moses, 
 whose case has been before detailed. Moss became an individual 
 of consequence and note in the Asylum community. His parole 
 was limited to the premises, but an extension of it would have been 
 useless, as he felt safe nowhere outside, nor scarcely within. Once 
 only was he known to leave the boundaries of the grounds, and this 
 was on the occasion of the great fire of '62, and then great fears 
 were entertained when he was found missing, lest he had perished 
 in the flames; and there was great rejoicing when after twenty-four 
 hours he was returned from an adjoining town with only a frost- 
 bitten toe. His tormenting hallucinations on this occasion drove 
 him away, as he was safely out of the building and standing beside 
 the garden fence, when he thought he heard some one say, "There 
 he goes, sieze him! sieze him!" He then fled from his imaginary 
 pursuers. On a subsequent occasion he was missed and no trace of 
 him could be found for two or three days, when he reappeared, 
 having taken refuge from* his haunting fears under the summer 
 house in the grounds, from which retreat he had heard his absence 
 noted and discussed by various members of the household during 
 the whole time, but made no sign. 
 
i82 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 This case illustrates the possibility of usefulness, even without 
 lucid intervals, and while constantly laboring under the most 
 harrassing suspicions and fears. Had it not been for the continued 
 efforts of his special patroness, however, aided by the co operation 
 of others generally, it is more than probable that his delusions would 
 have come to wholly possess his mind, possibly impelling him to 
 have terminated his wretchedness by his own hand, from very 
 intensity of apprehension and irresistible fears. 
 
RECORD OF i87f6. 
 
 AT a meeting- on the nth of May, 1875, the Trustees Voted, 
 " To complete the introduction of the steam heating appara- 
 tus the present year, and that Dr. W. H. Rockwell be the 
 authorized agent of the Board for carrying out the work to its com- 
 pletion." 
 
 At the July meeting, the full Board being present, Mr. Williston 
 resigned the office of Trustee, which he had held for thirty-six years. 
 His resignation was accepted, and Mr. Richards Bradley was 
 then elected his successor by a unanimous vote. 
 
 At the annual meeting in August the following officers were 
 chosen for the ensuing year: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 F. Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 James M. Tyler, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 
 Frances M. Palmer, Matron. 
 
 J. M. Clark, ) ^ . ^, . . 
 
 TT ^1- 117U-. \ Assistant Physicians. 
 
 H. r. Whitney, \ ^ 
 
 The introduction of the steam heating apparatus, in accordance 
 with the vote in May, was completed in the wings of the main build- 
 ing this season. It was tested on the loth of November and found 
 to work most satisfactorily. At this point further work in this 
 direction was suspended until the opening of another year. 
 
 At the annual election, 1876, the following officers were duly 
 chosen: — 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Frederick Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 J. M. Tyler, Auditor. 
 
i84 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 
 , Matron. 
 
 J. M. Clark, ) 
 
 F. W. Spaulding, [ '"^^^'^tant Physicians. 
 
 The office of Matron, vacated by the resignation of Miss Palmer, 
 was not filled at this election. 
 
 The Report of the Trustees dwelt at some length upon the steady 
 increase of the dependent classes, seeking admission and gaining the 
 preponderance in the Institution over those self-supporting, and 
 in view of this fact the necessity for an increase in the rate allowed 
 for their support, in order that the receipts necessary for maintaining 
 the establishment, might be sufficient for the creditable accomplish- 
 ment of this purpose. From their report I make the following sup- 
 plementary extract: 
 
 ''The Board would especially press upon the attention of the 
 Legislature the fact that upwards of seventy thousand dollars 
 have been expended by them in the past four years in thoroughly 
 modernizing the establishment. The increased comforts and 
 advantages resulting from the changes effected have been most 
 largely shared by the insane of the State, who constitute two-thirds 
 of the resident number at the present time, and the proportion 
 of whom is steadily increasing. For the benefits of these added 
 appliances, we have received no corresponding compensation. 
 
 ''We believe the Institution to be on a par with those of the neigh- 
 boring States in all essential appointments, and in return ask that 
 the State allow for the care and treatment of its wards, a sum more 
 nearly approximating to that deemed just and adequate for their 
 proper care and support in the other New England commonwealths. 
 
 '' We have carefully observed the operations of the Asylum and 
 find it compares favorably in its results with kindred institutions. 
 In directing the management of its affairs we have been constantly 
 mindful of the rights and interests of the State, and have made it in 
 all practical points meet its requirements by receiving iU all times 
 applicants of whatever class, if residents of Vermont, although this 
 policy it will be seen, has been adverse to the pecuniary interests of 
 the Institution. 
 
 "In the discharge of our trust it has been our constant endeavor 
 to perfect the establishment in its appointments and increase year 
 
RPXORD OF THE YEARS i875-'79. 185 
 
 by year its benefits. We are satisfied that under its present organi- 
 zation its objects are being carried out with faithfuhiess, and a good 
 degree of success. 
 
 "We are at the present time engaged in completing the introduc- 
 tion of the steam heating apparatus. It was so far accompUshed 
 last year that all the wards in the main building were heated by 
 this means during the winter past. There still remains to be con- 
 nected with it arrangements for supplying the establishment with 
 hot water, and for cooking facilities, which will involve an expendi- 
 ture of several thousand dollars additional, and which are indispen- 
 sably necessary." 
 
 The connection of steam radiation was fully completed in the 
 center building and at the Marsh building this year, so that all 
 the furnaces heretofore depended upon for heating, were henceforth 
 abandoned in every part of the Asylum. 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows four hundred and eighty-nine 
 inmates; two hundred and twenty-two having been received, and 
 two hundred and four having been discharged, since the last biennial 
 report. 
 
 The Organization of the Institution, etc., The Plan, Accommoda- 
 tions and Appointments of the Institution, Occupation, Diversions, 
 Correspondence of the Inmates, Religious Privileges, State Aid 
 and Provision for the Insane Poor, Legislation, The Modern View 
 of Insanity and its Treatment, Morbid Sympathy, and The Lessons 
 of the Past Two Years, were successively made the topics of discus- 
 sion and comment. The following remarks upon The Modern View 
 of Insanity and its Treatment, are quoted as illustrating the theory 
 and practice of the Asylum at this period. 
 
 "The recognition of the dependence of mental disorder upon 
 diseased brain action, marked an important era in the progress 
 of human biology. It was a grand stride which embraced mental 
 functions within physiological laws. It opened wide the door to all 
 the humanizing influences of social life. 
 
 " To the extent that all physical maladies are amenable to medical 
 treatment, mental disorders are amenable in the same manner as all 
 pathological or diseased physiological conditions are susceptible 
 of modification and change by the use of medicinal agents; and 
 so have mental disorders become but the evidences of cerebral 
 disease, and the term insanity almost a misnomer. 
 
 "But the recognition of the brain as the seat of morbid action 
 in mental derangement, and of that diseased center as the one 
 toward which medical treatment may be properly and successfully 
 
i86 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 directed, is not a terminal point. It is a basis for treatment upon 
 medical principles, but medical treatment is not applicable to mental 
 disorders further than to other physical diseases in general. It is 
 not absolute in curative power. To institute medication in igno- 
 rance of the pathogenetic causes, will accomplish little or nothing; 
 disappointment will be the ordinary result. 
 
 " In the treatment of mental disorders, however, we are some- 
 times compelled to labor under such difficulties, at least for a time. 
 We recognize the seat of the malady, but are unable to fathom 
 the underlying and perpetuating causes, or the same may be so 
 complicated and intricate that only a partial benefit is secured. The 
 mischief is kept up by the disturbing causes, which treatment only 
 paliates and does not remove; but in this view are embodied princi- 
 ples which are as yet but in the infancy of their development. 
 
 "Looking backward, the maxim has been 'no cure but by medi- 
 cine.' Looking forward with unshaken faith in the steady progress 
 of the future, and to the gradual development of clearer knowledge 
 concerning the laws of life, it will become more and more the 
 province of the physician to point out the way to health, and less 
 and less to counteract and combat morbid states by means of drugs. 
 
 " A knowledge of physiological laws lies at the very basis of all 
 medical knowledge. It is a first principle that every physical organ 
 shall respond to its appropriate stimulus, and a healthful activity 
 results from due stimulation. But only within certain limits does 
 healthful action follow even its legitimate stimulus. It is but a step 
 from pleasure to pain, and undue excitement is attended and suc- 
 ceeded by evil consequences. We have often to look for the causes 
 of physical disorders in excesses of natural functions rather than to 
 the operation of extraneous irritants. Apply this principle to 
 mental derangement, and a broad field is opened to view. The 
 mental functions respond to moral stimuli, hence we have in this 
 direction multiplied agencies of great poiwer which may be turned 
 to curative ends." 
 The receipts of the biennial term (August ist, '74 to 
 
 August ist, '76) were, $180,818.55 
 
 The expenditures, 180,584.06 
 
 Leaving on hand, $234.49 
 
 The amount expended in the work of permanent improvements, 
 chiefly in constructing steam heating and ventilating flues and extend- 
 ing the heating apparatus, in this period, was $17,313.54. 
 
 The foregoing report and record of the last two years is one 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i875-'76. 187 
 
 of steady progress, and unqualified success. In many respects it 
 must be regarded as a period of advancement in respect to new 
 methods. Yet the Asylum again suflfered an assault, which after the 
 lapse often years the writer cannot but characterize as causeless and 
 unwarranted. 
 
 The Legislature of 1874 elected to the office of Commissioner of 
 the Insane a medical gentleman who two years before had himself 
 been an inmate of the Asylum for a number of months, and who left 
 it before convalescence had been established. It will doubtless 
 be conceded that one who had sustained such relation to the Insti- 
 tution, could hardly be unbiassed in his judgment respecting it. 
 The outcome of it, as might have been anticipated, was the 
 arraignment of the Institution from its beginning to the present 
 time, by the Commissioner in his report to the Legislature. This 
 Report the officers of the Asylum felt compelled in self defence 
 to review, and the following quotations will show the points raised 
 and combated. 
 
 Under the several heads of the History of the Asylum, the 
 Financial Relation to the State, the Vital Relation to the State, 
 Well Established Truths and Principles, Does this Asylum Apply 
 these Well Established Truths and Principles in the Care and Treat- 
 ment of the Patients? and Does it Meet the Requirements of a Well 
 Regulated Institution for the Cure of the Insane? Explanation of 
 the Failure of this Asylum as a Hospital for the Insane, and Recom- 
 mendations, the Commissioner presents his points. Concerning the 
 History of the Asylum nothing need here be repeated. 
 
 The Financial Relation to the State shows the value of the 
 Asylum property and gives the whole cost of the establishment prior 
 to 1873 as $234,870.00 which is substantially correct. Since that 
 time there has been expended in the erection of two additional 
 wings, boiler-house, etc., as shown by Report of 1874, $56,214.18, 
 and subsequently as shown by Report of the present year, [1876], 
 for the introduction of steam heating apparatus $17,313.54, or the 
 sum of $83,527.72, in the past four years, making the total cost of 
 the Asylum to the present time $308,397.72; but in making these 
 recent improvements, the Trustees have incurred a debt of $45,000 
 which at the present time remains unliquidated. The constructions 
 of 1873 are spoken of in the Commissioners Report as "large addi- 
 tions," implying at least a corresponding increase in capacity, hence 
 liable to mislead the public. By reference to the Report of the 
 Asylum 1874, it will be seen that these enlargements of the build- 
 ings, were not in fact so much extensions of receiving capacity, as 
 
i88 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 the creation of improved accommodations, for simultaneously with 
 the occupancy of these new wings, that of the entire basement story 
 which had previously been occupied by patients was discontinued 
 and devoted to other uses ; and the twenty-six additional rooms 
 gained for use of patients by the erection of said wings, have subse- 
 quently been offset and practically lost, by the substitution of tiers 
 of rooms in the old wings for other necessary uses, so that in reality 
 there has been no extension of the capacity of the Institution for the 
 past fifteen years. 
 
 "If from the cost of the Institution [$3o8.'387.72] the original be- 
 quest of the founder [$io,ooo], and the appropriations made by the 
 State [$23,000] be taken, there remains $275,397.72 as the result of 
 the financial management of the Institution to the present time, 
 ^ more than two-thirds ' of which, the Commissioner states, ' should 
 in equity belong to the State, and be divided among the different 
 towns that have sent patients to the Asylum,' etc., etc. 
 
 "We cannot imagine more specious logic than this : Nothing in 
 the charter, nor in statutes subsequent thereto, provides for or con- 
 templates any such distribution of ownership. We herewith submit 
 the financial history of the Institution, showing from what sources 
 surplus receipts have been derived, and which of the two — the Insti- 
 tution or the State, has in reality been the gainer, by what the Com- 
 missioner styles ' a partnership ' of near forty years duration. 
 
 " The financial relation of the State with this Institution will be 
 best understood by the statement hereto appended.* 
 
 " With more of truth and reason, than of error or injustice, might 
 the assertion of the Commissioner that " the Corporation have all 
 the profits and the State a dearly bought experience," be reversed 
 in its application. 
 
 " The Commissioner enters into an ' analysis of the additions ' to 
 the buildings from time to time, and of the numbers, and relative 
 proportions of each class of patients at different times, with the view 
 of showing that the additions were made for the accommodation of 
 patients from other States, and were unnecessary for the wants, of 
 this State alone, and states that, as long ago as the year 1841, eighty- 
 two, or one-half the resident number were from out of the State, and 
 the number of this class has been increasing year by year, so that 
 the present year it is one hundred and sixty-two.' 
 
 "The exact number of patients from out of the State, at the dates 
 mentioned is correct ; but if the statement is designed to indicate 
 
 *See Table of Construction in Appendix. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSjs-'j^. 189 
 
 that the proportionate number of those from other States, to those of 
 this, has been steadily increasing, the exact reverse of this is the 
 truth. For thirty years past, we have exact data showing the num- 
 ber of each class each year, and for fifteen years past [since the 
 capacity of the Institution has been practically the same as at 
 present] the relative proportions of State and outside patients have 
 gradually changed, until at the present time two-thirds of the resi- 
 dent number are from Vermont, and the actual number of the class 
 of private patients, was the lowest on the first of August last, that it 
 had been at any time since the year 1856. 
 
 "Again the Commissioner complains that Hhe Trustees having 
 the sole superintendence and direction of the Asylum ' have planned 
 these additions and executed their plans without previously consul- 
 ting the Legislature of the State, and have almost invariably after- 
 wards as each one was made, in their own reports or through those 
 of the Commissioners of the Insane, requested the Legislature to 
 contribute towards paying for them by increasing the price of 
 board, etc. 
 
 " It must be evident when the actual independent status of the 
 Asylum is considered, that consultation with the Legislature in mat- 
 ters which the Trustees were specially responsible for in the discharge 
 of their trusts, would be at least anomalous ; and we are not a little 
 astonished at the succeeding statements relative to applications for 
 increase of pay after each addition made to the Asylum accommo- 
 dations. That this statement was somewhat inconsiderately made 
 appears evident from the contradictory facts given before and after, 
 to wit: I St. That three of the seven additions enumerated as having 
 been made to the Institution, [after, in the opinion of the Commis- 
 sioner, it had attained its proper capacity] were made before any 
 increase was made in the rate charged for State beneficiaries. And 
 all the additions previous to the last were made while the State price 
 did not exceed $1.75 per week. 2nd. That until the year 1855 the 
 State paid but $1.50 per week, f r.75 from that date to 1864, $2.25 
 from 1864 to 1869, and $3.00 subsequently. Showing that in the 
 whole forty years there had been but three changes of rate by the 
 Legislature, and these changes when made, did not iiunicdiately 
 follow upon the erection of buildings, as appears by the date of the 
 additions, two or more years having intervened in each case between 
 the last erections and the change of rate, and this being necessitated 
 more by the times, than by reason of enlargement as charged. If it 
 be still affirmed that the statement applied to 'requests' not actual 
 changes, this too is squarely contradicted by the assertion that ' the 
 
I90 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 State has with confiding generosity granted their requests, with only 
 one exception we beUeve, and that the last one made.' 
 
 ''The Commissioner refers to statements made by the Officers of 
 the Asylum in their Report of 1874, [and which are also repeated in 
 that of the present year] concerning the cost of the support of the 
 pauper insane in the Asylums of New England, which averages 
 more than $4.00 per week, and says that the chronic insane in the 
 Asylum at Cranston, R. L, and Tewksbury, Mass., were not included 
 in the average. This was not as he charitably presumes ' an unin- 
 tentional error.' It was not the design of the Officers of the Asylum 
 to compare the cost of the support of the insane in the State 
 Asylums, with that of their support in Institutions not exclusively 
 devoted to their care. The Institutions at Cranston and Tewksbury 
 are State Almshouses, and hence under a different system of 
 economy from that of the Asylums for the Insane, and ought no 
 more to be included in comparisons of cost, than the Almshouses of 
 the towns in this State, Comparisons are useless, unless confined to 
 institutions of the same class. 
 
 "The Vital Relation to the State, as shown by tabular statistics 
 in the Report of the Commissioner, give results totally at variance 
 with facts. 
 
 " The (Commissioner has not followed statistical law, in arriving at 
 his percentages, which is that the per cent, of recoveries should be 
 based upon the admissions, and that of deaths upon the average 
 resident number of each year, or period of years. 
 
 "His results are, therefore, inaccurate, except as to the per cent, 
 of recoveries in the first years, which could not be otherwise, as at 
 the opening of the establishment there were none to be taken into 
 account with those who were subsequently received. In every other 
 period, however, there was a previously accumulated burden to be 
 considered, adverse to recoveries, but bearing constantly upon the 
 death rate. The premises being erroneous, it follows, of course, 
 that all the conclusions from them are calculated to mislead the 
 reader. 
 
 "The first table compares the per cent, of recoveries in the first 
 two with those of the last two years. It is correctly stated at 32.62 
 for the first period, but not for the last, the percentage being 25.22 
 per cent,, instead of 8.08, a very vital difference. 
 
 "The per cent, of deaths is incorrectly made both in regard to the 
 first and last periods being cast upon the whole number under treat- 
 ment in each instance, instead of the average resident number, which 
 latter basis gives for the first two years 5.55 per cent., and 5.66 per 
 cent, for the last two, a scarcely material difference. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i875-'76. 191 
 
 "The same table shows in the second place the percentage of 
 recoveries for the two years ending the first decade of the Institu- 
 tion, and in the third place the same for the two years just ended ; 
 and here we find widely varying results. The first period shows 
 38.15 per cent, of recoveries and 9.24 per cent, of deaths ; while the 
 latter period gives 25.22 per cent, of the former to 5.66 per cent, of 
 the latter. 
 
 "The second table gives the comparative results of the first and 
 the last ten years. 
 
 "The per cent, of recoveries for the first period is correctly stated 
 by the Commissioner at 42.05, but for the second period is about 10 
 per cent, higher than there given, viz., 32.04. 
 
 "The percentage of deaths is 7.42 for the first period and 7.02 
 for the last, there being a fractional difference in favor of the last ten 
 years. 
 
 "The third table compares the first seven years with the year 
 1854 alone, and is the most fallacious of all. The latter year, as 
 the Commissioner states, was selected because the whole number 
 under treatment, (that is those in the Asylum at the beginning of 
 the year, and those admitted during that year, taken together) coin- 
 cided y^\\.\\ the number admitted during the first named period; obvi- 
 ously no such comparison could have been made, had statistical 
 laws been followed, unless for the purpose of supporting a precon- 
 ceived theory; however, the legitimate results of the comparison 
 show a larger per cent, of both recoveries and deaths, than during 
 the first seven years, hence so far as the percentage of recoveries 
 goes is in favor of the single years' results. 
 
 "We do not propose, however, in refutation of garbled statistics, 
 to resort to the like method; but rather to rest upon the whole his- 
 tory of the establishment, for its statistical results, and then, as far 
 as possible, compare them with the results of the other New England 
 Asylums. 
 
 " The large number of chronic cases carried by the Institution, 
 necessarily limits the admissions, hence we find in most of the New 
 England Institutions a more rapid movement of the population than 
 in this, — and as the recoveries come from the current admissions 
 almost wholly, we should expect to find a larger percentage in those 
 where the movement is greatest. 
 
 " The statistics of the Vermont Asylum for the whole fortv years 
 are as follows: Percentage of recoveries,' 42.09; of deaths, 8.35. 
 For the last ten years they are as follows: Percentage of recoveries, 
 32.04; of deaths, 7.02. 
 
192 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 "The mean average of recoveries and deaths in the State Hos- 
 pitals of New England: Maine, New Hampshire, Worcester, Taun- 
 ton and Northampton, Mass.; Butler Hospital, R. L, and Connecti- 
 cut, for the ten years past, is as follows: Percentage of recoveries, 
 32.14; of deaths, 10.25.* 
 
 "The Commissioner justly anticipates the explanation that may 
 be given of a lessened number of recoveries in the latter years, but 
 as the corrected statistics show so much less difference in the actual 
 results, it is scarcely necessary to refer to them. A careful and 
 somewhat extended analysis of Asylum statistics by Dr. Jarvis some 
 years ago, amounted to the conclusion, that of every one hundred 
 patients treated, forty-two would recover, eight die, and the remain- 
 ing fifty continue in a state of mental invalidism. In the whole his- 
 tory of the Vermont Asylum the results do not materially vary from 
 this. It is true that the Institution has retained these chronic cases, 
 where other asylums have discharged them. The point is not 
 waived by the statement that 'they are only transferred into other 
 institutions' so far as the statistics of the Asylums from which they 
 are thus transferred are concerned, for they are counted as dis- 
 charged there, whether they go to other institutions or elsewhere, 
 and in view of the fact just stated regarding the curability of insanity, 
 the charge that the chronic insane cared for in the Vermont Asylum 
 are 'of its own making,' falls to the ground of its own weight, and 
 could hardly have been made by any careful, candid and unpreju- 
 diced mind. 
 
 "Accepting- as 'Well Established Truths and Principles' that 
 ' insanity is a disease of the brain,' and that it 'is a disease amenable 
 to proper treatment in a large proportion of cases for its cure, and 
 in many other cases for its amelioration,' and that 'institutions 
 of proper size, and under good management, and with all the 
 necessary appliances and appurtenances have an advantage in the 
 treatment of insane patients over those treated at their own homes, 
 both in economy and success in the way of cure,' the three points 
 made by the Commissioner, we pass to the in([uiry, 'Docs this 
 As\luin apply these well-established 'i'ruths and Principles in the 
 care and treatment of its patients, and does it meet the require- 
 ments of a well regulated institution for the care of the insane?' 
 
 ■^ 111 Conticclicut the eiiflil years existence of the State llospilal at Mifldle- 
 tovvn, and the two previous years of the Hartford Retreat (which, until the opening 
 of Middletown Institution, served the purposes of the State), are inchided to make 
 up the period. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSys-'y'a. 193 
 
 " In the ' opinion ' of the Commissioner ' it does not now, and has 
 not since the first ten years.' Here we take issue. The capacity of 
 the Institution is complained of, as being ' far beyond the size capa- 
 ble of the best success in the cure of insanity.' 
 
 " This is a point that has been much discussed by those engaged 
 in the management of such establishments, and the Association 
 of Superintendents of the insane asylums of the United States, 
 has twice placed itself on record in this matter. Formerly the cura- 
 bility of insanity was regarded as much greater than at present, and 
 acting upon this belief, it was the expression of that body that ' two 
 hundred and fifty was the highest desirable number to be treated in 
 one institution.' This was twenty-five years ago. Fifteen years 
 elapsed and during that time the pressure upon all the asylums in 
 the country greatly increased. New institutions were not created as 
 rapidly as they were demanded. This led to the adoption of the 
 policy quite universally of discharging the chronic to make room for 
 the acute cases. This filled the almshouses with incurables and 
 entailed manifold evils. Then arose the question of separate provis- 
 ion for the two classes. Institutions exclusively for the incurables 
 were opposed by the association, on the ground that where curative 
 agencies were not deemed indispensable, the character of asylums 
 would tend to degenerate into that of almshouses — the question 
 of dollars and cents being uppermost, and the policy of providing 
 for all in a uniform manner, whatever might be their prospect 
 for recovery, was favored, as having on its side the best interests of 
 the insane. 
 
 "In 1868, therefore, the same body expressed the opinion that 
 institutions ' embracing the usual proportions of curable and incur- 
 able insane, in a particular community, may be properly carried 
 to the extent of accommodating six hundred patients,' and such 
 is the capacity of many of the asylums since erected, or in process 
 of erection at the present time, and others in existence previously 
 have since been enlarged to correspond with the later conclusions. 
 It will be seen therefore, that the Trustees of the Vermont Asylum 
 have not pursued a policy contradictory to the views which have 
 shaped State policy throughout this country. 
 
 " Again, the Commissioner urges that this Institution * has put 
 upon its superintendents such a burden and so much labor, that 
 they have little time to use, and improve those high qualifications of 
 medical skill and experience, for which they were mainly selected,' 
 and further, that ' they are reduced by this pressure upon their time 
 and energies to mere superintendents comparatively, and anything 
 like individual treatment of patients is impossible.' 
 
194 ANNALS OF. THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 " It is true that the responsibilities, attaching to such positions 
 are onerous enough. The Commissioner, however, fully agrees that 
 in the organization of an establishment of chis kind, its practical 
 working 'must be under the control of one man, to act both as 
 superintendent and physician,' hence it follows that the efficiency of 
 all such establishments must depend upon the systematic carrying 
 out of the working plan in its practical details. It is not expected 
 that the physician in chief of a hospital will perform all the medical 
 and surgical duties incident to his charge personally, although 
 the responsibility is his; but that he will be the counsellor of his 
 medical assistants, and the director of the working corps, in every 
 department. 
 
 " In reject to the number of assistants and subordinates neces- 
 sary for the efficient administration of its internal economy he is 
 expected to be the judge; and if the superintendents of the Vermont 
 Asylum have had any cause to complain of inability to exercise in 
 the most efficient manner their prerogatives, it has not been from 
 any limitation on the part of those having the oversight and direc- 
 tion of its affairs, but solely from the lack of means; and certainly 
 no person practically acquainted with the management of asylums, 
 would consider the professional duties incident to the care of a 
 household of the proportions of recent and chronic cases which 
 at present compose the numbers under treatment, more difficult than 
 would be the care of half the number composed largely of acute 
 cases. 
 
 "Again the Commissioner asserts that 'the Institution has not 
 increased its appliances and facilities for cure, as the size increased.' 
 In a word,2the reader is led to infer that the Institution saw its best 
 days before it had existed ten years, and has been gradually declin- 
 ing for the last thirty years, until it has now reached its lowest ebb. 
 
 "We note with special astonishment the remarks of the Commis- 
 sioner relative to religious exercises, and amusements. Although 
 the history of the Institution as embodied in its annual reports, 
 seems to have been thoroughly reviewed, he seems not to have 
 taken into account its small beginning and gradual enlargement, and 
 that many things which were practicable in its early years, became 
 impracticable after the establishment outgrew the family organiza- 
 tion. Without enumerating the list of amusements specified, and 
 lugubriously reflected upon by the Commissioner, suffice it to say, 
 that at no period in the history of the Institution has greater atten- 
 tion been paid to the subject of diversions, and to the securing 
 of adequate religious privileges, than during the Commissioner's 
 term of office. So important have these influences seemed to us. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSys-'yd. 195 
 
 that we have each year marked out and carried out a regular course 
 of entertainments, consisting of social parties, dramatic exhibitions, 
 exhibitions of magic lantern views with descriptive readings, 
 concerts, lectures, etc., all of which have been enumerated with their 
 dates, in the Report of the Officers of the Asylum for the period 
 just past — and I find by reference to memoranda made at the time 
 that the Commissioner himself was present on no less than four occa- 
 sions at these entertainments, yet no mention whatever is made of 
 anything of the kind. 
 
 " It has been the effort of the officers of the Asylum to secure to 
 its inmates as far as possible, all those privileges and diversions from 
 which they are, by isolation from society, deprived ; and if in any 
 one direction our efforts have been especially successful, we think 
 they have been in this; and in our arrangement for Sunday services, 
 we secure every possible advantage to our household by rotation in 
 our clerical supply, thus affording to those of all denominations the 
 valued privilege of hearing in turn their own. 
 
 " The officers of the Institution do not regard the general plan 
 of the Asylum as specially defective. When founded more than 
 a generation ago, it was in accordance with the most approved arch- 
 itecture of the time, and though built by successive additions of 
 wings, and carried ultimately somewhat beyond the original design, 
 the extensions have nevertheless followed the arrangement of insti- 
 tutions planned for the like capacity of this at their beginning, and 
 which have been found to embody the greatest practical advan- 
 tages. 
 
 ''Minor defects have been mainly remedied, and the recent im- 
 provements made, will be found more fully detailed in the report of 
 the operations of the Asylum for the biennial period just passed, to 
 which we would refer in detail, and respectfully request its examina- 
 tion in connection with that of the Commissioner. 
 
 ^' To the complaints that the Institution has locked doors and 
 guarded windows, and that mechanical restraints are employed, we 
 have only to reply, that we have in use no safe-guards, nor restraints 
 not deemed essential to the proper management of every similar 
 institution throughout our land. 
 
 "The complaint against the enclosed airing courts for the use of 
 patients who cannot with propriety be taken out upon the open 
 grounds for exercise, ignores the fact that such persons ought rather 
 to be protected from, than exposed to public observation, and that 
 such provision is of the most vital importance in securing to this 
 class, who otherwise could rarely be taken out, the constant hygienic 
 
196 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 advantages of open air and sunshine, in common with the larger 
 class, who from the wards in general, enjoy their daily exercise in 
 the eighteen acres of unenclosed grounds in front of the x^sylum, or 
 in longer walks along the roadside or in the fields. 
 
 "The Commissioner's ^Explanation of the failure of this Asylum 
 as a Hospital for the Insane,' calls for little final comment. 
 The points tiave been all met in the preceding pages of this review. 
 The ^melancholy results, as shown by the vital statistics,' have been 
 corrected, and will be seen to be favorable to its 'management' 
 rather than otherwise, and creditable in comparison with the other 
 State institutions of New England. 
 
 "Its 'policy' in respect to extension, has been shown to be con- 
 sonant with the general State policy; and the assertion that 'all its 
 obligations were to this State ' rests upon no shadow of foundation. 
 The Commissioner conveys the impression that the interests of the 
 insane in this State have been greatly prejudiced by the admission 
 of those from other states, and the inference is drawn that because 
 the Institution was patronized by the State, it should have devoted 
 itself solely to its interests. 
 
 "That no such exclusiveness, however, was contemplated, or 
 entered into originally, is sufficiently evident by the proviso of 1837, 
 giving residents a first or preferred right; hence such an assumption 
 at the present time is unwarranted, as is that relative to the building 
 up of an establishment beyond the capacity required for the number 
 belonging to this State, and the consequent reception of a limited 
 number from other States, as having been detrimental to those from 
 Vermont. It is from these that the surplus receipts of the Institu- 
 have been largely derived, and ouf of which have been afforded 
 many of the advantages all have enjoyed. 
 
 "Its 'enormous expense to the State,' pecuniarily, and 'of the 
 lives and welfare of citizens committed to its care,' will be best 
 understood by the statistical facts. Carefully prepared, and herewith 
 submitted.* 
 
 " To the ' Recommendation ' of the Commissioner, that ' the Leg- 
 islature dissolve the unnatural relationship of the State to the Ver- 
 mont Asylum for the Insane,' and erect as soon as may be a Hos- 
 pital for the Insane, which shall be under its own control and man- 
 agement,' the Trustees have only to say that this is a question for 
 that body to decide; perhaps such a step would relieve the Vermont 
 Asylum of some of the gross misrepresentations to which it is now 
 subjected. The Trustees have kept scrupulous faith with the State 
 *See Tables of General Results in Appendix. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i875-'76. 197 
 
 in respect to the relations existing between it and the Asylum, and 
 believe the interests of the former have been better served thereby, 
 than have those of the latter. They would, however, respectfully 
 urge the insufficiency of the allowance made by the Legislature for 
 the support of the State insane, and feel that it is unfair at least 
 to institute critical comparisons between this Asylum and those 
 of the neighboring States, without" taking likewise into account what 
 Vermont has done towards securing adequate provision and proper 
 care of its insane, in proportion to the other States. 
 
 "The ofificers of the Vermont Asylum feel that it is quite time 
 that the relations of the State to the Institution should be fully com- 
 prehended; and that if these relations are to be continued, there 
 should be an end of all antagonism, and that henceforth a more lib- 
 eral policy, and a more charitable feeling should be exercised toward 
 the Institution. These chronic complaints and expressions of dis- 
 trust, are alike injurious to the public and the Institution, and ought 
 for the common good to be silenced. 
 
 J. DRAPER, 
 Secretary of Board of Trustees and Superintendent. 
 Vermont Asylum for the Insane, Brattleboro, Oct. 25, 1876." 
 
 The Legislature of this year (1876) amended its standing Rules, 
 by creating a joint committee consisting of five members of the 
 House with three of the Senate, to take into consideration all mat- 
 ters relating to the insane, and to be denominated the "Committee 
 on the Insane." This Committee visited the Asylum and made the 
 following Report : 
 
 To THE Honorable Senate and House of Representatives 
 NOW IN Session : 
 
 "Your Committees, to whom was referred that part of the Gov- 
 ernor's message relating to the insane, beg leave to state that 
 although they were appointed by each House as separate standing 
 committees, yet they have acted jointly in their investigations, and, 
 therefore, take the liberty of submitting their conclusions in a joint 
 report. 
 
 "Before entering upon a statement of our finding of facts and 
 the conclusions deducible therefrom, it may be pertinent to give a 
 brief resume of the oft-repeated history and relation of the Asylum 
 for the insane at Brattleboro to the State. 
 
 "The Institution had its origin in a bequest by Mrs. Anna 
 Marsh, of Hinsdale, New Hampshire, of ten thousand dollars, and 
 was incorporated by the Legislature in November, 1834. From the 
 
198 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 years 1835 ^^ '^43 ^^^^ State donated, in a series of installments, the 
 sum of twenty-three thousand dollars for the benefit of the Listitu- 
 tion, and by the terms of the acts of appropriation passed in 1840 and 
 1843 (that of 1843 being the last appropriation to aid in building) 
 the State reserved a lien upon the real estate of the corporation, to 
 be enforced whenever the Institution should cease to exist for the 
 purposes contemplated in its charter. Shortly after our appointment, 
 we requested the Commissioner for the Insane, Dr. Atwater of Bur- 
 lington, and the Superintendent of the Asylum, Dr. Draper of Brat- 
 tleboro, to meet us at Montpelier, which they did ; and such inform- 
 ation upon the questions at issue was at that meeting obtained as 
 was practicable. Afterwards on the last day of October and first of 
 November, we visited the Asylums at Brattleboro and Northampton, 
 Massachusetts, making as careful an examination and comparison of 
 the two Listitutions and their methods of operation as we were able in 
 the time expended. Subsequently, we again met the Commissioner 
 and Superintendent at Montpelier, concluding our investigations at 
 that hearing. 
 
 " Is the treatment of the insane at the Brattleboro Asylum suc- 
 cessful ? This question we deem to be the one of paramount im- 
 portance and upon its solution practically depends the whole issue. 
 
 "Has the Institution the means and appliances which, if brought 
 into proper use, would secure the result desired ? This leads us to 
 the consideration of the location and construction of the Asylum 
 buildings, their capacity and adaptation for the purposes used. 
 
 " The buildings are located about one mile from the depot at the 
 beautiful village of Brattleboro, having in their immediate vicinity 
 grounds and surroundings affording a most satisfactory opportunity 
 for pleasant outside exercise. The main or principal structure stands 
 upon the east side of the road leading from Brattleboro northerly,- 
 and the so-called Marsh Building upon the west side of the road, op- 
 posite the main buildings. Their external appearance is not that of 
 a "huge pile of brick and mortar," but in architectural design and 
 construction is such as would rank fairly with other buildings of like 
 character in the country. The internal arrangement of the rooms in 
 the principal buildings, as to size, Hght, cleanliness, ventilation and 
 means of controlling temperature, was a matter which attracted our 
 special attention and most careful examination, and upon the whole 
 we were inclined to the opinion that it was in neither respects men- 
 tioned substantially defective or objectionable, although some of us 
 thought a few of the sleeping rooms hardly sufficient in size. We 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i875-'76. 199 
 
 did not find the internal construction of the Marsh Building as satis- 
 factory as that of the others in all respects, although not very mate- 
 rially exposed to criticism, but we were assured by the Trustees that 
 it was their present purpose to overhaul and thoroughly renovate 
 this building, as soon as found practicable, considering their means 
 for so doing. 
 
 "We discovered no want of furniture, bedding, etc, either in 
 quantity or quality, and thought it sufficient for the comfort of the 
 patients. 
 
 "Although of minor importance, perhaps, in some respects, yet 
 we think it our duty to suggest that a comparatively inconsiderable 
 outlay in the direction of additional adornment of the walls is desir- 
 able, and might at least produce an appreciably beneficial result. 
 
 "A few words about the court yards connected with the buildings 
 may not be out of place. They were provided for the purpose of 
 securing a more extensive and less expansive admission of a certain 
 class of patients to air and exercise than they would otherwise have. 
 The one connected with the main buildings seems not to be faulty, 
 but that adjacent to the Marsh Building is certainly "not a thing of 
 beauty," however well it may serve purposes of utility, although in 
 justice it may be said that this yard was designed and is used for a 
 class so near a state of dementia as to be apparently hardly capable of 
 discerning or api)reciating beauty. This much will suffice concerning 
 the location and construction, external and internal, of the 'building 
 
 "Have the buildings sufficient capacity for the number of pa- 
 tients now there in keeping, and, if so, is it for the best interests of 
 successful treatment that so large a number should be kept together 
 in one asylum under one direction and management? 
 
 " If the second question should be unconditionally answered in 
 the affirmative, the first might be relieved of any considerable diffi- 
 culty, as the buildings are not over-crowded, but upon the second 
 question hangs the doubt. It is probable that a preponderance of 
 opinion of the experts upon this subject is in favor of limiting the 
 number of patients in any institution for the treatment of the insane, 
 to three hundred, claiming, as reasons for that belief, that each hos- 
 pital must be under the sole control of one man, to act both as su-- 
 perintendent and physician, who cannot properly discharge his duty 
 to each patient having a larger number than that under his care for 
 treatment, and further, that they cannot be as well classified and are 
 exposed to unreasonable and extraordinary perils of epidemics and 
 casualties. Upon the other side, it is urged that no detriment results 
 from the keeping together of a very much larger number, and that 
 
200 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 the whole question is one of comparative mear^s and necessities. 
 That while one superintendent may not be able to treat and direct 
 the treatment and care of a number exceeding three hundred pa- 
 tients, yet he may be entirely able to faithfully and efficiently dis- 
 charge his obligation to an institution having many more than that, 
 among which are a proportion of incurables, sufficiently large to re- 
 duce the number of those who could possibly be benefitted by 
 treatment to much less than three hundred. Quite a proportion of 
 the inhabitants of the Asylum at Brattleboro are in a chronic stage 
 of disease, many being hopelessly incurable, and being past the reach 
 of medical treatment do not necessarily engage any considerable at- 
 tention from the Superintendent as directing physician. The theory 
 of the learned upon this subject seems to favor about three hundred 
 patients as the maximum number allowable, while the practice of the 
 same enlightened class, particularly in public institutions in this 
 country, tolerate a much larger number. 
 
 "Next, is the treatment of the inmates at the Vermont Asylum of 
 that approved character as would be expected to produce reasonably 
 beneficial effects ? We have heard no complaint about the manner 
 in which they are clothed or fed, and certainly discerned no cause 
 for any. We were not able to determine to our utmost satisfaction 
 as to the efficiency of their open air exercise, although we were as- 
 sured by the managers that it was fully up to their needs and the re- 
 quirements of health. Judging from what we saw and were able to 
 learn respecting diversions by way of entertainment and amusements, 
 it would be unjust to find the management markedly faulty in that 
 direction. 
 
 ''We found a comparatively small number of piatients undergoing 
 different kinds or forms of restraint, but in no instance, in our belief, 
 did the cause or method involve cruelty or impropriety. A few were 
 secluded by being locked in separate rooms, but this small number 
 included none whom it was safe to allow in company or association 
 with others. This fact was perfectly patent from the appearance of 
 the patients. In conclusion of this subject we could not find that 
 mechanical restraints, locks, grates or bars, occupy any more promi- 
 nent position in the ordering or direction of the Vermont Asylum 
 than in the Asylum at Northampton. No evidence has been discern- 
 able to us that the active medical treatment of the patient was less 
 or different from that which the best skill would suggest ; and we 
 certainly would not feel justified in indulging in speculative conjec- 
 tures in the entire absence of proof and against the presence of 
 probabilities. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i875-'76. 201 
 
 '' The number and apparent standing of the corps of medical at- 
 tendants we found to be equal to that at Northampton, and the num- 
 ber of subordinate attendants a few more than at the last named 
 hospital, and the number of inmates at the two institutions the same. 
 
 "Our statement thus far has been confined to what we conceived 
 to be such facts and conclusions of fact as are true and material and 
 bearing upon what might be expected for results 
 
 "We now come to the results as proved by the statistics of the 
 Vermont Asylum in comparison with those of other states. We make 
 comparisons for the last ten years and find the percentage of recov- 
 eries for that time at the Vermont iVsylum to be 32.04; and of deaths, 
 7.02. The mean average of percentage of recoveries and deaths for 
 the rest of New England during the same time, we find to be as 
 follows : 
 
 " Percentage of recoveries, 32.14 ; of deaths, 10.25. These. com- 
 parisons have been made with institutions similar in character with 
 that at Brattleboro, and we believe them a fair test, which, if true, 
 leaves the conclusion inevitable that the treatment of the insane at 
 the Vermont Asylum is at least reasonably successful. 
 
 "We could hardly do full justice to the question involved with- 
 out briefly stating our opinion in regard to the tendency of the Insti- 
 tution at Brattleboro, in the direction of improvement and reform. 
 It is quite clear that it has not reached a state of perfection, but 
 quite as evident that the last few years have witnessed a substantial 
 change in many respects, all of which have materially bettered its 
 condition, and at the present time still further modifications and 
 changes in the direction of reform are in contemplation. We are 
 fully satisfied that the Institution is under the management of hu- 
 mane, competent and conscientious officials, whose single purpose is 
 to do their duty fully and well. 
 
 "At this point we may be pardoned for venturing an opinion 
 upon the question of propriety of establishing a State asylum. If one 
 were to be erected, its capacity should undoubtedly be equal to the 
 accommodation of three hundred patients. According to the best 
 authorities the expense for buildings, apparatus and appliances, at 
 the lowest estimate, would be at the rate of one thousand dollars for 
 each patient to be accommodated, making the cost, if authority and 
 the experience of other States are at all reliable, three hundred thous- 
 and dollars. 
 
 "The cost of the asylums in Massachusetts, with one or two ex- 
 ceptions, have been largely in excess of the above estimate. 
 
202 ANNALS OF THE VERMON'I^ ASYLUM. 
 
 " In view of these facts, we do not feel self-sacrificing enough to 
 take upon ourselves the burden of attempting to secure the necessary 
 appropriation for that purpose. 
 
 "We have been requested by the Superintendent and Trustees of 
 the Asylum to recommend a bill increasing the pay for keeping the 
 State insane to three dollars and fifty cents per week, and the aid to 
 towns to one dollar per week. 
 
 " We are of the opinion that the State should pay the Asylum the 
 actual cost of keeping and supporting its insane, and no more — and 
 are also of the opinion that the cost, upon an average, is three dol- 
 lars and thirty-three cents per week, for each patient — we therefore 
 recommend the passage of the accompanying bill herewith submitted, 
 
 HENRY C. BELDEN, ^ Committee 
 C. W. BRIGHAM, V of the 
 
 E. P. GEORGE, J Senate. 
 
 R. C. ABELL, ^ 
 
 RALPH SHERWOOD, Committee 
 
 E. O. PORTER, ;. on part of 
 
 CHARLES W. CLARK, the House. 
 P. R. FOLLANSBY, 
 
 The result of the foregoing Report and Review in the way of 
 Legislative action was the passage of the following Joint Resolution 
 in relation to the insane of the State and the statutes in relation to 
 their confinement and treatment. 
 "Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives: 
 
 "That the governor be directed to appoint three commissioners, 
 whose duty it shall be to inquire into the statutes now in force, in 
 relation to the confinement and treatment of the insane of our State, 
 and see what changes are necessary, if any, in said laws; also, to 
 inquire into the treatment of our insane, and determine wheit, if any, 
 legislation is necessary, and transmit their report to the next session 
 of the Legislature." 
 
 This was approved Nov. 28, 1876. 
 
RECORD OF i877-'78. 
 
 ON the 13th of February, 1877, the Institution suffered the loss 
 by fire of the boiler house, stable, carriage house, straw 
 house and ice house, with most of their contents, also of the 
 contents of the cellars. Estimated loss $25,000, insured for $8,000. 
 
 The following account in detail is taken from the Vermont Phoenix 
 of the 1 6th of the same month: 
 
 " At twenty minutes past seven on Tuesday morning, in the 
 midst of one of the worst gales of this season, the village was 
 aroused by the sound of the xA.sylum fire-whistle, and its warning 
 note had hardiy reached the ears of the people before a dense vol- 
 ume of blinding smoke came pouring down Main street, giving rise 
 to the gravest apprehensions. A general alarm was immediately 
 given, followed by a rush of neariy every able-bodied citizen' for the 
 scene of the fire. To those who were first on the ground the situa- 
 tion was mdeed an alarming one. The streets were black with 
 smoke, and so dense and threatening was the cloud that rolled over 
 and enveloped the buildings, that even from the top of the hill near 
 the common they were entirely invisible. The fire proved to have 
 originated in the stable which stood in the rear of the west wing of 
 the Institution, and by the time the first outside help arrived, both 
 the stable and the carriage house, straw barn and wagon shed which 
 adjoined it on the side next the street, were a mass of thick smoke 
 and flame, which roared and leaped from the doors, windows and 
 roof, and in the terrible northwest gale drove straight toward the 
 main building in a way which seemed to render its immediate 
 destruction inevitable. Adjoining the stable on the other side, 
 stood the new boiler house, and the upper part' of this building was 
 also soon wrapped in raging flames which threatened every moment 
 to spread to the laundry building and thence to the north wing, and 
 so on through the whole Institution. Altogether the prospect, if 
 not a hopeless one, was such as called for instant and decisive 
 action, and made the stoutest heart grow faint at the thought of the 
 possible consequences. The citizens as they arrived went promptly 
 
204 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 to work, and the fire department was soon on hand. Phoenix Com- 
 pany No. 6 was the first to reach the spot, but -not having correctly- 
 understood the order how and where to reach the water, Fountain 
 No. 4 took a position at a reservoir on the grounds just west of the 
 main entrance, and got the first stream of water on the fire, it being 
 directed toward subduing the flames at the corner next the west 
 wing and keeping them from spreading to the main building at that 
 point. The Phoenix was meantime placed in the street, and took 
 water froni Hydrppath No. 3, which was stationed at the resorvoir 
 on Oak street. This stream was used to check the fire in the boiler 
 house and to keep it from spreading in that direction. The rest of 
 the department was actively employed, and Estey's steamer was sent 
 for and did effective service in playing from the reservoir on the 
 common. The most exposed point, and the one where the most 
 imminent danger existed was at the north end of the west wing, 
 where the heat from the burning barn and shed was intense and 
 overpowering. By the heroic efforts of the firemen, however, nobly 
 seconded as they were by those of a determined corps of citizens, 
 the fire was kept from getting a lodgment in the main building until 
 the blazing walls and roof fell in or were pulled down. Equally 
 effective work was also done on the roof of the boiler house, with 
 the fortunate result that in something like an hour from the time 
 when it started the fire was under control and the worst danger 
 was over, althoug^h watchful and untiring work was necessary for 
 some time longer. 
 
 " The behavior of everybody on this occasion, in doors and out — 
 firemen, citizens, and employes of the Institution — was of the most 
 admirable character. There was nothing like a panic, and no exhi- 
 bition of undue excitement. There is no doubt that the fire caught 
 from the chimney or stove in the stable, the common theory being 
 that the chimney took fire and burned out in the fierce wind. The 
 flames were first discovered by the engineer, or his wife, and he 
 at once opened the fire-whistle and gave the alarm. It unfortu- 
 nately happened that Dr. Draper, the superintendent, had been sub- 
 poenaed to attend the trial of Hayden, the Derby Line murderer, as 
 a witness, and for this reason had been compelled to leave for Iras- 
 burgh on the previous day. In his absence Dr. Clark, first assistant 
 physician, proved himself equal to the emergency by his prompt and 
 cool-headed action. His first thought was for the patients in the 
 most exposed part of the west wing, and after seeing them removed 
 to a place of comparative safety, he lent his. personal efforts to fight- 
 ing the fire in a way which won him universal praise. The ladies 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 205 
 
 of the house manifested a most praiseworthy calmness, ready 
 for whatever might come. The first care of the out-door employes 
 was for the horses in the stable, and these were all safely removed. 
 The patients in the various wards, strange to say, manifested but 
 little unusual excitement, so that in no respect was there any such 
 scene of confusion as one might imagine would attend a fire in a 
 place like this. Pails of hot coffee were freely distributed from the 
 kitchen to the firemen and others. 
 
 "The newly organized fire police proved their efficiency by 
 promptly taking possession of the laundry wing, and in a rapid but 
 orderly manner clearing it of all movable articles. These men were 
 afterward distributed through the main building to keep out the 
 sparks and cinders which the wind continually drove in under 
 the window sashes, making a source of constant danger. 
 
 " The total loss involved cannot as yet be stated with precision. 
 The stable, carriage house, etc., which Vas of brick, and with the 
 boiler house formed a continuous line of buildings from the street to 
 the laundry wing, is a total loss, although portions of the walls 
 are standing. The lower part of the boiler house is in good con- 
 dition and the boilers and their connections were happily found to 
 be uninjured, so that early in the afternoon the fires were rekindled 
 and the whole Institution was warmed and made as comfortable 
 as ever. The store house, meat house, cellars, etc., contained 
 upward of two tons of butter, two thousand bushels of potatoes, 
 a large quantity of other vegetables, and stores of various kinds, all 
 of which is a total loss. The wheeled carriages, several of which 
 were very valuable, were burned, with two exceptions. Only one of 
 the sleighs was saved. 
 
 " In many respects it seems little less than miraculous that 
 the loss was confined within such bounds as it was. The wind 
 which prevailed in the streets of the town at the time of the fire was 
 as nothing compared with its fury as it swept up from the river 
 and interval and across the corner where the flames raged fiercest, 
 making it at times impossible for one to keep his feet; or make head- 
 way against it. That the Institution was saved must be attributed 
 to the fact that the buildings are so nearly fire proof. Had even the 
 cornice of the west wing been of wood, its rescue would have been 
 impossible. It was a notable fact that every individual present 
 worked, and evidently felt as though he had a personal interest in 
 saving the property. The officers of the Asylum fully realize this. 
 
2o6 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 and they have asked us to express to the fire department and citi- 
 zens, their deep sense of appreciation of their laborious services, and 
 of the fact that to them alone it is due that the Institution still stands 
 practically unharmed." 
 
 At a meeting of the Trustees, on the 15th of March following, it 
 was decided to locate the stable and carriage house farther from the 
 main buildings, and upon the west side of the road, using for this 
 purpose the large wood-house built in 1866, and removed to its 
 present site in 1870, and to rebuild the burned line of buildings 
 [190 feet X 40], using the seventy-five feet adjoining the laundry 
 building for boiler room below, engineer's work shop on first story, 
 with farmer's lodgings above, as before, the central section [40 feet] 
 for stores, both stories, and the seventy-five feet next the road, the 
 height of both stories in one, for the purposes of a gymnasium; the 
 latter the suggestion of Mr. Bradley. 
 
 June 5th the full Board w^onvened for the discussion of the plans 
 for the new buildings, and determined to have the brick work done 
 by day's work instead of by contract, under the charge of a foreman, 
 and general oversight of the architect, the whole being under the 
 supervision of Dr. Rockwell, as the agent of the Board. 
 
 The annual election of officers took place at th^ x\ugust meeting, 
 no changes being made. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Frederick Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 J. M. Tyler, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 
 , Matron. 
 
 J. M. Clark, ) 
 
 ,, „r .. 1 ,• r Assistant Physicians. 
 
 At the September meeting it was decided to introduce steam 
 cooking apparatus, which was begun without delay. 
 
 In October the small cottage situated near the Cold spring. 
 together with a half acre of land more or less, was purchased of 
 Rinaldo N. Hescock for the sum of $775. 
 
 ■ The cost of reconstructing the wood -house into a stable and 
 carriage house, and rebuildins^ the burned line of buildings this year 
 was $23,449.29. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 207 
 
 At the November meeting this year the Trustees considered the 
 matter of the revision of the By-Laws, which had been little changed 
 since their adoption in 1845, ^^^^ directed the secretary to revise 
 those articles defining the duties of the resident officers, and submit 
 the same to the Board for their consideration, at the next meeting. 
 
 The revision being submitted as ordered, was carefully consid- 
 ered and adopted, with other articles relating to the duties of the 
 officers of .t]ie Board, by the Trustees at their meeting in January 
 following. 
 
 BY-LAWS. 
 
 Article L 
 Sfxtion 1. There shall be a meeting of the Trustees at the 
 Asylum on the second Tuesday of every month, at two o'clock, p. m., 
 to examine into the state of the Institution, the condition and situa- 
 tion of the patients, the accounts of the officers, and to transact any 
 and all other business deemed expedient when met. 
 
 Article IL 
 Sec. I. No vote shall be passed at any meeting unless there be 
 three Trustees voting in the affirmative ; provided, at a subsequent 
 monthly meeting to which any matter may be adjourned, the same 
 may be passed by a majority of those present. 
 
 Article IIL 
 Sec. I. At the monthly meeting in August, which shall be the 
 annual meeting, the following officers shall be chosen and appointed, 
 to wit : A chairman, treasurer, secretary, and auditor of accounts ; 
 a superintendent and physician, two assistant physicians, a matron, 
 and a farmer, who shall be resident officers. The assistant physi- 
 cians, matron and farmer, shall be nominated annually by the Super- 
 intendent, and appointed by the Trustees. Provided, however, in 
 case of vacancy, or in case said officers shall not be chosen at the 
 annual meeting, such vacancy may be filled, or such officers chosen 
 at any subsequent monthly meeting, and the salaries of all officers 
 shall be from time to time fixed by the Trustees. 
 
 Article IV. 
 Sec. I. The chairman may at any time, and shall on the request 
 of either Trustee or the Superintendent, call special meetings, giving 
 each Trustee personal notice, or notice by secretary, and shall pre- 
 side at the meetings of the board. 
 
2o8 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Article V. 
 
 Sec. I. The treasurer shall have charge of all deeds, and other 
 securities and obligations belonging to the Asylum, and shall receive 
 and hold all bequests, or trust funds of the Asylum for specific pur- 
 poses, and disburse the same under the direction of the Trustees, 
 and in accordance with their specified objects. 
 
 Sec. 2. He shall also hold all policies of insurance, effected by 
 Trustees for the preservation of the property, and shall be the agent 
 of the board in all matters pertaining to said trusts and insurance. 
 
 Sec. 3. He shall likewise direct the deposits, and oversee the 
 disbursements of the current funds collected by the Superintendent, 
 and shall make report annually to the board of the condition of the se- 
 curities and funds in his charge, and of the amount of insurance car- 
 ried, together with any suggestions relative to the same that may 
 seem to him advisable or necessary. 
 
 Article VL 
 Sec. I. The secretary shall have charge of the records of the 
 Trustees ; shall attend the meetings of the board and record their 
 proceedings therein. He shall also have charge of all papers of a 
 historical character, and record, in addition to the proceedings of 
 the board, any other papers or statements that the Trustees may or- 
 der to be so recorded. He will also, under direction of the chairman 
 of the board notify the members of the meetings to be held. 
 
 Article VH. 
 Sec. I. It shall be the duty of the auditor in the month of July, 
 annually, to audit all the accounts of the officers of the Institution ; 
 take an inventory of all the property of the corporation, and take an 
 account of all claims in favor of and against the Institution, so as to 
 show its true standing on the first day of August, annually. He 
 shall also audit all bills contracted for building or other purposes 
 outside of the current expenditures, as they fall due, and are referred 
 to him by the superintendent or other agent of the board. 
 
 Article VIII. 
 
 Sec. I. The superintendent, under the direction of the Trustees, 
 .shall have the general oversight and superintendence of the Asylum 
 in all its departments, and all the associate resident officers shall be 
 subordinate to his authority. 
 
 Sec. 2. In the discharge of his duties his first care shall be for 
 the welfare of the patients committed to the charge of the Institu- 
 tion, and this care must be so far personal that he shall be at all 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i877-'78. 209 
 
 times conversant with the actual condition of each individual case, 
 and he must be responsible for the classification of the inmates, and 
 the general course of treatment pursued. 
 
 Sec. 3. He will also be responsible for the current financial 
 management of the Asylum, under the direction of the Trustees ; 
 determining the number of employes in the various departments, es- 
 tablishing for them regulations, and so governing the expenditures 
 of the several departments that a wise economy may be practiced, 
 and as much as possible be accomplished with the resources of the 
 Institution at command. 
 
 Sec. 4. He shall make up the accounts of the patients as they 
 accrue, collect the same regularly, and pay all bills as they fall due, ' 
 keeping a bank account in the name of the Institution, and subject 
 to the direction and oversight of the treasurer, where all his deposits 
 shall be made ; and shall carefully take and preserve vouchers for all 
 monetary transactions, for the inspection of the auditor, and shall 
 refer all bills, except for current expenditures, to the auditor before 
 settlement of them. 
 
 Sec. 5. He shall endeavor in every way to promote the effi- 
 ciency of the staff of resident officers and the corps of employes, and 
 hold each in his place to faithfulness in the performance of his du- 
 ties ; and on his part carry out the designs of the Institution, and the 
 views and instructions of the Trustees, upon its general management 
 and policy. 
 
 Sec. 6. All assistants and employes will be directly responsible 
 to the superintendent, and subject to his regulations. 
 
 Sec. 7. Records of all cases admitted and treated, and of all the 
 transactions of the Asylum, shall be kept, or caused to be kept, by 
 the superintendent, and shall be at all times subject to the inspection 
 of the Trustees. 
 
 Sec. 8. He shall give his whole time to the interests of the es- 
 tablishment, engaging in no other business whereby the welfare of 
 the Asylum shall be compromised, and in case of his temporary ab- 
 sence shall require both his medical assistants to be on duty, unless 
 by special leave of the Trustees, but in no case shall the Asylum be 
 left without a medical officer. 
 
 Sec. 9. He shall lay before the Trustees at each monthly meet- 
 ing a statement of the number of patients received, discharged, or 
 deceased during the month previous ; stating the name and residence 
 of such patients, the time of their admission and the security taken 
 therefor, the time of their discharge or decease, and if discharged 
 whether cured or improved or not ; together with an account of all 
 
2IO ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 monej^s received and paid out, from and • to whom, and for what, 
 which account shall be balanced so as to show the exact state of the 
 finances each month, and on the first of August annually, these 
 monthly statements shall be embodied in an annual report to the 
 Trustees, which shall thus embrace the current results of each year's 
 operations. 
 
 Article IX. 
 
 Sec. I. The duties of the assistant physicians shall be to carry 
 out in detail the medical treatment of the inmates, as well as the 
 plans for their exercise and recreation, and the system of amusements 
 that may from time to time be adopted. They shall have charge of 
 the dispensary, and of all medicines, instruments and apparatus be- 
 longing to the medical department of the Asylum, and keep the same 
 in good order at all times. 
 
 Sec. 2. For the more efficient discharge of their duties, their 
 work and responsibilities shall be divided; one of them (in the dis- 
 cretion of the superintendent) taking charge of the male, and the 
 other of the female wards. Besides attending to their professional 
 duties as above defined, they shall be required to support the disci- 
 pline of the corps of employes, and to render to the superintendent 
 such aid in the administrative departments as naturally devolves 
 upon them under the regulations governing the attendants and em- 
 ployes. 
 
 Sec. 3. Each shall keep the records in the case books of his de- 
 partment, in as full a manner as may be required by the superintend- 
 ent, and keep any other records that may be necessary in the 
 prosecution of extended observations, in any line of professional 
 inquiry that may be instituted, requiring the co-operation of the 
 medical officers. Both will be expected at all times and in every 
 way practicable, to labor for the interests of the Institution, and af- 
 ford to the friends of patients, and to visitors, all proper and requi- 
 site information relative to the inmates, and the Institution. 
 
 Sec. 4. They will daily, and as much oftener as may be neces- 
 sary, report to the superintendent upon the cases under treatment, 
 relative to the progress made, and concerning any occurrence of an 
 unusual or unexpected character, and consult with him in reference 
 to any changes in classification or course of treatment, that may be 
 indicated. Any instances of ill treatment of patients, or evidences 
 of unsuitableness for position on the part of attendants or others em- 
 ployed, they will also report, and will uniformly endeavor to instruct 
 them in the discharge of their duties, so that humane and kindly 
 treatment may be secured to the inmates. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 211 
 
 Sec. 5. Both shall not be absent from the Asylum at the same 
 time unless by permission of the superintendent. In the absence of 
 the superintendent, the senior assistant physician shall act in his 
 place, unless by other special provision of the Trustees. Their rou- 
 tine of daily duty shall be so far defined by the superintendent as 
 to insure a frequent and vigilant oversight of the patients and their 
 attendants. 
 
 Article X. 
 
 Sec. I. The matron shall look carefully to the wants of the fe- 
 male patients in reference to their individual needs, visit their wards 
 daily, and bestow special attention upon the sick and feeble gener- 
 ally, (visiting the sick in the male wards, if so desired by the super- 
 intendent). She shall see that suitable bedding is everywhere 
 provided, and that the dining rooms and clothing rooms of the wards 
 are properly cared for, and that the wearing apparel of the female 
 patients especially, is duly registered and preserved, and judiciously 
 worn; that the dietary prescriptions of the medical officers are prop- 
 erly prepared and served; that those having care of the sick perform 
 their duties in a kindly manner, and give such instructions to the 
 attendants in reference to the general care of the wards as may be 
 necessary to secure the proper standard of cleanliness and good 
 order. 
 
 Sec. 2. She shall ascertain the wants in the way of supplies for 
 the sewing departments and female wards, and supervise the draw- 
 ing, marking and distributing of the same, under the regulations of 
 the superintendent. 
 
 Sec. 3. She shall likewise oversee and direct the work in all the 
 domestic departments, the cooking, washing, ironing and sewing, 
 and see that all are properly done, and that proper order and neat- 
 ness in these departments prevail. 
 
 Sec. 4. She shall exercise forethought in the making up of 
 clothing and bedding, and see that prudence is observed in the use 
 materials, and that as much as possible be accomplished in each de- 
 partment. 
 
 Sec. 5. In every way possible she will endeavor to promote the 
 efficiency of the emyloyes, and add to the personal comforts of the 
 inmates, and will report to the. superintendent any evidences of un- 
 faithfulness to duty, or unkindness to patients, that may come to her 
 knowledge. She will be expected to render constant service to the 
 Institution, except when allowed leave of absence by the superin- 
 tendent. 
 
212 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Article XL 
 
 Sec. I. The farmer, under the superintendent's direction, shall 
 take charge of the operations of the farm in detail, and have imme- 
 diate direction of the persons employed for the farm service, and 
 shall be responsible for the timely and seasonable management of 
 the crops, the proper care of the dairy and other stock, and the 
 teams employed in the farm work, together with the team wagons, 
 sleds, and farming utensils of every description. 
 
 Sec. 2. He shall be responsible for the good order of the barns, 
 farm yards, and their appendages ; the good condition of the fences; 
 the utilization of the sewerage and fertilizing resources of the Insti- 
 tution; the preparation and housing of the supply of fuel and ice, 
 and the slaughtering of the animals which are the products of home 
 fattening. 
 
 Sec. 3. He shall also attend to the performance of any other 
 work or improvement upon the farm, garden, or Asylum premises, 
 that may be required of him. 
 
 Sec. 4. He shall exercise constant care and watchfulness over 
 the patients placed under his charge for employment, and over those 
 having the immediate care of them ; see that work suitable for each 
 is provided ; that due discretion is exercised in the use of tools and 
 implements for labor, and above all that they are not imposed upon 
 in any way, but are treated with the consideration and respect prop- 
 erly due persons in their condition of mind, and shall carry out in 
 every way possible the plans of the superintendent for their welfare 
 and treatment. 
 
 Sec 5. All wants in his department involving expenditure shall 
 be referred to the superintendent ; and no purchases or sales of 
 stock or produce be made, except by his direction. He will give his 
 time and attention exclusively to his charge, and not absent himself 
 from duty without the knowledge and permission of the superin- 
 tendent. 
 
 Article XH. 
 
 Sec. I. The Trustees shall from time to time fix the price of 
 board of patients, and no patient shall at any time be admitted for a 
 less price than that prefixed by the Trustees, and upon the admission 
 of patients to the Asylum good security shall in all cases be required. 
 
 Article XI H. 
 
 Sec. I. No moneys shall be expended, or debts contracted, (ex- 
 cept for the ordinary expenses of the establishment,) unless directed 
 by the Trustees. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 21^ 
 
 The subject which earhest engrossed the attention of the Trus- 
 tees in 1878 was the matter of disposal of the sewage which hith- 
 erto had been deposited in an artificial basin or settHng bed at 
 the foot of the bank on the meadow level, from which it was annu- 
 ally removed, and fresh material for compost thrown in. After 
 much discussion it was decided at the July meeting to abandon the 
 settling bed, and construct a conduit from the bank about thirty-five 
 rods to a stream in the meadow, by which it would be conductied 
 thence to the West River. 
 
 At this meeting it was also determined to erect a brick building 
 in rear of the gymnasium for a carpenter's shop in the lower story, 
 and a painter's shop above, and connect with the same a wing, 
 the lower story and cellar to form an ice house, and the upper story 
 a lumber room. 
 
 The following officers were elected at the annual meeting, 1878: 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Frederick Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 J. M. Tyler, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 Mary Draper, Matron. 
 T. M. Clark, 
 
 „ „. ^, , r Assistant Phvsicians 
 O. \\ . Phelps, 
 
 The financial exhibit of this biennial period shows 
 
 income received, $187,261.96 
 
 Expenditures, » 187,036.16 
 
 Balance on hand, $225.80 
 
 In their report of 1876, the Trustees urged an increase in 
 
 the rate allowed for the care of the insane poor, for the reason that 
 
 the Institution was becoming more and more devoted each year 
 
 to this class, and also because the rate now allowed was much below 
 
 that for the like class in the neighboring States. 
 
 This is urged in their Report of 1878 still more forcibly, as 
 
 follows: 
 
 "The Trustees desire in this Report to state explicity and in 
 
 detail, the difficulties under which the Institution is at present labor- 
 
514 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 ing, and what they conceive to be their duty in respect to the 
 relations existing between the Asylum and the State. They would 
 first remark that by virtue of their position, as the Trustees of 
 a property designed for a specific and benevolent object, they 
 are charged with a two-fold duty, to wit: the preservation of the 
 property intact, -and the maintenance of the Institution in a condi- 
 tion suited to the. successful carrying out of its chartered objects. 
 
 '^It will be remembered that the Asylum had its origin in a 
 private bequest of $10,000, in 1834, and that it was upon this alone 
 that the establishment was put in operation. That subsequently the 
 State co-operated with the Trustees in increasing the capacity of the 
 Asylum, by .2:ranting small appropriations amounting in the aggre- 
 gate to $23,000 between the years 1835 ^^^ 1843, since which time 
 the Asylum has received no aid whatever from any source, but 
 has been dependent wholly for its maintenance and subsequent 
 development upon the income derived from the care of its inmates 
 annually. A preference in the matter of admissions to the Asylum, 
 was, by the appropriations made by the State for the purpose of 
 increasing the capacity of the Institution, conceded to applicants 
 from A^ermont, and the result has been a gradual, but steadily 
 increasing percentage of inmates belonging to the State from the 
 date of the arrangements thus entered into to the present time. In 
 the year 1846, after the last appropriation had been made and 
 expended, the average number of the insane poor supported in 
 the Asylum was 121. The average number of the same class sup- 
 ported during the past year was 293. Ten years ago the respective 
 numbers of insane poor and self-supporting patients were 207 of the 
 former and 306 of the latter. At the present time there are 295 
 of the former and 164 of the latter. 
 
 "The result of this change it will be seen has very considerably 
 modified the resources of the Asylum, and materially limited the 
 income at the disposal of the Trustees, inasmuch as the rate paid by 
 the State has always been below the average cost as shown by the 
 officers of the Asylum in their review of the report of the State com- 
 missioner for 1876, with the single exception of the biennial period 
 of 1871-2 as therein shown. The change in the relative proportions 
 of public and private patients has been very marked in the past 
 six years. During the biennial period of 187 1-2 there were sup- 
 ported an average of 233 public and 273 private patients; in 1873-4, 
 254 public and 219 priva'te; in 1875-6, 277 public and 200 private; 
 in 1877-8, 293 public and 179 private. In the reception of patients 
 from Vermont, we have never discriminated against, nor refused any 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 215 
 
 class, but have received alike the poor, those self supporting and 
 those sent by the courts, who have been adjudged irresponsible for 
 their crimes by reason of insanity, as well as those convicted persons 
 who have become insane while serving the penalty of their crimes. 
 
 '' In reference to the latter class we desire to say that in our 
 judgment other provision should be made for them. In some States 
 separate institutions have been created for them. This is the case 
 in New York. In Massachusetts provision has been made for 
 them in connection with the new prison at Concord; such provision 
 is a practicable one in any State. 
 
 "The statistics already given show plainly that the Asylum 
 has been more and more exclusively devoted to the wants of the 
 State each year, though most decidedly, as will be seen to the 
 pecuniary disadvantage pf the Institution. The practical result of 
 the lessening in this way of the annual income of the establishment 
 has been the creation of an indebtedness of $45,000 incurred for the 
 improvement of the accommodations of the Institution, which still 
 remains unliquidated. 
 
 "These facts have been clearly shown to the Legislature in 1874 
 and in 1876, and we have respectfully asked an increase of rate per 
 capita from $3 to $3.50 per week, but no increase has been made, 
 altho' the committee to whom the question was referred has each 
 year reported in favor of additional remuneration. 
 
 "By a reference to the abstract of receipts and expenditures for 
 the two years, it will be seen that the average cost per capita has 
 been $3.81 per week. There has been no material difference in the 
 item of wages and medical supplies between the past and the 
 previous biennial period. The cost of stores and provisions has 
 been somewhat less. In this connection it may be proper to state 
 that the produce of the farm contributes very largely toward the 
 support of the household, and the crops have been exceptionally 
 good in the last two years. It does not, however, enter into the 
 estimates of cost in this Report, nor has it ever been considered in 
 the annual statements of receipts and expenditures. The furniture 
 and clothing account has been more than in the preceding two 
 years. The fuel account appears for the first time as an item of 
 expense, the wood having been previously cut upon the Asylum 
 property; but in future it will be an increasing item, as the con- 
 sumption amounts to some fifteen hundred cords per annum, which 
 will each year have to be more and more largely purchased, as the 
 supply upon the farm is nearly exhausted. 
 
Si6 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 " The expenditures for current repairs and renovations have been 
 for four years past less than their proper average, on account of the 
 expenditure of moneys largely in buildings and permanent improve- 
 ments. The latter account has been larger in the past two years 
 than usual in consequence of the occurrence of the fire already 
 referred to, but an insurance of eight thousand dollars aided in 
 rebuilding. So long as the indebtedness of the Asylum remains 
 unliquidated the item of interest upon it must become a part of the 
 current expense, as also that for taxes and insurance, which latter 
 we have felt obliged to increase since tlie late casualty. It will 
 be seen by the facts cited, that the Trustees have been some- 
 what straightened financially and circumscribed in their plans for 
 improvements, in consequence of the relations of the Asylum to the 
 State, and their scrupulous adherence to the conditions relative to 
 admissions, whereby the annual income of the establishment has 
 been year by year reduced. But they desire in this connection 
 to state that they do not acknowledge the right of the Legislature 
 alone to determine the rate at which the insane poor of the State 
 shall be supported at the Asylum. They regard this as a question 
 which they have a voice in determining, and while it has been their 
 uniform endeavor to make the cost as low as possible, consistently 
 with the proper care of this class, they cannot continue a policy that 
 for the five years past has been detrimental to both the present and 
 prospective interests of the Institution in their charge. They feel 
 that if the Asylum is to be more and more devoted to the use of the 
 State, they have a right to demand an increased compensation 
 for the care of those who are supported by it. They would call 
 attention to the large amount expended in the last five years to 
 improve the Institution in its appointments, and to the fact that the 
 amount allowed for the support of the insane poor of Vermont, is 
 considered everywhere else in New England insufficient for the just 
 requirements. of the same class, in institutions exclusively devoted to 
 their care and cure. 
 
 "We are satisfied with the working organization of the Asylum 
 and believe the objects of its founder are being faithfully regarded 
 and the interests of the State honestly served; but feel that the 
 Legislature in the last four years has done injustice to the Asylum, 
 and fallen short in its provisions for a class of persons who are 
 the special objects of its beneficence by refusing an adequate com- 
 pensation for their maintainance and care." 
 
 We have quoted thus largely from this report for the reason that 
 on no occasion before nor since, have the Trustees so fully defined 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 217 
 
 the relation of the Asyhim to the State, and expressed the obHga- 
 tions they feh under in the discharge of their trust. They close 
 their report in the following words. 
 
 " We must again respectfully request that the Legislature shall 
 at least make the increase shown to be absolutely requisite for the 
 wants of the insane poor of this State. We can no longer continue 
 to care for them at the rate hitherto allowed." 
 
 The Legislature responded to this appeal by increasing the rate 
 from $3.00 to $3.50 per week by an Act approved November 26, 
 1878. 
 
 The Report of the Superintendent shows one hundred and sixty- 
 seven admitted, and one hundred and ninety-seven discharged, since 
 August I, 1876; four hundred and fifty-nine remaining. 
 
 The Causes of Insanity, Moral Agencies in the Treatment of the 
 Insane, and the Care and Classification of the Insane, were specially 
 discussed together with the statistics of the cases under care, and 
 the following detail of the work of the past two years, is stated 
 and here quoted, as showing more explicitly the modernizations 
 of the older portions of the Asylum: 
 
 "The work of rebuilding the wing burned in the winter of 1877, 
 was necessitated by the accident of fire, and was not embraced in 
 the plan for improvements, with which we commenced the biennial 
 period. Since the completion of the two extreme wings, in 1873, 
 and the subsequent introduction of steam heating, a renovation of 
 the original wings which have been long in use, and subjected to 
 most wear, has, you are aware, been going constantly on. This has 
 been necessarily a slow work, as it has had to be done under the dis- 
 advantages of constant occupancy, but we have so far accomplished 
 it that the wards have all been painted throughout the Asylum, and 
 many minor alterations made in the original construction to enable 
 us to introduce modern conveniences, many of which have been 
 detailed in the two last published reports. 
 
 "Early in the winter of 1877 somewhat important alterations 
 were commenced in the centre building by which the first floor was 
 wholly converted into public use, and additional rooms for visiting 
 secured; and also at the extremity of each wing from the centre, was 
 constructed a staircase opening into each story and terminating 
 in the attic, and having at the bottom, on the first story, a door 
 opening out upon the grounds for the daily use of patients occupy- 
 ing these wings, and serving also as a fire escape in case of neces- 
 sity. These alterations were completed during the winter. Early 
 
^i8 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 in the spring were commenced alterations in the interior of the 
 Marsh Building, by which the rear halls were united with the main 
 ones at right angles, and a large ventilating shaft was constructed at 
 the angle of the two wards, by which very eecellent results were 
 secured, and later in the season the wooden wing at the rear of this 
 building, no longer required for storage of fuel, was removed, and 
 the airing court for patients extended so as to cover its site. These 
 with the removal of the rear staircase, and the renovation of several 
 of the rear rooms the present year, have placed this building in 
 a very satisfactory state of repair. 
 
 ^' In the kitchen department the work has been very materially 
 facilitated by the introduction of steam cooking apparatus. By this 
 change several separate fires have been rendered unnecessary 
 and the risks from that cause materially lessened, while over the 
 great oven has been built a fire proof section of flooring, most effect- 
 ually shutting off the possibility of danger from that source. 
 
 *'At the junction of the laundry with the contiguous wing, 
 iron safety doors have been set, so that altogether we do not hesitate 
 to assert that the security of the buildings is now as complete 
 as is possible, where absolute fire proof arrangements do not exist. 
 
 " Since the date of the last report the steam heating apparatus 
 has, been extended to the Marsh Building, and applied to the cooking 
 arrangements, so that this department may be regarded as practically 
 complete, and by the introduction of the fan the present season, the 
 effectiveness of the ventilation we fully believe will in future be 
 found adequate. 
 
 " It is with no little rejoicing that we are able to record the 
 establishment of a gymnasium. This is one of the compensating 
 considerations resulting from the fire which was a serious pecuniary 
 loss, and unmitigated save by the advantages secured by improve- 
 ments in rebuilding. This annexation to the Asylum occupies the 
 entire section next the road of the rebuilt block, and is abundantly 
 adequate to the purpose, being about 75x40 feet in dimensions, and 
 having the height of two stories in one, finished in the roof to the 
 ridge. A bowling alley is laid the entire length on one side, and a 
 gallery formed, by a second story twenty-four feet wide across the 
 western end of the building gives a billiard room, which is furnished 
 with a fine table, the gift of a life long friend of the Asylum." 
 
 At the September meeting plans for further improvements were 
 discussed, and the Trustees unanimously approved the suggestion of 
 extending the rear halls through the north return wings, to the rear 
 

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RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 219 
 
 center court, thus improving them in respect to hght, ventilation and 
 classification, which work was entered upon about the close of 
 the year. 
 
 There was expended in the years 1877-78 in completing the system 
 of steam heating, introducing the ventilating fan, and also steam 
 cooking utensils, tea and coffee boilers, and all their necessary con- 
 nections, $8,888.21. The cost of work shop and ice house, also 
 erected" in the latter part of the year 1878, was $5,000. 
 
 The Commission appointed by the governor under the Resolution 
 approved November 28, 1876, made its Report to His Excellency at 
 the session of the Legislature in October of this year. Dr. M. Gold- 
 smith of Rutland, Dr. O. F. Fassett of St. Albans, and \V. H. Walker, 
 Esq., of Ludlow, were the commissioners. 
 
 In the exercise of their functions they endeavored to make 
 an exhaustive investigation of the Asylum and its management, and 
 in so doing manifestly went beyond the scope of legislative authori- 
 zation. The chairman of the Commission states at the outset, that, 
 " In the division of labor among ourselves, that which relates to the 
 legal part of our duties was assigned to Mr. Walker. That which 
 relates to the medical or other treatment of the insane, w^as assigned 
 to Dr. Fassett. 
 
 The construction of the Asylum, its fitness for the care of the 
 insane, the air space, ventilation, food, washing, and administration, 
 was committed to Dr. Goldsmith." 
 
 It may here be remarked that Dr. Cxoldsmith had had an exten- 
 sive experience in army hospitals, hence his ideas in respect to all 
 hospitals bore the military stamp; and those points in the Asylum 
 that did not conform to the military notion, were naturally construed 
 as falling short of the hospital idea; nevertheless, he does full justice 
 to the faithfulness of the Trustees in the discharge of their trust, 
 according to their conception of their duty. 
 
 "These Trustees," he wTites, '*are a body of men in which 
 changes are seldom made except as death makes them, and in most 
 cases the son takes the honored father's place. 
 
 "The most searching inquiry has failed to find that a single dol- 
 lar of the millions which have passed through their hands, has ever 
 been misappropriated or unaccounted for. They have always served 
 without fee or reward, and fidelity to trust seems to be, and to have 
 been, in each and every case the household God, heredity or not." 
 
 The followifig are the " Comments of the Officers of the Asylum 
 upon the Report of the Special Commissioners," in full : 
 
526 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 To THE Joint Committee on the Insane, and the Insane 
 Asylum, of the Senate and House of Representa- 
 tives OF the General Assembly of Vermont, now in 
 Session : 
 
 "Inasmuch as the Report of the Special Commissioners, ap- 
 pointed by His Excellency, Governor Fairbanks, ' To inquire into 
 the Statutes now in force, in relation to the confinement and treat- 
 ment of the insane of our State, and see what changes were neces- 
 sary, if any, in said laws ; also to inquire into the treatment of our 
 insane, and determine what, if any, legislation was necessary,' con- 
 tains some conclusions from which the Officers of the Asylum dissent, 
 and some criticisms which they deem unjust ; they, therefore, 
 respectfully submit the following statement relative to the points of 
 disagreement, and request that the same be submitted by you, with 
 your Report upon that of the said Commissioners, to the General 
 Assembly. 
 
 '' For the sake of brevity, the officers of the Asylum will confine 
 their remarks solely to those points upon which they entertain dif- 
 ferent views from the Commissioners. 
 
 " The chairman of said Commission, who, in the division of the 
 labor, assigned to himself the investigation of ' The construction of 
 the Asylum, and its fitness for the care of the insane, the air space, 
 ventilation, food, washing and administration,' states that in 
 three things, 'space to live in, pure air to breathe, and sufficient 
 attendance, the great deficiencies of the Asylum consist, and render it 
 unfit for holding so many as it now holds and undertakes to care for.' 
 
 "The over-crowding to a definite extent being conceded, that is, 
 so far as necessity has obliged the duplicating of beds in single 
 rooms, still the assertion is made that 'in the rooms provided, even 
 when occupied by the number they were designed for, the space and 
 air supply are not sufficient.' 
 
 " The capacity of the Asylum, according to its original design, is 
 for 400 persons, patients and attendants, allowing in associated dor- 
 mitories the average cubic space for each occupant that each single 
 room contains. While we can see advantages in larger rooms, and 
 would construct them larger if the buildings were to be designed 
 anew, we are fully convinced that the health of the inmates would 
 never be prejudiced if the capacity of the Institution upon the basis 
 originally made were not exceeded. Even with the overcrowding, 
 which in the past has been greater than it is at present, we fail to 
 find evidences of injury to health in consequence. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 221 
 
 " The mortality, in comparison with the other Asylums of New 
 England, has been above three per cent, less than the average in the 
 past twelve years. This fact is admitted by Dr. Fassett, who says : 
 'The ratio of deaths to the average number of inmates is less than 
 in most Asylums in the country, while many show a much larger 
 death rate — even double that of the Vermont Asylum.' 
 
 '' In explanation of this favorable record, he suggests that fewer 
 'new case's — many of which are liable to 'be acute and fatal' — are 
 treated than in some asylums ; and that many having ' friends and 
 homes, as the end of life approaches, are taken to their homes to die 
 among friends.' 
 
 "Whatever force there may be in the first assigned cause, there 
 is none in the latter ; so rarely is a chronic case removed to die at 
 home, that we cannot recall one at the present time. 
 
 " But a stronger argument even than the light mortality, in favor 
 of the good general hygienic condition of the inmates, not only at 
 present but in all the years past, is found in the large number of old 
 residents comprising the present household. By reference to the 
 tabular statements contained in the Commissioners' Report, it will be 
 seen that twenty have been thirty or more years in the Asylum ; six- 
 ty-five between twenty and thirty years, and one hundred and 
 eighteen between ten and twenty years. We venture the opinion 
 that this state of facts could not exist had the sanitary condition in 
 which they have lived been decidedly bad in any essential particular. 
 
 "In noting the structural arrangements of asylums, reference is 
 made to the openings over the doors of the rooms, and the opinion 
 expressed that ' transoms- only permit the more ready diffusion 
 of gases. They cannot be said to cause or allow ventilation.' 
 Also, ' that in effect the air in asylum corridors is absolutely still in 
 cold weather, or whenever the windows are closed,' unless in them 
 the air may be moved by artificial means.' 
 
 " We are disposed to accord more practical advantages to the 
 transoms as an aid to ventilation than does Dr. Goldsmith. In truth, 
 the air in the corridors upon which the rooms of the patients open, 
 is never absolutely still. There are ventilating flues from these cor- 
 ridors communicating w^th the chimneys of the buildings — thirty- 
 eight in number, amounting to an area of about ninety square feet, 
 which, if all concentrated in a single shaft, would require one of 
 about nine feet by ten in its diameters — through which foul air is 
 constantly passing out from the building, even without the aid of 
 artificial means. In rooms, therefore, not having special flues, the 
 transom affords the substitute ; and as there is always an escape of 
 
222 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 foul air going on from the corridors through the flues mentioned, it 
 follows that there is an exhaust force acting to draw the air from 
 these apartments through these transoms or openings above the 
 doors of the rooms, which is supplemented and aided by any inlet of 
 air from the window, which is opposite the door and transom of each 
 room. Even when the window is closed, this amounts to consider- 
 able, Dr. Goldsmith granting it, 'to supplement one-fourth of 
 the ventilation required,' but since the introduction of the fan, 
 the movement of air throughout the building hds been so greatly 
 facilitated, its working having even exceeded our expectations, that 
 this exhaust force upon the rooms admits of easy demonstration. Dr. 
 Goldsmith gives the cubic contents of the sleeping apartments at 
 291,134 feet, which, upon the basis of 1,000 feet per person, equals 
 the requirements for 291 individuals, and adds that '502 are made 
 to live in what is the minimum space for 291.' This is not strictly 
 true. To arrive at the total space in which the inmates live, the 
 cubic contents of the corridors themselves, in which the patients 
 pass fully two-thirds of their time, (assuming they are always indoors), 
 must be added to that in which they lodge; but by a singular over- 
 sight, as it seems to us, the day space in the buildings is nowhere 
 taken into account. This constant use of the term live in, instead 
 of lodge or sleep in, we think, tends to mislead the reader. Adding 
 to the cubic contents of the sleeping rooms, already given (291,634), 
 the capacity of the corridors (292,464), we have a total space which, 
 on the basis of 400 inmates, gives to each 1,459 cubic feet in which 
 to live, and this, with our present means of ventilation, it is possible 
 easily to change once an hour, which Dr. Goldsmith himself regards 
 as a sufficiently rapid movement. In this computation no account is 
 taken of the stairways, bath-rooms, nor dining-rooms, which are used 
 some portions of each day by the inmates, to the relief of the wards; 
 nor is the time reckoned which is spent by the patients out of doors, 
 still further in favor of the more perfect ventilation of the corridors 
 and sleeping rooms. It should also be mentioned that there are 
 many lodging rooms of the class designated unventilated, in which 
 the doors are lattice-work, thus very largely favoring the air supply. 
 This is the case in some of the most crowded of the female halls, 
 ,where there are two beds in single apartments. 
 
 "On the occasion of the Commissioners most thorough inspec- 
 tion, the ventilation seems to be the point most criticised. ' In 
 every room occupied by an inmate who had the door and window 
 closed, the air was foul and fetid,' 'fearfully bad in rooms of filthy 
 patients, etc.,' 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 223 
 
 "By reference to the testimony it will be seen that we are care- 
 ful to select, for the use of persons who are obliged to be confined 
 to their rooms both day and night, those specially heated and ventil- 
 ated, and we are also careful to prevent, as far as possible, the 
 voluntary use of sleeping rooms in the daytime, except with open 
 doors. Practically, the bedrooms are all day undergoing an airing 
 for night use, and the occupancy of rooms that have become foul 
 and fetid is exceptional. 
 
 "As regards the wards and rooms of those cases in which the 
 calls of nature are disregarded, and there are quite a percentage in 
 every asylum, we do not think it an evidence of defective ventilating 
 arrangements, if disagreeable odors are perceptible ; we have 
 observed it in the most, perfectly ventilated buildings we have 
 visited. It is the frequent necessary renovation of such wards 
 and rooms, on account of the filthy and destructive habits of such 
 inmates, that swells the annual account for current repairs, which, 
 to those unfamiliar with the practical care of such institutions, 
 appears disproportionately large. 
 
 " In commenting upon the quality of the atmosphere in the 
 different apartments, the remark is made that it was found 'most 
 pure in the double rooms containing only one inmate, commonly an 
 attendant.' The impression conveyed by this is that the attendants 
 are specially favored in this respect. But the use of double rooms 
 by single attendants is not the common arrangement. It is the case, 
 in fact, only at the Marsh Building, and these rooms are also used 
 as visiting rooms by friends of patients, therefore not exclusively for 
 the attendants' use. In all cases the rooms for the attendants are 
 selected by the officers, and wholly with reference to the best 
 convenience, welfare and oversight of the inmates. 
 
 " The position of the buildings in relation to the points of the 
 compass are thus commented upon: ' The long axis of the group of 
 buildings, constituting the Asylum, trends east and west,, as will be 
 seen on an inspection of the maps. It will also be seen that there 
 are nearly one hundred rooms that have hardly a ray of sunshine 
 entering them. This is always inevitable wherever there are rooms 
 on both sides of a corridor, and the building trends east and west. 
 If asylums couid be built as our military hospitals were, every room 
 in them would be flooded with sunshine some time during the day.' 
 
 "As Dr. Goldsmith intimates, this is a general fault or fact, 
 applicable to other institutions as well as the one under consideration. 
 But there are some considerations that mitigate it, some even that 
 favor it. The general non-occupancy of the rooms during the day 
 
224 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 renders it less necessary that all should be ' flooded with sunshine', 
 while in cases of acute maniacal excitement, it is often the case that 
 sunlight is prejudicial. This principle has in some institutions led 
 to the use of close shutters, making the rooms dark, for the use of 
 patients in this state. We have one case of periodical excitement, 
 now under treatment, in which a congested state of the^ conjunctival 
 mucous membrane is an invariable accompaniment, and who for this 
 reason would be unable to use a bright sunny room. In another, 
 for the same reason, we have used the blue glass window, with 
 advantage to the eyes if not to the mind. 
 
 " It is not thought that the arrangement of double lines of rooms 
 with corridor between, is a disadvantageous one to the general 
 welfare of the inmates of institutions of this kind, as. there are always 
 cases who can occupy the rooms /r^/// the sun, if not with positive 
 advantage, at least without actual detriment. We willingly admit 
 that too much sunlight cannot be let into the corridors and alcoves 
 appropriated to day use. Another fact should be remembered in 
 connection with the use of the rooms upon the side opposite to the 
 sunny exposure, such rooms are subject to frequent changes of 
 occupants. Many patients are subject to paroxysmal excitements 
 and require for a few days or weeks the use of the rooms thus 
 situated, but few have constant occupants. During the hot season 
 these rooms become the preferable ones by reason of their greater 
 comfort, being more exposed to the breeses and less to the solar 
 heat. 
 
 *'We are inclined to the view that the location of asylums 
 throughout the country, in respect to the points of compass, has 
 been determined by local advantages connected with the geography 
 of the site. We are not aware that a special preference in respect 
 to frontage has been found an essential desid-eratum. Certainly 
 some of the best asylums have the same general trend of buildings 
 as the Vermont Asylum. The McLean, and the new Worcester, in 
 Massachusetts, the Butler Hospital at Providence, R. I., the Bloom- 
 ingdale and Utica Asylums, New York, and the Morristown and 
 Trenton, New Jersey, are of like trend. 
 
 ''Between the temperature of rooms specially heated and those 
 not thus supplied, there is a difference of about 20 degrees as a 
 rule; while the former are kept at 70 degrees, the latter would stand 
 at 50 degrees. This latter temperature Dr. Goldsmith pronounces 
 'not warm enough.' * 
 
 "For a feeble person, 50 degrees might not be sufficient, but for 
 a healthy one it seems to us better than any higher degree. We 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 225 
 
 should regard 70 degrees as enervating to a person in ordinary 
 health. We believe three-quarters of our household better off to 
 sleep in a temperature of 50 degrees than in any higher, and it must 
 be borne in mind that these statements of temperature apply to the 
 sleeping apartments, not to the corridors. 
 
 "On the paper which bears the outline of the buildings, sewage, 
 etc., will be seen a sketch of one ward of the asylum at Concord, N. 
 H. The reader is left to the inference that this sketch is typical of 
 the whole of the wards of that excellent institution, but such is not 
 strictly the fact. 
 
 "The building from which this plan is made was erected and 
 opened in 1875. It is their latest improvement, and contains rooms 
 for twenty-seven patients. In 1868 the extension, called the Kent 
 Building, designed for thirty-three female patients of the excited 
 class, was erected. These embrace every modern convenience, and 
 the advantage of ample space. The previously built portion, which 
 still constitutes the main portion, was built substantially upon the 
 same scale as the Vermont Asylum as to capacity and size of rooms; 
 both were essentially modelled after the same plan. 
 
 " As elsewhere stated, the Vermont Asylum has a total space, in . 
 the opinion of Dr. Goldsmith, for only 291 inmates. He, however, 
 states that 'it may be so altered in his judgment as to have space 
 and ventilation ample for 325 or perhaps 350.' At present, however, 
 in his opinion, 'it has ventilation enough for only 149.' 
 
 "In the testimony taken last June we stated that the system of 
 ventilation, as designed by us, then lacked the motive power to make 
 it complete and effective. This has been supplied and put to use 
 since the final visit of the Commissioners. We are convinced that 
 the practical working of this fan will be to supply the needed changes 
 of atmosphere for the fullest requirements of the number for which 
 there is space. 
 
 "Dr. Fassett, to whom was assigned the investigation of 'That 
 which relates to the medical or other treatment of the insane,' 
 discusses at the outset the questions of seclusion and restraint, and 
 quotes from Dr. Folsom, the able secretary of the Massachusetts 
 Board of Health, ' The Criminal Lunatic Asylum, at Broadmoor, 
 England, which held, in 1875, a daily average number of 503 
 inmates, of whom 204 had been sent there for murder and no for 
 attempt to murder, maim, etc., and yet no form of mechanical 
 restraint was used in any part of the asylum during the year.' And 
 
226 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 'with all this, there were no instances of the commission of premed- 
 itated acts of violence, no attempt to escape was even partially 
 successful, and there was no accident which could have been 
 prevented by the use of mechanical restraint.' 
 
 "In referring to the Reports of the English Commissioners in 
 Lunacy, we find the explanation of this remarkable disuse of 
 mechanical restraint. In Report of 1874, page 299, note the 
 following: ' Mechanical restraint has not been employed, but during 
 the last 13 months 67 men and 12 women have been secluded, 
 on account of violence, dangerous propensities, or for safe custody, 
 the former altogether upon 2,768 occasions, the latter upon 63 
 occasions.' This was upwards of 15 per cent, of the average resident 
 number (508). 'Besides the above, 54 men and 22 women have 
 been secluded from time to time, owing to maniacal excitement, etc' 
 This made 15 per cent, additional, or upwards of 30 per cent, that 
 were subjected to more or less seclusion. 
 
 " In explanation of this large percentage of seclusion, the Com- 
 missioners say it is explained by the medical superintendent 'to be 
 due to the necessity which arose in the early months of the year for 
 taking extra precautions for the safety of patients and attendants, 
 owing to the violence and misconduct of a few of the most trouble- 
 some patients of the convict class ; but chiefly in the latter months 
 of the year, in consequence of the escape of two patients, necessi- 
 tating stricter measures generally, in order to insure safe custody.' 
 
 " In England seclusion is preferred to mechanical restraint. In 
 this country it is the opinion that the interests of the insane are best 
 served by the avoidance of seclusion, even if restraint must be a 
 condition of its avoidance. There are now some indications of 
 a common practice being ultimately reached. Even the English 
 Commissioners, in their report of 1872, p. 276, thus speak: 'It is 
 our opinion, many times strongly expressed in these reports, that all 
 the bad qualities of such inmates are exaggerated by excessive 
 seclusion.' In the light of the present, therefore, we believe we are 
 best serving the cause in discarding neither, but in reducing both to 
 the minimum as far as practicable. 
 
 "Under the head of 'Employment,' Dr. Fassett considers all 
 outdoor privileges, and comments unfavorably upon the airing 
 courts for the disturbed and demented classes, which he considers 
 too small. This, he says, ' seems to us the most inexcusable of any 
 of the faults of the institution.' Wc do not think the purpose of 
 these airing courts was fully taken into account by the 
 Commissioners. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 227 
 
 " They are designed for the use of but a limited number at most. 
 The larger proportion of the inmates enjoy the use of the unen- 
 closed grounds in front of the buildings, and are taken out in groups 
 for exercise and diversion regularly each half day by their attendants, 
 and when the winter closes in, the new gymnasium, wnth sleigh 
 riding, etc., will afford the like opportunities for healthful recreation. 
 The airing courts are immediately connected with the buildings 
 or wings occupied by the excited or demented classes, and are 
 provided exclusively for these classes, in recognition of the necessity 
 of open air for all, yet recognizing, also, that such are to be 
 protected from public observation and remark, while laboring under 
 demonstrative insanity, or having reached a helpless state of fatuity. 
 
 " No feature of an asylum is, in our view, more beneficent in its 
 practical working than this. The size of these courts has been 
 determined by the surroundings. They could not be materially 
 larger without exposing to public view their occupants. This is the 
 point which, it did not seem to us, the Commissioners fully 
 comprehended. 
 
 " In considering the sanitary condition of the Asylum, Dr. Fassett 
 states, 'they have estimated the lack of ventilation, not only by their 
 own senses, but by the effect upon the health of the inmates,' and 
 that ' the effect upon the health was painfully evident in the pale, 
 mottled faces, the cold, clammy hands, the feeble circulation, the 
 lack of vicality.' 
 
 '' With such a state of health, we would naturally expect that the 
 death record would show a large mortality from tuberculosis and 
 acute affections, which would be quickly fatal under such conditions. 
 But the record for the past two years shows but five cases from 
 acute diseases all told, and but three from consumption out of a 
 total of sixty-four, and this latter is a malady that would be specially 
 fostered, as is well known, by living in impure air. We have taken 
 pains to ascertain the death rate in all the State Asylums of New 
 England for the 1 2 years last past, and find the mean average to be 
 10.38 per cent, on the average population of each institution each 
 year. 
 
 " The mean average of the Vermont Asylum for the same period 
 upon its average population, has been but 6.95 per cent. We have 
 also ascertained the percentage of recoveries in the same institutions 
 for the same period of time upon those admitted, which we find to 
 be 3i>^ per cent., and in this respect the Vermont Asylum does not 
 fall below the others ; there is scarcely a fractional difference. 
 
228 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 ''With this state of facts, the remarks made by Dr. Fassett rela- 
 tive to the sanitary condition of the inmates, in the last quotation, 
 seem contradictory. 'The pale mottled faces, the cold clammy 
 hands, the feeble circulation, the lack of vitality,' are, however, 
 attributable, we believe, to another cause, and that incident to the 
 malady under which all the inmates labor. That cause is exhausted 
 innervation. Such patients are not in a condition of impoverish- 
 ment *of blood, biit there is a want of tone by reason of deficient 
 nerve force. In such cases there is always a weak capillary circula- 
 tion which gives rise to the apparent paleness and lack of vitality. 
 Yet such cases do not die ; they often live on for years in just the 
 condition described, and at last drop off from sheer nervous exhaus- 
 tion, without any acute disease whatever, simply because the nerve 
 force runs at last to so low an ebb that the vital processes can no 
 longer be sustained. In contrast to these cases. Dr. Fassett com- 
 ments upon the 'ruddy faces and more animated manner of the 
 classes regularly employed,' drawing the inference that this better 
 grade of cases illustrate simply the difference between indoor and 
 outdoor advantages. But here again we think he is largely in error. 
 Those whom it is practicable to employ out of doors in a regular 
 way, are those who are yet a long way from that condition of 
 advanced dementia which is coincident with the degree of enerva- 
 tion, which is characteristic of the class he so graphically describes. 
 The latter, by outdoor exposure, might indeed lose some of the 
 paleness incident to indoor life, — become browned by the sun, — but 
 no amount of sunlight and forced labor, for it could not be other in 
 cases of advanced dementia, would infuse into them the ruddy glow 
 of health and the animated manner that belongs to the earlier stages 
 of mental disorder. 
 
 "In reference to the medical treatment of the patients, we think 
 an erroneous impression was given in the statement that 'each 
 (medical assistant) testified that he has charge of one side of this 
 large hospital, with the aid of Dr. Draper, when needing advice.' 
 
 " The duties of the Superintendent are much more individual 
 than would be inferred from the above quotation. Under the 
 By-Laws the duties of the Superintendent are clearly defined in this 
 respect, as follows: 
 
 "Art. VIII, Sec. 2. 'In the discharge of his duties, his first 
 care shall be for the welfare of the patients committed to the charge 
 of the Institution, and this care must be so far personal that he shall 
 be at all times conversant with the actual condition of each indi- 
 vidual case ; and he must be responsible for the classification of the 
 inmates and the general course of treatment pursued.' 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 229 
 
 " In the testimony of the Superintendent before the Commission- 
 ers appended to their Report, occurs this question, by Dr. Fassett, and 
 answer : 
 
 " Ques. — ' Do you personally superintend the treatment of every 
 individual in the Asylum, or do you only see them as you are called 
 in consultation ? ' 
 
 '' Ans. — 'For the general direction of everything I am responsi- 
 ble, but the carrying of it out in detail is intrusted to my assistants. 
 My custom is to visit one department of the Institution each day 
 with the assistant of that department. The assistants are required 
 to make two regular visitations each day, but each one of us is sub- 
 ject to the nurses' call at any time.' 
 
 '* The professional duty of the Superintendent, it will be seen by 
 the above showing, is really something more than that of counselling 
 physician in cases of special difficulty ; it embraces primarily the 
 determination of the general course of treatment of the patients 
 individually ; and the professional responsibility of the assistant 
 physicians will be best understood by reference to the By-Laws, Art. 
 IX, Sec. 4, which reads as follows : 
 
 " ' They will daily, and as much oftener as may be necessary, 
 report to the Superintendent upon the cases under treatment, relative 
 to the progress made, and concerning any occurrence of an unusual 
 or unexpected character, and consult with him in reference to any 
 changes in classification or treatment that may be indicated.' 
 
 '* Of the value of professional experience no one can be more 
 sensible than ourselves, and in this respect it does not seem to us 
 that we are open to much criticism. The senior medical assistant 
 has had full six years' experience in the specialty and entered it after 
 one years' service in the Hartford City General Hospital. The 
 second has now had about one year's experience in his present posi- 
 tion. We know of no school but this practical one, where the expe- 
 rience desired can be obtained, and neither certainly at present can 
 be regarded as inexperienced. 
 
 "We gladly bear witness to the careful and thorough investiga- 
 tions of the Commissioners, both in reference to the fitness of the 
 Asylum for its purposes, and in reference to the actual treatment of 
 the inmates ; yet, with all due respect, cannot but believe that a 
 personal, practical experience of their own in the care of the insane, 
 would have modified more or less their conclusions and recommend- 
 ations. 
 
 "In the Report of Mr. Walker upon the legal relations'of the 
 Asylum to the State, he remarks that ' The Trustees have always 
 
230 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 sought the patronage of the State and been willing, so far as the 
 Commissioners have been able to learn, to receive the State benefi- 
 ciaries at the prices fixed by the Legislature. 
 
 " How far this statement holds, does not require very extended 
 research to show. This is the third time that the Legislature has 
 respectfully been asked to raise the price of caring for the insane, 
 to a figure that would cover the actual cost, and that the Trustees 
 have publicly and emphatically expressed their iinwillingness to care 
 for these classes at the expense of others, as the refusal of the request 
 has obliged them partially to do. 
 
 "In respect to the admission to, and discharge of patients from 
 the Asylum, the Commissioners are of the opinion that the laws are 
 defective, and ' recommend the enactment of such laws as will tend 
 more effectually to prevent the wrongful detention of persons, 
 claimed to be insane, in any Asylum in the State.' 
 
 " The manner in which the insane poor may be wrongfully 
 detained is dwelt upon, and the statement made that 'the Commis- 
 sioners fear there may be one or more such cases now confined at 
 Brattleboro who ought to be discharged.' 
 
 '' In replying to this, we deem it sufficient to say that, in our 
 judgment, no person of sufficiently sane mind to be safely at large 
 and capable of caring for himself or herself is there detained. 
 
 '* It is stated that ' the Commissioners have learned that formerly 
 it was the custom of the Superintendent to allow patients to execute 
 deeds of real estate ; but that they have not learned whether this 
 practice is still continued or not.' 
 
 "The present Superintendent has no recollection of any occasion 
 for such a transaction during the time he has been in charge, and is 
 not cognizant of any such at any former period. 
 
 "On the question of the supervision of the correspondence of the 
 patients, the views of the Superintendent are given in the printed 
 testimony, and need not be here repeated. We would only say that 
 in this matter we have pursued the universal course, which the past 
 experience of those qualified to judge has shown to be for the best 
 interest of the inmates, who, from the nature of the malady they 
 labor under, are irresponsible, and require guardianship and over- 
 sight to shield them from the indiscretions incident to their insanity. 
 As a matter of fact, much of the correspondence of the patients 
 passes unread and even unopened, the supervision being only that of 
 a general knowledge of the channels in which it drifts. 
 
 "'J'hough the statement is made in a general way that 'some 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 231 
 
 insane asylums' adopt the unrestricted course of exercising no over- 
 sight of the patients in this respect, it is not supported by citing any 
 institution in which this practice prevails, and we know of none. In 
 addition to the -reasons given in the testimony of the Superintendent 
 referred to, there is one which is not there noted, but which seems to 
 us worthy of mention, as showing it to be an advantage for the physi- 
 cian having charge of the patient to have also the supervision of his 
 correspondence. It is that the letters or writings of the patient are 
 the best key to his mental state. In conversation the patient may be 
 reticent or suspicious of all inquiries made of him, or he may dissem- 
 ble and endeavor to appear better than he is, in the hope of an early 
 release from confinement ; but in the absence of an interrogator and 
 uninfluenced by the presence of any one to check or turn the current 
 of his thought, by writing he expresses more the genuineness of his 
 ideas and the delusions that possess him. It is in this way that the 
 first evidences of convalescence and coherence may often be 
 detected, and the understanding of individual cases be materially 
 aided. 
 
 "The large proportion of the patients of this State, who are 
 supported or aided by the State, and the small number who are 
 supported by private means, is commented upon by Mr. Walker, who 
 remarks, this fact 'suggests wrong somewhere.' 
 
 "In explanation of this, his first inquiry is: 'Do the citizens of 
 the State, who are able to pay for the support of their insane, send 
 them out of the State, and avoid the Vermont Asylum because other 
 States have superior hospitals, where the patients are better cared for 
 and treated ? ' 
 
 " On this point we have the testimony of Dr. Fassett in reply. 
 We were assured by him on the occasion of his last visit at Brattle- 
 boro, that in his visits to other asylums he had made investigation 
 upon this point, biit failed to find this to be the case to any extent. 
 In the Concord Institution, the nearest and most available to Ver- 
 mont, he found but one. The question is therefore unanswered by 
 this in(|uiry. Again he essays a possible solution of the distasteful 
 fact : ' Can it be possible that the State is being defrauded by indi- 
 viduals and officers of the Asylum combining to have private patients 
 classed as State beneficiaries?' On the page immediately preceding 
 this inquiry, Mr. W^alker observes, 'Men and corporations are unfor- 
 tunately greatly influenced and moved by money considerations. 
 Such influences are potent ; they permeate almost every measure. 
 Benevolent and philanthropic measures and institutions do not 
 always escape them.' That the key note were here struck might 
 
232 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 indeed be imagined, if by this arrangement the Asylum would receive 
 a higher rate per week ; but the facts are, that while no private 
 patient is received for. less than $3.50 per week, besides clothing, 
 beneficiaries are received at $3.00, and the Asylum has the privilege 
 of clothing them at its own expense ! This second query, therefore, 
 fails to give a satisfactory answer, and Mr. Walker propounds no 
 further. The facts, whatever their significance may be, are as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 "The whole number of patients belonging to Vermont in the 
 Asylum August ist, 1878, at date of last Report, was 326, instead of 
 364 as stated by Mr. Walker, no doubt by error. Of this number 31 
 were supported wholly by private means, but 21 of these paid but 
 $3.50 per week besides clothing ; 127 were wholly supported by the 
 State at $3 i)er week inclusive of clothing; 168 were beneficiaries, 
 /". e.^ received 75 cents per week from State in aid of their support. 
 Of these 142 were supported by towns, and 26 only were aided 
 by the State, on the certificates of the selectmen of the towns where 
 they reside, that they were proper subjects to receive such aid, under 
 the provisions of the Statutes for the relief of the insane poor. 
 The friends instead of towns, make up the balance of support in the 
 latter cases. 
 
 "It is in respect to this latter class that Mr. Walker 'apprehends 
 there may have been some who have received the State aid of 75 
 cents per week improperly.' This is a matter for which the select- 
 men of the towns where such patients reside are wholly responsible, 
 and if any are thus improperly aided, it is doubtless due to a misap- 
 prehension of the strict meaning of the Statutes, by which indigent 
 though not absolutely destitute and dependent persons, are made 
 beneficiaries. This is not a matter in which the officers of the 
 Asylum can be in any manner an interested party. 
 
 "The recommendations of Mr. Walker claim carefyl consider- 
 ation. It matters not to the Asylum whether the supervision of the 
 insane be committed to a board, or assigned to a commissioner 
 as under the existing law. The proposition, however, to delegate- to 
 a supervisory board the arbitrary power of discharging patients, that 
 have been placed by their friends or the public authorities in the 
 care of the officers of the Asylum, in compliance with every legal 
 requirement, will in our opinion be liable to lead to conflicts of 
 authority, culminating in acts in which the rights of committing 
 parties, and the professional judgment of the medical officers will be 
 set aside. The value of special experience in dealing with and 
 judging of the insane, the Commissioners who make this report 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 233 
 
 particLikirly dwell upon as essential ; and the question naturally 
 presents itself, will the qualifications of such a board as it is proposed 
 to create be likely to be adeqilate to the responsibility it is proposed 
 to shoulder upon it? 
 
 "Inhibatory legislation must be very guarded not to defeat 
 by reaction the real interests of the class of persons whose welfare 
 is at stake, and the officers of the Asylum recognize in the proposi- 
 tions urged a tendency to antagonistic, rather than co-ordinate 
 working, in a cause having but the single ultimate object for all 
 engaged, namely, the welfare of the insane. 
 
 ".Concerning the correspondence of the inmates, the officers 
 of the Asylum desire that every needed privilege should be secured 
 to them, but are convinced that the recommendations of Mr. Walker 
 go a step farther than is practicable, necessary or wise. After spec- 
 ifying the privileges in this respect in detail which should be 
 inviolable, all the rest of the correspondence, Mr. Walker suggests, 
 ' Should be sent unread by the officers of the Asylum to the guardian 
 or someone of the next of kin, or other suitable person, to be disposed of 
 as he deems best for all concerned. ' 
 
 " First, this is not practicable, for the reason that but few patients 
 comparatively are under guardianship, and many have no near kin. 
 In the absence of guardians or near kin, Mr. Walker does not 
 indicate who would be a 'suitable person.' But evidently he does 
 not consider the value of this surplus correspondence much, as 
 he is willing to leave it to anybody but the officers of the Asylum, (to 
 whom it might possibly be a benefit, as affording a clue to some of 
 the obscurities of the patients' mental disorder,) ' to be disposed of 
 as seemed best for all concerned!' 
 
 "We regret to feel obliged to criticise with apparent severity 
 these recommendations, but the tendency of them seems to be to 
 create antagonisms of authority, and to place those in charge of 
 Asylums in a false attitude toward the inmates. There is at least 
 an implied reflection upon their honesty. 
 
 " We respectfully submit that in all this matter somebody must be 
 trusted. 
 
 "The penalties suggested for the imaginary infractions of the 
 proposed laws are severe, and we think without precedent ; and so 
 long as but one Asylum exists in the State, its officers cannot but 
 understand that in all this proposed stringent legislation, they alone 
 are meant. 
 
 " In all the recommendations made we note no suggestion that 
 the insane of the State, not in the Asylum, should be looked after! 
 
234 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 although this was a point pressed by Commissioner Calderwood in 
 his report for the two years past, who states that ' there are scattered 
 throughout the State not less than i8o, of whom 60 are cared for by 
 towns, either boarded out in families, or kept in poor houses,' which 
 latter places Dr. Fassett states, 'none claim to furnish any proper 
 treatment.' 
 
 '' The supervision proposed therefore embraces but a moiety 
 of the msane of the State in its provisions, and that portion, too, the 
 one already under a chartered, permanent official oversight. It 
 seems rather the Asylum and its officers, than the insane, for whom 
 legislation is proposed! To those in other States where a broad and 
 comprehensive system of supervising public charities exists, 
 embracing not alone the asylums and the insane, but the prisons 
 and the reformatories, and their inmates, all classes of dependents; 
 such partial and special legislation cannot but be regarded as narrow 
 rather than wise, liberal and broadly philanthropic. 
 
 "To the concluding recommendations of the Commissioners, the 
 officers of the Asylum have little to say. The meaning of the clause 
 immediately preceding the recommendation for a new Asylum, viz.: 
 ' Considering the condition in which we found the pauper insane 
 in the Asylum at Brattleboro,' is somewhat vague, but seems rather 
 to reflect upon those having them in charge. If this be so, we 
 would respectfully ask, does the cause for blame lie with the officers 
 of the Asylum, or with the State ? 
 
 " Mr Walker reluctantly concedes, that the present rate leaves 
 the Asylum in debt, even after throwing out of account all expendi- 
 tures of a permanent character, and the item of interest on the debt 
 incurred for improving the accommodations for the insane, in 
 the five years past. 
 
 " Dr. Fassett affirms that ' There is no. similar institution in New 
 England where the cost is not more than that allowed the Vermont 
 Asylum,' and further says, the policy of the State in reference to the 
 care of the insane reminds him of an old history, ' For there shall 
 no straw be given you, yet shall you deliver the tale of bricks.' 
 
 " Dr. Goldsmith virtually admits the necessity for more liberal 
 support, by recommending $3.50 per week for the inmates of the 
 embryo Asylum. 
 
 "The Vermont Asylum- asks it, that it may receive the actual 
 cost of caring for those at present in its keeping. 
 
 J. DRAPER, 
 Secretary of Hoard of Trustees and Superintendent. 
 Vermont Asylum for the Insaiie, iJrattleboro, Nov. 11, 1878. 
 
RECORD OF THF: YEARS iSyy-'yS. 235 
 
 The following is the Report of the Joint Legislative Committee 
 of this year in full : 
 
 To THE Honorable Senate and House of Representatives 
 NOW IN Session : 
 
 ''The Standing Committee of the Senate and House of Rep- 
 resentatives on the Insane Asylum respectfully state : That in 
 compliance with a joint resolution in that behalf they have performed 
 their duties, and now present this their Report: 
 
 "That on the eleventh day of November, A. D. 1878, they visited 
 the Insane Asylum at Brattleboro, and made as full examination of 
 the same as time would permit ; and also examined the Trustees 
 and officers of the Asylum as to matters pertaining to the adminis- 
 tration of the Institution, as well as the relation of the same to the 
 State. 
 
 " In view of the late report made by the Commission created 
 under joint resolution No. 137, of the session of 1876, we did not 
 deem it necessary to carry our examination and investigation as far 
 as we otherwise might. As we understand the matter, the report of 
 said former Commission states correctly the relation of the State to 
 the Asylum, and we need hardly to say that the relation is not only 
 peculiar, but is of itself an anomaly. 
 
 " The State has been for years and now is sending its insane 
 paupers to the care of an Institution over which it has no control — 
 except to regulate abuses, if any there are — and in which it has no 
 recognized interest, upon terms as to compensation of its own 
 making from time to time, and so far as it appears without even the 
 implied assent of the officers of the Asylum ; it is only necessary to 
 state tKis fact to make apparent the unusual, and, to say the least, 
 not creditable position of the State in the premises. Your commit- 
 tee are of the opinion that the price paid to the Asylum by the State 
 for the support of its insane is quite sufficient in view of the some- 
 what limited, if not inadequate, accommodations furnished a portion 
 of the patients ; at the same time it is but just to say that the past 
 and present expense to the State for the support of its insane poor, 
 is undoubtedly much less than it would or could be in a State 
 asylum, especially if regard was had to expense of building and fur- 
 nishing an asylum; at the same time your committee cannot avoid 
 the conclusion that while the Asylum at Brattleboro gives to the 
 State a fair return in a pecuniary point of view for what the State 
 pays, the care and accommodations furnished to our insane unfor- 
 tunates, are not such as to meet the approval of the good sense and 
 
236 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 humanity that pervades a large majority of the people of the State. 
 And in this connection we do not intend or desire to reflect upon the 
 managers or management of the Asylum at Brattleboro, but on the 
 contrary we desire to put upon record our approval of both managers 
 and management. The trouble lies in the fact that the asylum has 
 not sufficient capacity to meet the wants of the State, and at the 
 same time to receive such other patients as the managers naturally 
 prefer ; so that the Institution is crowded to such an extent that as 
 to some of the "wards " or " halls" there is a very apparent want of 
 ventilation and of attendants. To cure these real or supposed ends 
 would require quite a large outlay of money in the erection of new 
 buildings, and in having a larger corps of attendants, an expense 
 which, in the judgment of your committee, we cannot reasonably 
 expect the managers of the Institution to undertake for the benefit 
 of the State. Your committee have carefully considered the report 
 of Dr. Goldsmith and his associates hereinafter referred to, and 
 desire to say that the result of our examination and investigation is 
 such that without scarcely an exception we can and do approve of 
 their comments, strictures and conclusions, and especially do we 
 believe that it is the fij'st duty of the State to take and carry out the 
 necessary measures to erect, furnish and complete a State asylum for 
 the Insane, the same to be plain but substantial, and built with refer- 
 ence to the comfort and health of patients, aided by the many 
 modern appliances now in use in similar institutions in our sister 
 States ; and in the opinion of your committee there is no subject 
 with which the State has at present to do, that so earnestly calls and 
 demands the action and persistent efforts of our present Legislature 
 as the one in question. We apprehend that there are many persons 
 in the Asylum at this time who are not State beneficiaries, in fact, 
 but ^Uoivn paupers," who have been improperly saddled on to the 
 State under the selfish and loose (if not reprehensible) practice of 
 town authorities in that behalf. Legislation is needed to cure this 
 abuse. 
 
 "Your Committee have given attention to the report of William H. 
 Walker, Esq., hereinbefore referred to, so far as the same suggests 
 legislative aid on enactments in reference to the subject under con- 
 sideration, and we recommend that his suggestions be followed in 
 the main, and to that end we herewith report certain bills for your 
 consideration and action. 
 
 "Your Committee further recommend, that it is the duty of the 
 State to provide for the safe and comfortable care of the insane con- 
 victs and criminals of the State, at or in connection with the State 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyy-'yS. 237 
 
 prison, rather than by sending them to the Asylum, to be kept with 
 the insane unfortunates not convicts or criminals ; and we respect- 
 fully suggest that this matter may be very properly considered in 
 connection with the proposed additions to the State prison. 
 
 '' Your Committee have received the 'Comments of the Officers of 
 the Vermont Asylum for the Insane, on the report of the Special 
 Commissioners,' but have received the same too late for perusal, and 
 we call your attention to it, believing that it merits your candid con- 
 sideration. 
 
 "All of which is respectfully submitted, 
 
 E. J. ORMSBEE, Senate Committee. 
 
 W. F. TEMPLETON, 
 
 J. L. HARRINGTON, ( „ .. 
 
 A. F. HUBBARD, ^ ^^"^^ Committee. 
 
 F. A. DWINELL, 
 
 "While I concur with the majority of the Committee in the 
 greater part of their report and recommendations, I must say that I 
 could not discover a "want of proper ventilation " in any part of the 
 Asylum, with the exception of the Marsh Building (so called), and 
 the managers of the Asylum informed us that they were preparing 
 to remedy the same, and shall remove all cause of complaint. 
 
 "In my judgment if the State will take measures to remove from 
 the Asylum the insane criminals there confined, and the demented 
 paupers, that the accommodations of the Institution will then be 
 ample to properly supply all the wants of the State. 
 
 "I do not approve of all the '■comments^ strictures Sind conclusions' 
 
 of the Commissioners referred to in said report, nor do I believe that 
 
 the State at the present time should erect a State asylum for the 
 
 Insane. 
 
 C. W. WITTERS, 
 
 Of Senate Committee. 
 The Legislature, at its session in 1878, made a complete revision 
 of the lunacy laws. The office of Commissioner of the Insane, insti- 
 tuted in 1845, was this year abolished, and a Board of Supervisors of 
 the Insane created. This Board was to be always composed of two 
 physicians and one lay member, and besides being charged with 
 visitorial power, they were empowered to examine into all complaints 
 and to order the discharge of any persons in their judgment unwar- 
 rantably confined in the Asylum. In short, a permanent investi- 
 gating committee was henceforth established. 
 
RECORD OF i879-'8o 
 
 AT the Annual Meeting, 1879, the officers chosen were the 
 following : . 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE HOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 J. M. Clark, ist Assistant Physician. 
 O. W. Phelps, 2nd Assistant Physician. 
 Mary Draper, Matron. 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 
 It was Voted — "To amend Article III of the By-Laws, so as to 
 embrace in the list of resident officers a steward, who shall be annu- 
 ally elected by the Trustees, in the same manner as the assistant 
 physicians, matron and farmer ; " and Porter C. Spencer (who, since 
 May, 1877, had filled the position of business clerk), was elected to 
 the position with the following defined duties : 
 
 Sec. I. The steward shall have the oversight and charge of the 
 stores, and of the disbursement of supplies to the wards and to the 
 various departments, and issue the same under the approval and 
 regulations of the superintendent, "keeping books showing receipts 
 and disbursements, and accounts with the different patients and 
 departments as the superintendent may require. 
 
 Sec. 2. He shall assist in maintaining the police of the estab- 
 lishment, see that the yards, cellars, basements, sewers, store-houses, 
 shops, farmer's quarters, gymnasium, and all the buildings except 
 those occupied by the patients and the farm buildings proper, are 
 kept clean and orderly at all times by those whose duty it is to care 
 for them in detail, and look carefully to the economy of the stores of 
 the establishment in every way, allowing nothing to be wasted or to 
 run to waste from neglect. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i8Tg-'8o. 239 
 
 Sec. 3. He shall assist the superintendent in the way of business 
 generally, and ascertain and report the wants of the establishment to 
 him, and make, under his direction, such purchases as he may 
 authorize, rendering accounts to him daily, or at such times as he 
 may require. 
 
 Sec. 4. He shall be on duty during the day time, and not absent 
 himself during business hours from the Asylum, unless in the line of 
 duty, or by permission of the superintendent. 
 
 Vofed also, " That the superintendent be instructed to go on with 
 the work of improving the wards (especially those in the first wing 
 adjoining the centre, on the east), by new ceilings and flooring in the 
 halls, and all other repairs needful to their thorough renovation." 
 
 April 2, 1880, the house and lot, with blacksmith's shop thereon, 
 situated upon the west side of the Newfane road, between .the David 
 W. Miller place and the Newman Allen farm, was purchased of 
 George and Polly C. Person for the sum of $1800. At the July 
 meeting of the Board, the Trustees signed a petition to the select- 
 men to lay out and open a road from Mechanics', or Forest Square 
 to the Newfane road north of the David W. Miller place, and Foted, 
 "To give the land and fencing." This road separated from the farm 
 proper about thirty acres of land west of the main highway, including 
 the wooded hill above the Marsh Building ; and this, upon the sug- 
 gestion of Mr. Tyler, it was determined should be developed into a 
 park for the use of the patients. Thus was this feature established 
 and entered upon. 
 
 At the Annual Meeting this year the following elections were 
 made. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 J. M. Clark, ist Assistant Physician. 
 
 O. W. Phelps, 2nd Assistant Physician. 
 
 Mary Draper Phelps, Matron. 
 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 The Report of the Trustees for the biennial term ending July 31, 
 1880, is brief, and this period is characterized as one of quiet, steady 
 work, and of progress in all the essential objects of the Institution. 
 
240 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The Trustees remark upon the extensive alterations and improve- 
 ments made in some of the wards, which have reduced somewhat 
 the receiving capacity of the buildings by appropriating to other 
 important uses some space formerly occupied by sleeping rooms. 
 The detail of " Improvements in the two years," is given in the 
 Superintendent's Report, in substance as follows : 
 
 "In the beginning of 1879, were commenced the alterations and 
 partial reconstruction of the wards in the rear wings approved by 
 the Trustees at their September meeting, 1878. This work occupied 
 the whole year, as it had to be done under the disadvantages of con- 
 stant occupancy ; but it is safe to say that no one year's work has 
 more essentially changed for the better the interior of the buildings. 
 There is now no ward of the Asylum that does not open freely to 
 the light and air at each extremity, and that has not likewise an 
 alcove upon the sunny side, in which, as in a sitting-room, the 
 patients may congregate. These alterations involved the construc- 
 tion of six new bath rooms, water closets, and clothing rooms, three 
 upon each side of the house, thereby adding greatly to these most 
 necessary accommodations. Floors had to be relaid and ceilings 
 made entirely new. A new staircase had to be constructed in each 
 wing thus altered, and this was made to include a brick shaft for 
 soiled clothing from each story. Old walls had to be taken down 
 from attic to cellar, and new ones built up ; and in doing this, addi- 
 tional flues for heating and ventilating were introduced. Altogether, 
 the work was a thorough one, and made a radical improvement in 
 the plan of the buildings. Simultaneously with this, very consider- 
 able improvements were made in the Marsh Building. A tunnel was 
 constructed from the main buildings beneath the road, through 
 which were carried all steam and water pipes, and by this means this 
 detached building was likewise brought within reach of the fan, and 
 under the system of forced ventilation. Nothing has been more 
 satisfactory in its practical working than this artificial aid to ventila- 
 tion. Our anticipations from it have been more than realized. The 
 extremity of the air chamber in the rear wing of the Marsh Building 
 was made to terminate at a bench of heating radiators, supplying 
 rooms before indirectly warmed and which were supplemented by 
 flues communicating with an additional ventilating chimney. 
 
 The work of renovating the east wing next the center, as directed 
 at the annual meeting, 1879, engaged attention early in the year 
 1880, and occupied nearly the whole season. 
 
 Considerable space is given in the Superintendent's Report to the 
 discussion of the Causes and Phases of Insanity, which is here repro- 
 duced : 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSjg-'So. 241 
 
 " The deeper we penetrate into the subject, the more we grow 
 into the conviction that constitutional predispositions operate much 
 more potently in the production of insanity than the multiplied excit- 
 ing causes, which have come to be regarded as factors. . 
 
 "An intelligent understanding of insanity requires a more or less 
 intimate comprehension of the great subject of human development 
 and progress. The history of civilization throws much light upon 
 insanity. In tracing its progress, which in its course has uplifted 
 mankind and steadily developed human possibilities, we find in every 
 age there have been those who have fallen out by the way, or gone 
 into blind paths which lead to silent resting places. The track of 
 civilization is studded with fossil deposits of human kind. 
 
 "There is always a process of elimination accompanying the 
 course of civilization, which conduces to the ultimate advancement 
 of the race. There are deteriorating families which, after the lapse 
 of a few generations, cease to play their part and become fossilized, 
 while the living mass moves on. A careful survey of mankind at 
 the present time will afford abundant evidence of this view. Not 
 only will we discover individual families who have dwindled down 
 to a few^ single representatives, by reason of the vices of ancestors 
 that have become constitutional in their descendants, until their 
 accumulated weaknesses become incompatible with the continuance 
 of a healthy manhood, and terminate in physical infirmities and men- 
 tal imbecility. That such is the origin, course and character of a 
 certain proportion of the insanity of our time, is certain. 
 
 "We may go further still in this view and not go far wrong. 
 Outside the domain of recognized insanity there is much actual 
 mental unsoundness. The humanitarian who directs his attention 
 to the different families of dependents upon public bounty, will find 
 little difficulty in recognizing whole classes who represent the 
 waning phases of" mentality. If he visits the almshouses or 
 eleemosynary public institutions, he is struck with the weakness and 
 incapacity prevailing among the inmates, still more strikingly evident 
 in the family histories he investigates, which are a mingled record of 
 thriftlessness, want of moral sense, petty dissipations and vices, all 
 the outcome of chronic constitutional qualities. If he visits the 
 reformatories and prisons he will recognize a somewhat different 
 type of mentality, still a distinctive one, which likewise is connected 
 with a preceding line of erratic ancestry. More intellectual capacity 
 will be found to characterize criminal psychology, but this is 
 associated with such perversions or absence of moral sense as 
 renders the possession of intellectual power all the more dangerous. 
 
242 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 " In many respects the lines of pauperism, criminality and 
 insanity run parallel with each other, and are so interwoven with each 
 other as to be often inseparable ; certain it is that many of the 
 former class drift helplessly into the latter, and representatives 
 of each are always to be found in asylums. This kind of insanity 
 is very unfavorable for recovery, or permanent improvement. It is 
 too intimately ingrained in the individual. It is not so much a 
 morbid state that has come upon him as a disease, as a development 
 of his natural tendencies, leading through various erratic phases to 
 ultimate dementia. The notable feature of these cases is the 
 exaggeration of natural traits, rather than the more or less complete 
 reversal of normal characteristics, which is observed in insanity 
 from extraneous causes. A naturally weak individual, never 
 endowed with the average 'amount of cerebral energy, slowly, 
 but almost inevitably, drifts into a state of dementia and becomes 
 a dependent upon public charity. The fault is less that of the 
 individual himself, than of his progenitors. If he lacks the ambitions 
 and thrift common to others, it is rather because he is wanting in 
 that innate power which is the foundation of a healthful activity. It 
 is an error to suppose an imbecile less liable to the supervention of 
 ordinary insanity than those of average capacity. 
 
 ** It is not unusual in the experience of asylums to see true mania 
 engrafted upon imbecility, and recovery take place from this 
 secondary complication ; but exemption from recurrences is less 
 hopeful than in those of average endowments, and the progress 
 of such a case towards dementia is usually more rapid, by reason of 
 less power of resistance. 
 
 " In the insanity of the criminal classes we see derangement 
 most largely in the direction of their natural tendencies. They 
 become less changed than exaggerated in their dominant peculiar- 
 ities. In childhood vicious, in youth artful, imrfioral and engaged 
 in schemes of dishonesty or villainy, and living without visible 
 means of support, or any recognized calling. This irregular life 
 gradually becomes one of recklessness and settled dissipations, 
 in which all power of self control becomes lost and actual insanity 
 supervenes ; in which the dominant pa.ssions play their part no 
 longer with method, but in obedience to any impulse or transient 
 incentive that may arise, or to hallucinations of sense that have 
 developed as the outgrowth of their vicious lives. 
 
 "Public hospitals for the insane shelter the representatives of 
 both these classes. Those of aimless lives, by reason of constitu- 
 tional weaknesses, are at last arrested in their vagrant wanderings 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i879-'8o. 243 
 
 and find a home in asylums, which afford them better sanitary 
 surroundings and hygienic conditions than they have ever before 
 been able to provide for themselves, or known. And the same 
 humanity which recognizes and provides for these weak ones, like- 
 wise extends the helping hand to those who have been offenders 
 of the laws, but upon whom has fallen the heavy affliction of 
 insanity. The philanthropy that moves in all these cases is the true 
 sort, but some questions need to be further considered in respect to 
 the latter classes. 
 
 " If there is reason for separating those of bad lives from their 
 fellows in health, ought not that separation still to be maintained in 
 event of the visitation of insanity, provided that the resources of 
 the healing art be afforded them according to the best light of 
 the time ? The influence of the general tenor of an individual life 
 is always to a certain extent felt, despite the mental disorder that 
 may have have supervened ; and there is a certain manifest injustice 
 felt by every one who reflects upon the matter, in the forced associ- 
 ation of the criminal with the non-criminal insane, and which those 
 in charge of asylums feel obliged to modify by separate classification 
 or isolation. 
 
 " The representatives of these types of insanity are hardly free 
 agents from the time they reach a responsible age, till they pass 
 beyond earthly responsibility. Their mental organization contains 
 so many and so fixed crooks, that they are governed by natural 
 predispositions, rather than influenced by the motives and incentives 
 surrounding them, and those principles which move the masses 
 generally. The mere fact of insanity having existed in some 
 branches of one's family, or even in one's immediate progenitors, 
 does not give in all cases a pronounced hereditary character to the 
 insanity of an indivdual though it is alwa)^s a fact significant, and 
 one to be studied in its bearing upon a case. Sometimes it may 
 have been the result of an accidental cause, and may have occurred 
 in the progenitor long after the birth of his children, in which case 
 it would have little bearing upon the insanity of the latter. In many 
 cases it may doubtless be found to amount to little more than a dor- 
 mant tendency which may render exciting causes somewhat more 
 potent in the production of insanity. True heredity, in the practical 
 sense, applies rather to those cases in which qualities of organization 
 instead of mere tendencies are stamped upon the individual, and 
 such are not apparent in all cases in which insane members may be 
 genealogically traced. A disease so frequent as insanity, and 
 increasing rather than diminishing, with an advancing civilization, 
 
244 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 well deserves the most careful investigation of its causes. While it 
 may be admitted that its increase may to some extent be more 
 apparent than real, nevertheless its glaring prominence in the face 
 of increasing light in the direction of the laws of life, is a fact not 
 readily harmonized with human progress. 
 
 " It must be admitted that the term insanity is a very compre- 
 hensive one, and the tendency of modern thought has been to widen 
 its application. In its legal signification it includes every form 
 of mental defect, whether congenital, or of subsequent development. 
 In the earlier ages of civilization, only the most demonstrative forms 
 of insanity were recognized ; subsequent light has developed to 
 view more subtle phases, and even very nice shades of mental 
 unsoundness, all of which fall under the general term, and have 
 come to bear upon the social status and the civil condition of the 
 individual. By reason, therefore, of the increasing comprehen- 
 siveness of the subject, the remote predisposing causes become 
 more and more questions for study, and no case can be thoroughly 
 well understood without the light that may be thrown upon it from 
 the family history. 
 
 "In the analysis of those admitted to the Asylum in the two 
 years past we have not contented ourselves with recording only the 
 single dominant cause, but have allowed all known agencies to count 
 upon the result. This method was adopted two years ago. Twenty- 
 eight causes have been credited with contributing to the insanity of 
 those admitted in the last biennial period. 
 
 " Hereditary tendency was traceable in eighty of the one hundred 
 and seventy-seven cases, or fifty-five per cent of all whose histories 
 were ascertained. Self-abuse, intemperance, and excesses of various 
 kinds, contributed to the development of about twenty-five per cent. 
 Diseases or injuries of the nervous centers, complicated about 
 fifteen per cent. Nervous exhaustion, overwork, over-study, gen- 
 eral ill health, and diseases common to both sexes were assigned 
 as causes in about twenty-three per cent. Diseases peculiar to 
 females figured in about twenty-eight per cent of the ascertained 
 cases of women. 
 
 " Moral causes seem to have been more or less operative in 
 about thirty per cent, of all whose histories were learned, and those 
 of a domestic nature, involving the affections, seem to have been 
 about twice as frequent as those of a business kind, including also 
 excitements of a religious or political character." 
 
 There were four hundred and forty-seven patients in the Asylum 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS iSyg-'So. 245 
 
 August ist, 1880; one hundred and seventy-seven having been 
 received, and one hundred and eighty-nine discharged, during the 
 biennial term. 
 
 The receipts for the two years were, $168,493.28 
 
 The expenditures, 168,352.06 
 
 Leaving on hand, $141,22 
 
 The cost of the radical changes in the plan of the buildings 
 as detailed in the record of 1879, was $4,853.00. 
 
 At the October meeting, the Board took under consideration 
 a proposal to straighten and establish a line at the northeast 
 corner of the meadow, between lands of the Asylum and 
 Dorman B. Eaton, and it was voted to adopt a line as surveyed by 
 Geo. H. Clark (surveyor), and James M. Tyler was appointed 
 by vote of the Board to draft and execute a proper instrument on 
 the part of the corporation for the establishment of said line, which 
 was done under date of October 15th, 1880, and duly recorded in 
 the office of the town clerk. 
 
 In the autumn of this year Mr. E. W. Bowditch of Boston, a 
 landscape gardener, was employed to make a careful survey and 
 plan of the proposed new park, and lay out upon the same walks 
 and other desirable features for its new uses, for practical guidance 
 in the work of development. This was very carefully done, and 
 subsequent work has followed it with very few deviations. 
 
 The Report of the newly created State Board of Supervisors of 
 the Insane, for the biennial period, was an endorsement of the 
 management of the Asylum. 
 
 Concerning that part of their duty by which they were authorized 
 to order the removal of persons who ought to be discharged, they 
 thus speak : • 
 
 " Only four patients have been discharged during the past two 
 years by the advice or direction of the supervisors, three of which 
 were demented and harmless, and one of these only upon sufficient 
 assurance that the patient should be properly cared for. We found 
 but three persons (one since deceased) not insane according to the 
 general acceptance of the term insanity, and ''these three were 
 demented State paupers, and were committed under the orders of 
 probate courts. We are satisfied there is no place where this class 
 are better cared for than at the Asylum. From quite careful 
 observation we believe there is no disposition on the part of the 
 superintendent to detain patients when he is convinced that it is for 
 
246 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 their best good to be set at liberty. We are pleased to report that 
 the Trustees and superintendent are endeavoring to make the 
 Asylum more distinctively a State institution, and to that end are 
 discharging patients from without the State for the purpose of 
 making room for State patients." 
 
RECORD OF 1881-2. 
 
 ASPECIi\L meeting of the Board was called May 20th, 1881, 
 and the request of the superintendent for three months' 
 leave of absence from the middle of June, to enable him to 
 take a trip to Europe, was granted. 
 
 June 4th, Trustees met, full board being present ; and visited the 
 wards of the Asylum and domestic departments, discussed plans for 
 work, and decided to build a root cellar at the farm-house barn, and 
 to replace the wooden fence between the two north sections of 
 the west wing, with a brick connecting wall ; also discussed 
 arrangements for internal administration during the absence of the 
 superintendent, and directed the securing of some young physician 
 as a third assistant. Dr. Shailer E. Lawton was secured for this 
 position. By reason of the absence of the superintendent the 
 annual election of officers was postponed from August to October, 
 when those of last year were re-elected, without change. 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Frederick Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Frederick Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 J. M. Clark, ist Assistant Physician. 
 
 O. W. Phelps, 2nd Assistant Physician. 
 
 Mary Draper Phelps, Matron. 
 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 
 At this meeting the superintendent brought before the Board 
 
 a proposition for the purchase of the Miles school property, an 
 
 establishment situated about a mile distant from the Asylum, for the 
 
 purpose of fitting it up as a summer retreat, after the manner of 
 
248 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 some connected with similar institutions in England and Scotland, 
 whereby certain classes of patients might enjoy, a change in the 
 yearly routine of asylum life, such as well people are accustomed to 
 seek and take each year, if it can be afforded. 
 
 The proposition met with immediate favor ; and Dr. Rockwell 
 was authorized by vote of the Board to negotiate for the purchase 
 of the property, if practicable, at a cost not exceeding $7,500. 
 
 At the November meeting the Trustees confirmed the negotia- 
 tions of Dr. Rockwell for the Miles place, at the sum stated at the 
 previous meeting. (Deed executed November 12th, '81.) 
 
 In the spring of 1882 the Trustees secured a plateau of six acres 
 of land on the Putney road immediately above and adjoining the 
 garden plateau, known as the' Waite lot, for the sum of $2,400. 
 This purchase was made by the superintendent the preceding year 
 under the direction of the Trustees, and after the straightening of the 
 line upon the side next Dorman B. Eaton, was turned over to the 
 Asylum by deed, dated April ist, 1882. 
 
 In May the Trustees, 'at their regular meeting, determined upon 
 the amount of land that should be included about the Summer 
 Retreat for its grounds, and directed a paling fence to be erected 
 upon the side next the farm, and decided to remove all that 
 bordering upon the roadside. In remodeling the buildings they 
 decided to raise up the front portion, so as to bring the floor levels 
 of this upon the same plane with those of the wing, and to build 
 a veranda 10 feet wide entirely around the whole, making something 
 more than 500 feet in length. 
 
 At the annual meeting the following officers were duly elected : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 *S. E. Lawton, 1st Assistant Physician. 
 Edward French, 2d Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Matron. 
 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 Asa (iilkey. Farmer. 
 *The change in assistant physicians was made in April 1882. Both the out- 
 going officials had i)een several years in service, and left to engage in other fields of 
 usefulness. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i88i-'82. 249 
 
 The office of matron, made vacant by the retirement of Mrs. 
 Phelps, was not filled at this election ; no applicant with the neces- 
 sary qualifications and experience being at this time available. 
 The receipts of the biennial period were, $180,381.43 
 
 The expenditures, 179,791.52 
 
 Leaving on hand, $589.91 
 
 The Trustees in their Report call especi.il attention to the newly 
 inaugurated departures already noted, and especially to the greatly 
 enlarged territory now appropriated to pleasure purposes, as follows: 
 
 " There are twenty acres of grounds connected with the newly 
 acquired property, and thirty acres embraced in the new park, v/hich 
 added to the twenty upon the plateau of the main buildings, will 
 ultimately give seventy acres of pleasure grounds. These extensions 
 of facilities for the treatment of the inmates have been entered upon 
 in pursuance of the settled and uniform policy of the Trustees in 
 making such advances from year to year and time to time as the 
 means at their disposal may warrant, and with full faith in the advan- 
 tages sure to accrue from these added provisions." 
 
 The movement of population, as shown by the Superintendent in 
 the biennial period is as follows : 
 
 One hundred and eighty-eight admitted, one hundred and ninety- 
 four discharged, and four hundretl and forty-one remaining. The 
 new features about to be incorporated into the Asylum as permanent 
 additions to its facilities for treatment are thus explicitly set forth. 
 
 The New Park. 
 
 " Two years ago the laying out of a new road by the town author- 
 ities, separated a tract of thirty acres from the farm proper, and left 
 in immediate connection with the Asylum upon the west side of the 
 road, a broken hill-side, its summit two hundred and fifty feet above 
 the plateau on which the buildings stand. The top of this is wooded 
 and rocky, but from many points beautiful views are obtained, and 
 delightful shade with free breezes, which are every day enjoyed by 
 the patients to whom it is already devoted. Near a mile of walk 
 has been already made, and a plateau graded for games, the whole 
 in accordance with the plan of a competent landscape gardener, by 
 whom the same has been accurately surveyed and laid out. The 
 completion of this will be the work of years, but it will eventually be 
 one of the most attractive features of the place." 
 
250 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The Summer Retreat. 
 
 " This, so far as we are aware, is the first departure in this direc- 
 tion in the United States. It is not an extension of the capacity of 
 the Institution, but an added provision, calculated, we believe, to 
 enhance the benefits of treatment. It is a movement in the interest 
 of the inmates, and it will necessarily add materially to the current 
 expense account ; secondarily, we think it will likewise benefit the 
 Institution by increasing its curative results. The practical working 
 of this adjunct to existing hospital advantages was observed by the 
 writer in connection with some of the best English and Scottish 
 asylums, in the summer of 1881. The testimony of the superintend- 
 ents of the British institutions where the experiment has been tried, 
 was uniform and outspoken in its favor, and its advantages so well 
 recognized that some asylums have leased ordinary houses or cot- 
 tages by the sea, or in the mountains, for use in the summer months 
 by such inmates as could be sufficiently trusted, and needed such 
 change. In this country the capacity of some hospitals has been 
 increased by the occupancy of cottages or detached buildings, but it 
 is not this that is here proposed. We wish this point to be particu- 
 larly noted. * * * * Yhe capacity of this establishment will 
 be for a family of twenty or twenty-five inmates, including the neces- 
 sary numb'er of attendants, and there will be little in the nature of 
 restraint connected with the arrangements of the building. Its design 
 is to afford to the inmates of the Asylum that change from a weari- 
 some routine that is universally recognized as essential, and where a 
 family of twenty or more inmates may, in the hot season, find that 
 rest which cannot but be as beneficial as desirable. That it will 
 hasten and confirm convalescence in those who are recovering can 
 hardly be doubted, and to all capable of appreciating the change it 
 will be a happy relief from the routine of asylum life. It is believed 
 that the best results will be realized by utilizing it in rotation by suc- 
 cessive groups of patients, for two, three or four weeks together." 
 
 An inaugural trial of this new summer retreat was made from the 
 2 2d of September to the 7th of October inclusive. Sixteen patients, 
 with a chief attendant and three assistants, constituted, the family, 
 apart from the man and wife in charge of the domestic department. 
 
 The amount expended in remodelling and furnishing this estab- 
 lishment was $6,500. 
 
 In the autumn of this year granite gate posts at all the entrances 
 to the grounds of the main Asylum were set, the sidewalk raised and 
 graded, and the brick connecting wall, with granite foundation and 
 coping, between the two north sections of the west wing (determined 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i88i-'82. 251 
 
 upon June, '81), was built, separating the court within from the prin- 
 cipal one of entrance for carriages without. Upon the inner side of 
 the enclosed court was projected a veranda about one hundred feet 
 long and ten feet wide around two sides, supported by posts twelve 
 feet high upon a granite curbing, the floor being filled in solidly with 
 earth and covered and finished with Portland ceme-nt ; the same 
 being designed for the exercise of excited male patients in winter 
 or wet weather, thus converting to permanent use a previously use- 
 less enclosure. 
 
 At the same time a similar structure was extended eastward from 
 the extreme wing of the female department along the front line of 
 the airing court for the excited class of female patients, its ridge line 
 forming the division wall, and the roof being projected upon 
 both the inner and the outer side of the court, supported by posts 
 ten feet high resting upon granite curbing, the floor being filled and 
 cemented as already described. By this substantial construction, a 
 permanent open air sheltered promenade was secured, the side bor- 
 dering the inner court for the use of the excited in any weather, and 
 that upon the outer side looking upon the garden and grounds, 
 affording in winter a sunny side, and in summer a sufficient protec- 
 tion to be in both seasons a favorite resort. 
 
RECORD OF 1883-4. 
 
 THE work detailed in last year's record was resumed as early as 
 possible in the spring, and completed by the extension of a 
 veranda, identical in plan, at right angles to that already 
 described, and surrounding the inner court of the east wing upon 
 two sides, making about one hundred and seventy-five feet alto- 
 gether of sheltered promenade. The last extension, by reason of 
 the slope of the ground from the buildings, allowed the construction 
 of a basement story beneath for the use of the gardener in which to 
 keep garden tools, and store the vases, lawn-settees, etc., in winter. 
 The veranda floor of this last extension was made of wood and 
 formed the ceiling of the room below. This work was all completed 
 in June of this year. The cost of these permanent improvements 
 was $3,650. 
 
 At the April meeting of the Board, 1883, the question of a recon- 
 struction of the chapel was opened, and the superintendent was 
 directed to communicate with an architect and obtain his opinion as 
 to what would be practicable in the matter. 
 
 May 1 8th, the Trustees met to consider the plan of the architect 
 for improving the chapel, and directed other plans to be submitted 
 for comparison, before adopting any. 
 
 July 5th, the Trustees voted^ To adopt the plan submitted by Mr. 
 Geo. D. Rand of Boston ; and on the nth of the month, at a confer- 
 ence with him in respect to supervising the work, determined that a 
 competent man should be engaged to raise the roof, and that the 
 remainder of the work be done by the day under a foreman and the 
 general superintendence of the architect. The plan adopted changed 
 the pitch of the roof by opening the ridge line and carrying up each 
 side to a point eight feet higher than before, and building out there- 
 from at the central point large dormers one-third the length of the 
 building, and surmounting the whole with a ventilating cupola eight 
 feet square with pyramidal roof. Interiorly the roof was supported 
 longitudinally, on semi-circular arches, four in number, giving a 
 height of twenty feet from the floor in the clear. The dormers were 
 supported likewise by arches transverse to the main ones, and fifteen 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i883-'84. 253 
 
 feet in height. The interior was thus broken into a main audience 
 room with transepts,' having a long diameter of about seventy feet, 
 and a transverse one of about fifty feet. The space between the 
 arches was finished in panels on the slant of the roof, but leaving an 
 air space between ceiling and roof, by which increased facilities for 
 the ventilation of rooms below were gained by direct communication 
 with the cupola. 
 
 No changes were made in the corps of officers at the annual 
 meeting this year. Those of 1882 were all re-elected : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 S. E. Lawton, ist Assistant Physician. 
 
 Edward French, 2d Assistant Physician. 
 
 , Matron. 
 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 It was Voted, To purchase an extension to the park if practicable, 
 and Dr. Rockwell and Mr. Tyler were elected a committee to nego- 
 tiate for and purchase the same. 
 
 At the December meeting the office of matron, which had been 
 vacant since August, 1882, was filled by the advancement to that 
 position of Miss H. E. B. Gibson, who, for five years preceding, had 
 rendered acceptable service in a position qualifying her for the duties 
 to which she was now elected. 
 
 Work upon the chapel began in September, 1883, and continued 
 till March, 1884. The cost of this improvement, together with 
 changes involved in the third story of the center building, was 
 $7,500. 
 
 On the loth of May a purchase was effected of 2 3-16 acres of 
 land contiguous to the park, of Joseph Prescott, for $700. This 
 made a straight boundary line between the Asylum Park and that of 
 Mr. Crowell, from Cedar street on the West nearly to Chase street 
 upon the East, and included a very desirable point of view, from 
 which all the village, from Cemetery Hill on the South to the West 
 River on the North, with the mountain on the New Hampshire side 
 of the Connecticut River, is embraced in the outlook. 
 
254 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The Report of the Trustees called particular attention to the 
 lessening of the average number of inmates, due to the removal by 
 the State authorities of harmless chronic cases, which to a certain 
 extent had diminished the insane of the Asylum, and especially to 
 the lessening of the number of self-supporting cases, and increase of 
 the number supported by towns, by which the receipts upon which 
 the Institution solely depends had been still further decreased, and 
 asked an additional allowance of fifty cents per week for those aided 
 or supported by the State. The suggestion that the criminal class 
 have provision made for them in connection with one of the penal 
 institutions of the State was also once more urged, for the reasons 
 fully set forth in 1878. 
 
 This second appeal, it may be stated in this connection, did not 
 avail anything ; but the request for additional allowance for those 
 supported at public expense was responded to by an increase in the 
 rate, of twenty-five cents a week, by an Act approved Nov. 26, '84. 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows one hundred and eighty-six 
 admissions, and one hundred and ninety discharges, in the last bien- 
 nial period, leaving four hundred and thirty-seven in the Asylum at 
 date of this Report. 
 
 Open Air Treatment of the Insane is especially dwelt upon, as 
 follows : 
 
 " We can safely say that in the past two years we have, more than 
 ever before, made open air exercise prominent in the treatment of 
 the cases committed to our care. We believe much in its curative 
 as well as tranquilizing influence. We go even further, and are dis- 
 posed to regard fresh air exercise in the treatment of maniacal cases 
 of the sthenic type, as essential as the use of water in the febrile 
 state. It is a natural craving of the patient in both cases, and ought 
 to be indulged and afforded at least to a judicious amount.". 
 
 The new park, as a means of affording increased privileges in 
 this regard, is especially rejoiced in ; also the Summer Retreat, con- 
 cerning which the following statement is made : 
 
 "The practical working of this newly created adjunct has been 
 all that we anticipated. We have sixteen rooms furnished singly, 
 and these have all been kept full. A chief attendant and two assist- 
 ants have proved equal to the charge of this number. The suites of 
 apartments designed for those who desire special attendants have 
 not yet been furnished, but will be at any time when occasion 
 demands their use. The public rooms, consisting of a parlor and 
 library connected, and a recreation room twenty by thirty feet, fur- 
 nished with a parlor organ and table games, are all upon the lower 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i883-'84. 255 
 
 floor ; the sleeping rooms above. No doors are locked in the day- 
 time, and only such at night as would be considered essential to the 
 ordinary safety of a sane family. The absolute unrestricted freedom 
 of the grounds is enjoyed by the household, and in addition to this, 
 walking groups are daily made up for a ramble in the adjacent fields, 
 or to some of the surrounding points. of view, to one of which a path 
 has been extended and seats placed, beneath a pine grove crowning 
 the summit of a hill which commands to still better advantage the 
 scene already described, stretching eastward from the front of the 
 buildings across the Connecticut Valley." 
 
 The abstract of receipts and expenditures for the two years, 
 shows receipts, $178,247.21 
 
 Disbursements, 178,214.10 
 
 Leaving a balance of, $33- n 
 
 The election of officers resulted as follows : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 W. H. Rockwell, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 S. E. Lawton, ist Assistant Physician. 
 
 L. F. Wentworth, 2d Assistant Physician. 
 
 H. E. B. Gibson, Matron. 
 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 At the September meeting of the Trustees, they considered the 
 proposition for protecting the grave of the founder of the Asylum, 
 Mrs. Marsh, (now in a neglected and abandoned cemetery), and 
 appointed Mr. Tyler and the superintendent a committee to ascer- 
 tain what was practicable, and report at a future meeting. At the 
 meeting in October plans were debated for the re-arrangerrienjt of the 
 farm buildings and removal of the piggery thereto, also for further 
 and more radically improving the sewerage. 
 
RECORD OF 18856. 
 
 AT the monthly meeting in April, 18^5, it was Voted^ "To con- 
 struct the system of sewerage outside the buildings anew to 
 the foot of the bank, and to abandon the old drains whenever 
 the new connections are made ; also, to reconstruct that portion of 
 the engine house which has cracked and settled by reason of defect- 
 ive foundation, and rearrange the boilers upon the west side of the 
 boiler room, where more secure foundation for them may be 
 obtained." The new sewer was laid in accordance with a plan sug- 
 gested by Mr. E. S. Philbrick, sanitary engineer, Boston, of Akron 
 pipe, eight inch main and six inch branches, with traps just outside 
 the buildings, ventilated through the soil pipes above the roofs, and 
 with man-holes at these, and at every angle in their course, the joints 
 being made close by cement and rings, or by bricks laid solidly 
 around the joints in cement. The working of this has been perfect, 
 and was accomplished at a cost of $2200. 
 
 The work in connection with the boiler house was likewise satis- 
 factorily completed according to the plan, at aii outlay of $4,500. 
 
 The following is the result of the annual election, 1885 : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 J. M. Tyler, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 F. Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 • S. E. Lawton, ist Assistant Physician. 
 W. E. Bowie, 2d Assistant Physician. 
 H. E. B. Gibson, Matron. 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 Asa Gilkey, Farmer. 
 Cupolas upon the wings, three on each side of the center build- 
 ing, and one upon the Marsh Building, were also this year added for 
 architectural effect and for ventilating purposes, at a cost of $300. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i885-'86. 257 
 
 At the December meeting, '85, the Trustees considered the mat- 
 ter of the Willoughby Legacy, the annuity from which had been 
 suspended for five years past by reason of mismanagement and 
 involvement of the funds, resulting in permanent reduction of the 
 income, — and Voted^ " To accept the same proportionally with the 
 Protestant Episcopal Institute at Burlington, co-legatee, and waive 
 right of priority of mention in the will, under existing circum- 
 stances." 
 
 At the first meeting of the Trustees in 1886 (Jan. 12,) it was 
 Fo^ed, "To repair, reconstruct, and enlarge if practicable, the water 
 reservoir upon the park (now leaky), as early in the spring as possi- 
 ble ; also to build a new piggery upon a new site ; and instructed the 
 superintendent to obtain plans and to submit them to the Trustees 
 seasonably." 
 
 The location of the latter involved extended c.onsideration, and 
 was not determined in time to do more than grade the plateau and 
 construct the roads leading to and from it this season. 
 
 The reservoir was made perfect in its holding capacity, and 
 doubled in its size, and covered by a roof with dormer windows on 
 each of its four sides, surmounted by a ventilating cupola, the 
 completed structure becoming thereby an attractive feature of the 
 park. In addition to the increased reserve of water thus obtained, 
 arrangements were entered into with Mr. Crowell for extending from 
 his village works a branch pipe for a fire hydrant in front of the main 
 line of buildings, the same being connected and under pressure from 
 his reservoir on Highland Park, which was also completed this year. 
 
 At the June meeting, Messrs. Holbrook, Tyler and Bradley being 
 present, '' Visited the wards, the domestic departments, the park, and 
 especially inspected the working of the new system of sewerage con- 
 structed last year, and now fully perfected in all its connections. 
 The whole establishment was pronounced in satisfactory condition. 
 The general work of repainting during the winter was especially 
 approved, also certain minor changes at the Marsh Building, by 
 which the old furnace room had been converted into a lodging room, 
 and the chimney made to serve a ventilating register in each story, 
 
 "The proposition to erect a carriage porch at the rear central 
 entrance, and make a new entrance to the kitchen department, was 
 also indorsed and accomplished. 
 
 "In addition to the foregoing, a plan was suggested by Mr. Tyler, 
 looking to the commencement at no very distant day of the work of 
 reconstructing the x^sylum upon a modern plan ; by doing it one 
 wing at a time, as it was originally accomplished. This met with the 
 
258 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 immediate indorsement of Gov. Holbrook and Mr. Bradley. Voted 
 also to change the time of the monthly meetings from the 2d to the 
 ist Tuesday." 
 
 The result of the annual election of officers this year was as fol- 
 lows : 
 
 OFFICERS OF THE BOARD. 
 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Chairman. 
 J. M. Tyler, Treasurer. 
 J. Draper, Secretary. 
 Fred'k Holbrook, Auditor. 
 
 RESIDENT OFFICERS. 
 
 Joseph Draper, Superintendent and Physician. 
 
 S. E. Lawton, ist Assistant Physician. 
 
 W. E. Bowie, 2d Assistant Physician. 
 
 H. E. B. Gibson, Matron. 
 
 P. C. Spencer, Steward. 
 
 Geo. W. Pierce, Farmer. 
 
 The Biennial Report of the Board calls attention to the comple- 
 tion of the first half century of the. Asylum, and closes as follows : 
 " The Trustees feel that the work of fifty years, represented by the 
 present establishment as now completed and modernized, is a credit- 
 able monument to those who have had in charge the legacy of the 
 founder, and the development of her cherished wishes. Their plans 
 for the future embrace further efforts at improvement, and other 
 departures in accordance with the id^as and demands of the time, to 
 the full extent of the means th«y may have for the promotion of the 
 chartered objects of the Institution." 
 
 The Superintendent's Report shows the number in the Asylum to 
 be four hundred and fifty ; two hundred and forty-nine men, and 
 two hundred and one women. The admissions for the biennial term 
 were one hundred and eighty-four, and the discharges one hundred 
 and seventy-one. Three cases are especially noted as having recov- 
 ered after unusually long periods of continuous insanity, and are 
 commented upon as follows : 
 
 ''Two of them, both men, were admitted to the Asylum in 1881. 
 Both labored under melancholia, and both were strongly suicidal — 
 had made attempts upon their lives before their admission to the 
 Asylum, and subsequently thereto on repeated occasions. In neither 
 was there a visible lifting of the clouds until about a year preceding 
 their discharge, and then convalescence was slow but sure. The 
 duration of insanity was in each case over five years, inclusive of the 
 period of convalescence. Both were in middle life. 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i885-'86. 259 
 
 " Another cage, a woman, was admitted in 1880. This commenced 
 as one of melancholia a year preceding admission ; but developed 
 into active destructive mania, which continued without intermission, 
 and without manifest abatement until about six months preceding 
 her discharge, when a decided change for the better took place, and 
 convalescence was thereafter continuous and unmistakably genuine. 
 The duration of insanity in this case, including the period of recov- 
 ery, was fully seven years. The mental disorder was connected with 
 the climacteric period, and doubtless dependant upon that change. 
 This latter case is especially interesting, as we had come to regard it 
 a confirmed one, and saw no reasonable ground for. a hopeful prog- 
 nosis until the close of last year. 
 
 " It illustrates the possibility of recovery in cases dependent upon 
 this cause, even after the lapse of some years. Physicians engaged 
 in this specialty know that in many cases arising from other causes, 
 the friends often look forward to the climacteric in hope of a turn 
 for the better, but in our experience this change oftener aggravates 
 than mitigates the previously existing malady, and no good ground 
 exists, in the experience of the writer, upon which such hope can be 
 confidently stayed. 
 
 " The two cases of melancholia are instructive in the confirmation 
 they afford to the theory that the course of melancholia, as a rule, is 
 more protracted than that of the more active phases of insanity, as 
 of mania — in its various forms." 
 
 Apart from the analyzation of the statistics of the period, the 
 following discussion of morbid tendencies goes to make up this 
 report, under the head of 
 
 Dangerous Ground. 
 
 " Commenting upon the liability to insanity is like stepping upon 
 boggy soil ; however carefully one picks his way he rarely escapes 
 missteps. Still it is a territory which can hardly be wholly avoided. 
 The fact shown by statistics in respect to the element of heredity, 
 which enters into so large a percentage of individual cases, is liable 
 to be given undue weight, and the conclusion is too hastily drawn 
 that those born with hereditary tendencies, from their earliest years 
 walk over pitfalls or quicksands by which they are ever liable to be 
 engulfed. Such a conclusion, however, cannot be accepted without 
 much qualification. In the discussion of all questions of social 
 science, hobbies are ridden. Special vices are often greatly magni- 
 fied in their influence, both upon the individual and the race, as the 
 
26o ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 gross exaggeration of the evils of one in particular, by charlatans, 
 who reap profits from the fears and apprehensions of its subjects, 
 well attests. The heritage of mankind is subject to great variations, 
 and there can be no question but that its drift, undirected and 
 unmodified, would be in many cases towards destruction ; but the 
 course of every man's life is, to some extent, in his own hands. Not 
 only may an inborn tendency be held in check, but it may often be 
 deflected from its original course, and even decided mischiefs that 
 may have been sustained, may be repaired. Human nature is often 
 exhibited to view in its, truest colors in a state of insanity. Every 
 psychological student has, doubtless, been surprised in reflecting 
 upon this matter, and, recognizing this fact, at the almost involun- 
 tary inhibitory power exercised over mankind in general, by those 
 acquired influences which are the result of educational agencies. 
 The safeguards of society are really much greater than are gener- 
 ally realized. The sway exercised over the masses by the custom- 
 ary conventionalities of life, bears rule over many a wayward 
 prompting, and holds in check very decided tendencies to abandon- 
 ment. 
 
 "'Pride," said a distinguished divine of a generation ago, "is the 
 ruling principle of an unsanctified world ; " and, so far from con- 
 demning it, he accredited it with a most salutary power, in the 
 absence of a worthier motive. We might almost venture the asser- 
 tion that one is safe so long as he is responsive to environing influ- 
 ences, and only in danger when he ceases to be affected by public 
 sentiment, by social dicta, or when he turns within, and preys upon 
 himself. Egotism is usually exalted in the insane, but its manifesta- 
 tions vary greatly. Elevated personal appreciation or conceit is the 
 most harmless and superficial phase of it. It takes its strongest and 
 most baneful hold upon a person when it absorbs everything to itself 
 and sequestrates its rule. 
 
 " It is unfortunate to be in the world and not of it. So long as 
 one realizes, and acts in accord with the realization that he is but an 
 individual among the multitude, and that the welfare of the whole is 
 the happiness of each, we may look for healthy activities ; but, when 
 this grand general fact is lost sight of, morbid action begins, and a 
 process is set up which is fatal to the individual. Involution instead 
 of evolution then goes on, and time weaves about him a net work, 
 in which, as a chrysalis, lost to his fellows, he awaits the final trans- 
 formation. Every life, however modified, is colored by its inborn 
 tendencies. . The sources of happiness or misery spring largely from 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i885-*86. 261 
 
 the constitutional predispositions of individuals. A naturally cheer- 
 ful person sees the sunny side of life and finds in any environment 
 a prevailing amount of enjoyment, while one of a gloomy cast lives 
 amid forebodings, and, as one without light, gropes silently along 
 life's pathways, half fearing to tread where others have before him 
 and shunning the healthful sunlight which at every turn beams upon 
 him as upon all others. Such natures are most liable to become 
 gradually morbid, and to glide slowly into the realm of delusion and 
 melancholy. In the experiences of asylum life, not a few are seen 
 to have thus drifted into confirmed insanity. The early view of 
 life may have been a cramped one ; the outlook through the narrow 
 window of self-interest, opening out upon a very limited field of 
 observation, and this hedged about by suspicion and envy. 
 
 ''No greater misfortune can be labored under than that of a 
 childhood passed without opportunities for expansion. As the years 
 move on, the little circle becomes the whole world, and all outside 
 is viewed with vague and incorrect ideas, and with more or less 
 of distrust. To be mentally healthy one must be largely unconscious 
 of self. In the human economy the vital operations go on uncon- 
 sciously. There is something the matter when we become aware 
 that we have a heart, or a respiratory apparatus, or a stomach. The 
 functions of all these organs go on silently in the normal state and 
 occasion us no subjective anxiety. 
 
 "An individual is but a member of the great body of mankind, 
 and his functions should go on as silently as those of the single 
 organs that go to make up the individual organism. There is some- 
 thing wrong when the individual jars against the body politic. 
 A healthy organism, individual or collective, should be largely 
 oblivious to special functions. There is incipient disorder always 
 when the latter rise into prominence, and exact undue attention. It 
 is a fact well known to medical men that it is the minor ills that 
 oftenest occasion anxiety. A grave organic disease usually gives 
 less apprehension than a mere functional disorder. Not unfrequently 
 a hopefulness attends its whole course, while hypochondria connects 
 itself with the merest functional disorder. Then, too, it must be 
 remembered that persons with born peculiarities, and encircled by 
 unusual or abnormal influences, to some extent grow into harmony 
 with them, and adapt themselves thereto. It is not an unusual 
 circumstance for tourists to lose their lives in attempting to scale 
 precipitous points, but much more seldom does such disaster over- 
 take the native mountaineer. His earliest steps being taken amid 
 such dangers, he confidently lea})s from point to point, and measures 
 
262 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 with accuracy not only the distances, but the strength of the supports 
 upon which he ventures. Born and reared amongst the crags, 
 he reaHzes not the risks as those, who, ascending from the plains 
 gradually comprehend their grandeur and awful heights, and become 
 appalled, dazed, giddy and lost in the overwhelming environment. 
 The chief element of safety to the denizens of this dangerous 
 territory is their utter obliviousness to its perils. Precisely in this 
 state is the individual whose life is hedged about with unfortunate 
 predispositions — safe while he dwells not upon this fact ; safe if 
 he turns not selfward and broods over the possibilities. \Voe betide 
 him, when he withdraws within himself, and shuts the door. 
 
 "By the conditions or accidents of birth, some inhabit unstable 
 ground ; others recklessly or inconsiderately choose perilous paths, 
 and not unfrequently incur greater risks of falling than those whose 
 foundation is to some extent uncertain. Not every devious and 
 irregular way pursued by such erratic natures should be regarded as 
 morbid, though abnormal as measured by the course of mankind in 
 general ; and it should not be forgotten that those to the manor 
 born may tread a pathway which might not be followed by others 
 with equal safety. 
 
 " Besides the mischiefs that result from a bad start in life, there 
 are some incident to an unwise ending of it. It seems to be a cher- 
 ished idea with most men who are fortunate in business or profes- 
 sional life, to anticipate a period of restful enjoyment. To the man 
 of active life, impelled onward by forces he has helped to create, and 
 often crowded by them to the point of weariness and exasperation, 
 it is the most natural thing to look upon rest and freedom from such 
 pressure as the nearest approach to bliss, and ever and anon as the 
 years go by he finds himself longing and planning for a complete 
 surrender of all the activities which for a score or two of years at 
 least have constituted his life. But, when this is accomplished and 
 he sits down at his ease to enjoy the accumulations of his life labor 
 the situation is not what he expected ; the happiness he had pictured 
 he does not find. Involuntarily he sighs for his accustomed routine. 
 In his devotion to the one object of securing a competency, he has 
 not forecast the necessity he now feels for some healthful occupation 
 of his energies, and, instead of repose, unrest is upon him. Soon 
 mis2:ivings come over him, and the realization that he has made 
 a mistake that is irretrievable, and too often the balance of life 
 becomes unhappy and a condition of melancholy beclouds his latter 
 days. This result is seen in country as well as city life, among the 
 agriculturalists as among the commercialists. -A hardworking farmer 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i885-'86. 263 
 
 devotes himself to the securing of an estate and its belongings. It 
 is the one idea of his life, and all his energies are devoted to it. He 
 is successful, and, as his sons grow up, ambitious they should con- 
 tinue with and succeed him in the management and care of the 
 farm. Other fields of labor, however, beckon them away. They 
 go, and by the aid of hired laborers he continues his charge. As the 
 waning years of life creep on him, he begins to feel the responsi- 
 bilities weigh more heavily. Each year increases the burden, until 
 he induces a son to return, on condition that he surrender to him 
 the management and a joint title to the farm, or he disposes of his 
 estate and determines to live upon the proceeds for the balance 
 of his days without work. In either case he soon realizes that he 
 has made a mistake. What he wanted was not the abandonment of 
 all the avocations to which he was accustomed, and which he had 
 most rejoiced in when in the full vigor of his years, but only such 
 modifications of burdens as gradually increasing age demanded; 
 relief short of absolute idleness. In the large proportion of cases 
 the absolute retirement from a life-long engrossing business is 
 fraught with danger, and followed by the wreckage of all anticipated 
 satisfaction. Some of this result is due to too circumscribed ideas 
 of life — too complete devotion to a single object — to habitual 
 neglect of mental cultivation, or of maintaining an interest in the 
 worlds affairs in general, so that when the life-long pursuit is given 
 up there offers no other channel in which the remaining and accruing 
 energies can be employed or become engrossed. It is a serious and 
 too common error to neglect an interest in other things than those 
 connected with one's chosen labor, and tends gradually but ulti- 
 mately to narrowing and degeneracy. 
 
 '^ To the individual of active temperament change is rest. Every- 
 thing in life is opposed to passive rest. Activity in proportion to 
 strength is as needful to the preservation and enjoyment of life, as 
 is continued breathing. The phlegmatic usually take the whole of 
 life so easily that the evils of nervous exaustion seldom overtake 
 them. It is the sanguine and nervous who break down most 
 frequently; nevertheless, such, having more versatility, are better 
 prepared to rally and find in varied ways restoration. 
 
 " Those of the bilious or motive temperament, who devote them- 
 selves to continued physical labor, who have least change in the 
 routine of life and who seek and take fewest diversions, travel 
 the most dangerous road and are most helpless and hopeless when 
 they fall." 
 
 One additional mode of diversion for the male patients is chron- 
 
264 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 icled in this report, which was experimental at the outset and 
 designed as an offset to the Summer Retreat, which had from 
 its opening been devoted to the female patients, but which has 
 proved so entirely a success that it may now be regarded as an 
 established thing. It was commenced in the summer of 1885, " One 
 day of each week was set apart for a camping excursion. The party 
 was made up of fifteen patients, with the chief attendant and two 
 assistants who started off in the gray of the morning with portable 
 camp equipage and provision for the day, partly cooked and partly 
 uncooked, with instructions only to remain away all day, and choose 
 for their encampment any place upon the Asylum territory. They 
 pitched upon the highest land of the estate, a mile or more distant 
 from the Asylum, a point commanding beautiful views up the valleys 
 of both the Connecticut and West rivers, and there improvised 
 for themselves, returning in the gloaming, a most thoroughly rejuve- 
 nated company. After two or three excursions of this kind (being 
 obliged to return once prematurely to escape a threatened tempest 
 of wind and rain), arrangements were made for shelter, and two 
 roofed structures with open ends were erected to guard against 
 sudden contingencies. These recreations were continued late into 
 the autumn and resumed again in June this year with unabated zest. 
 The advantages of this departure were so manifest, not alone in the 
 enjoyment of such change, but in the curative influence evident 
 (two particularly seeming to date their convalescence from these 
 excursions last year), that we have determined to make it a perma- 
 nent feature, and two acres have been surveyed, enclosed, and set 
 apart for this exclusive purpose. It is an open field, skirted by 
 a fringe of wood as a back-ground. Other sheltered structures have 
 been erected ; also a kitchen and store house, and a croquet ground 
 graded for use. Hereafter the camping ground will be one of the 
 organized features appertaining to the establishment." 
 
 The receipts ot the biennial period aggregate, $180,245.22. The 
 expenditures, $165,338.18, leaving on hand a balance of $14,907.04, 
 which the plans for the immediate future will consume. 
 
 The following extract from the Report of the Board of Super- 
 visors of the Insane for the years 1885-6, shows the estimation in 
 which the Asylum was held by the State authorities at this period. 
 
 The Sanitary Condition of the Asylum. 
 
 " It would hardly seem possible that the sanitary condition of the 
 Asylum could be materially improved. The improvements in this 
 direction, begun two years ago, have all been completed. The 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i885-'86. 265 
 
 external sewerage of the building has been made to correspond with 
 the perfection of the internal arrangement for that purpose and the 
 entire system is now complete. The sewerage is now conveyed 
 away under ground to some distance from the Asylum, and below it, 
 with little if any possibility of any offensive odor. In order to 
 accomplish this the water supply is abundant in all the wards ; the 
 water closets in the various wards are all flushed at short periods 
 by a patent automatic arrangement and thereby kept free from 
 impurities. 
 
 " The ventilation and heating are accomplished by steam power. 
 A large steam engine in the rear of the main building, so far away 
 and so thoroughly protected as to occasion no danger from fire, 
 supplies the power which sends sufficient heat to every ward in the 
 iVsylum to make the coldest day in winter seem warm and genial as 
 a summer's day, and at the same time sending through them all cur- 
 rents of fresh outside air, which displaces the peculiar odor which 
 pertains more or less to asylum and hospital life. This perfection of 
 sewerage, heating and ventilation in the Asylum has been specially 
 noticed and remarked by those who have visited it, both citizens and 
 strangers. The culinary arrangements of the Asylum are admirable. 
 The inmates are well provided for in respect to food. It is well 
 prepared and in abundance. Each day has its special service, and 
 each season of the year brings its special luxuries and necessities for 
 the table. Invalids have dishes prepared for them with all the care 
 and forethought of the well-trained nurse. The Board have occa- 
 sionally heard complaints from the inmates of failure in quality 
 or quantity, but inquiry has not elicited any confirmation of the fact. 
 When it is remembered that a large share of the inmates of 
 the Asylum came from the lower and less luxuriantly fed 
 classes of the community, it will hardly be surprising that complaints 
 should be made, nor that they should not bear inspection. 'J^he 
 Board also take pleasure in commending the neatness and clean- 
 liness of the various departments of the Asylum, and the general 
 tidy appearance of the inmates in dress and person. The activity 
 of the laundry and sewing rooms are evidence of the labor necessary 
 to accomplish this desirable result, and the inmates seem to respond 
 well to the requirements in this direction. The dormitories are now 
 nearly all supplied with hair mattresses, with woven. wire accompa- 
 niments, which have taken the place of the old style of beds. This 
 is a new departure and quite in contrast with the uncouth sleeping 
 arrangements of former days. As a whole, the Board consider the 
 sanitary condition of the Asylum to be all that can be desired, and. 
 
266 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 as a result, there has been during the past two years but very Httle 
 sickness -among the inmates, comparatively none save that which 
 is incident to this class of people in any community." 
 
 The fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Asylum (December 
 12, 1886) fell on Sunday, and was not passed without notice. 
 
 The religious service was this day performed by Rev, C. H. 
 Merrill of the Congregational church at West Brattleboro, who 
 preached from the text, John iv: 37, 38, ''One soweth and another 
 reapeth. * * * Other men labored, and ye are entered 
 
 into their labors." 
 
 He spoke of the intimate relations which succeeding generations 
 bear to one another, and of the debt of obligation which this present 
 age must owe to the past. There has been inherited from the past 
 all the wealth which has been so rapidly increasing during this 
 19th century. Indirectly this wealth, accumulated by individuals, 
 has all gone to benefit the entire community. But directly in 
 increasing measure it has been applied to the endowment of schools 
 and hospitals, and libraries, and asylums, and "homes." 
 
 There has been inherited from the past also, the results of 
 scientific investigation^ and increase in the knowledge of the laws of 
 nature. The fruits of this appear to-day in the means adopted for 
 the prevention and cure of disease, the treatment of the sick, the 
 relieving of pain, and the marvelous feats of surgery. 
 
 A far more precious inheritance appears in the spiritual legacy 
 bequeathed. With the institutions firmly established, and liberally 
 endowed, have come down to this generation the spirit of wisdom 
 that moved for their establishment, and the spirit of liberality that 
 provided their endowment. These institutions are of value as they 
 are alive to-day with the spirit of the age, and their endowment is of 
 highest importance as it gives them power to secure the largest 
 measure of this spirit in the officers which they can command. 
 
 He closed with the following words : "We are reminded by our 
 surroundings this afternoon, that this is the fiftieth anniversary of 
 the opening of this Institution. The blessing it has been to those 
 that have been treated here during all these years may be taken as 
 the fruit of the seed sown in a former generation. 
 
 " I have no personal knowledge of the life and the character of 
 her by whpse act this Institution was founded. But I know, as you 
 well know, that the act was a Christly act, worthy the approving 
 word, 'Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of these ye have done 
 it unto me.' Perhaps in no other way does the truth of the brother- 
 hood of man and the unity of the race find better illustration than 
 
RECORD OF THE YEARS i885-'86. 267 
 
 by the bestowment of free gifts, by those who are in health, for the 
 endowment of institutions for the care and treatment of those prov- 
 identially deprived of this blessing. It is an act done in recognition 
 of this kinship. Beyond the ties of family and kindred and blood, 
 there is felt to be the tie of a possible fellowship in suffering, and 
 heirship to the same covenant of promise. Institutions of this kind 
 are Christian institutions, whatever be their name ; and it is because 
 we live in a land where the civilization is of the Christian type, that 
 we find them among us in such numbers and in such excellence. 
 It is fitting then that we turn our thoughts from the gift to its ulti- 
 mate source, the Master himself, by whose spirit hearts are quickened 
 to acts of devotion. The immortality of a good deed is to us the 
 type of the immortality of a character formed by good deeds, 
 unselfish service, loyalty to the truth. To those who have been 
 blessed with the blessing of Christian institutions, there comes the 
 call for the yielding of life to a more perfect obedience to the power 
 of the divine truth, and the divine life." 
 
 There was present at this service one patient* who was admitted 
 during the first year, and who had been a continuous resident almost 
 the whole half century. 
 
 *A1)ijah W. Betterly of Newfane, Vt. 
 
CONCLUSION. 
 
 BRIEFLY has been reviewed the history of the Asylum and its 
 work from its precarious beginning, and struggUng early life, 
 to its full development. Here we rest. It is for the future 
 chronicler to record its coming annals, and note what may hence- 
 forth be accomplished in the great cause of humanity, here. Its 
 previous history has been unpretentious. No imposing ceremonies 
 — as in more modern days — attended the laying of its corner stone ; 
 but the hands of the masons were directed by the guiding spirit of 
 philanthropy, and possibly "they builded better than they knew." 
 
 The principal object of the foregoing pages will be accomplished 
 if they serve to correct the misapprehensions which have grown up 
 concerning the status of the Institution, and to show how it has been 
 created and developed. 
 
 If we mistake not, too, it will illustrate as the history of no sim- 
 ilar institution does, the possibilities dependent upon the pursuance 
 of a steady line of policy and prudent financial management. It 
 bears witness too, to the wisdom of that form of government usually 
 denominated "a close corporation," by which vacancies in the man- 
 aging board are filled by the surviving members. In no other way 
 can a steady principle of management be secured. Had it been 
 otherwise it is more than probable that the story of a deplorable 
 failure, instead of a success, would have been the tale to be told. 
 
 Appended to these annals are presented in condensed form the 
 medical, financial, and constructive records of the fifty years. These, 
 with their brief explanatory comments, merit careful notice. The 
 memorial chapter following, it is believed will likewise be of interest 
 as affording a clearer idea of the men who have wrought the results 
 which here appear. The individual sketches are obituaries rather 
 than biographies, and the facts shown are chiefly those affording the 
 record of their labors in connection with the Institution. But with- 
 out these the record of the half century would be incomplete, and the 
 reader be left to the misleading conclusions of his own fancy in res- 
 pect to the living character of the individuals here passed in review. 
 
THE MEDICAL RECORD. 
 
 The following tabular view of the results of the half century, is com- 
 piled from the published reports year by year. 
 
 I Admitted 
 
 Year. 
 
 Discharged 
 
 T3 
 '> 
 
 'a 
 g 
 
 • o 
 
 :z; 
 
 Remaining 
 
 1837. 
 1838. 
 1839. 
 1840. 
 1 841. 
 1842. 
 1843. 
 1844. 
 1845- 
 1846. 
 
 1847. 
 1848. 
 1849- 
 1850. 
 1851. 
 1852. 
 1853- 
 1854. 
 1855. 
 1856. 
 1857. 
 1858. 
 
 1859. 
 i860. 
 1 861. 
 1862. 
 1863. 
 1864. 
 1865. 
 1866. 
 1867. 
 1868. 
 
 1870 
 
 1871-72... 
 1873-74... 
 1875-76... 
 1877-78... 
 1879-80... 
 1881-82... 
 
 1883-84 i 
 
 1885-86 ' 
 
 20 
 27 
 36 
 36 
 40 
 50 
 
 55 
 47 
 97 
 95 
 71 
 74 
 69 
 78 
 63 
 79 
 70 
 
 n 
 
 78 
 80 
 64 
 89 
 80 
 78 
 83 
 71 
 
 64 
 82 
 
 n 
 
 85 
 
 74 
 
 76 
 
 61 
 
 140 
 
 109 
 
 125 
 
 108 
 
 105 
 
 III 
 
 117 
 
 112 
 
 28 
 20 
 35 
 37 
 44 
 51 
 56 
 
 49 
 107 
 102 
 
 64 
 82 
 67 
 72 
 
 74 
 82 
 
 89 
 
 86 
 86 
 92 
 
 ?3 
 68 
 
 76 
 
 65 
 
 57 
 75 
 
 l\ 
 
 62 
 84 
 58 
 61 
 48 
 59 
 
 lOI 
 
 95 
 97 
 59 
 
 .72 
 
 n 
 69 
 
 72 
 
 48 
 47 
 7 
 
 73 
 84 
 Id 
 III 
 96 
 204 
 197 
 135 
 
 136 
 150 
 
 137 
 161 
 
 163 
 164 
 172 
 147 
 157 
 156 
 
 143 
 140 
 146 
 .98 
 128 
 144 
 161 
 
 143 
 135 
 124 
 120 
 241 
 204 
 222 
 167 
 177 
 188 
 186 
 184 
 
 7 
 22 
 
 19 
 30 
 38 
 41 
 44 
 38 
 49 
 78 
 62 
 62 
 67 
 
 67 
 
 62 
 
 72 
 
 74 
 75 
 73 
 70 
 69 
 71 
 54 
 59 
 
 61 
 
 75 
 
 60 
 158 
 136 
 108 
 124 
 96 
 104 
 118 
 102 
 
 li 78 
 84 
 79 
 
 81 
 65 
 
 68 
 
 52 
 48 
 
 63 
 71 
 64 
 56 
 
 55 
 
 53 
 
 106 
 
 92 
 96 
 
 73 
 93 
 90 
 72 
 69 
 
 14 
 
 45 
 
 61 
 
 70 
 
 83 
 88 
 
 74 
 99 
 69 
 
 22 
 
 48 
 
 30 
 40 
 
 30 
 45 
 
 46 
 59 
 59 
 41 
 
 551 
 40 i 
 
 ^^ 
 38 
 21 
 
 19 
 12 
 22 
 48 
 
 25 
 
 ?^ 
 
 13 
 264 
 228 
 204 
 197 
 189 
 194 
 190 
 171 
 
 3200 2876 6076 2951 2675 5626 2398 995 i 735 1498 
 
 6 
 25 
 25 
 33 
 4 
 
 49 
 51 
 51 
 59 
 94 
 74 
 84 
 74 
 79 
 73 
 78 
 72 
 80 
 
 79 
 82 
 
 74 
 80 
 67 
 
 56 
 47 
 41 
 52 
 55 
 58 
 48 
 46 
 49 
 35 
 99 
 48 
 56 
 
 36 
 
 52 
 44 
 
 12 
 
 8 
 
 34 
 
 16 
 
 13 
 
 12 
 
 18 
 
 10 
 
 22 
 
 12 
 
 16 
 
 19 
 
 II 
 
 II 
 
 20 
 
 16 
 
 ID 
 
 13 
 
 12 
 
 14 
 
 13 
 
 15 
 
 21 
 
 18 
 
 19 
 
 II 
 
 17 
 
 19 
 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 22 
 
 21 
 
 29 
 
 21 
 
 15 
 
 17 
 
 16 
 
 24 
 
 12 
 
 9 
 
 14 
 
 II 
 
 27 
 
 20 
 
 21 
 
 18 
 
 22 
 
 21 
 
 19 
 
 16 
 
 18 
 
 20 
 
 48 
 
 43 
 
 87 
 
 37 
 
 69 
 
 25 
 
 49 
 
 32 
 
 49 
 
 55 
 
 49 
 
 23 
 
 SI 
 
 26 
 
 36 
 
 20 
 
 13 
 18 
 
 35 
 41 
 43 
 
 63 
 
 72 
 
 120 
 
 137 
 146 
 158 
 160 
 
 173 
 169 
 
 , 175 
 
 431 183 
 40 ^°° 
 
 38 
 37 
 39 
 40 
 
 37 
 32 
 42 
 38 
 39 
 42 
 43 
 38 
 42 
 44 
 40 
 74 
 56 
 
 64 
 
 49 
 86 
 61 
 71 
 
 52 185 
 
 190 
 192 
 207 
 212 
 217 
 230 
 232 
 208 
 218 
 241 
 241 
 265 
 264 
 267 
 268 
 250 
 223 
 240 
 224 
 
 233 
 240 
 
 239 
 249 
 
 21 
 18 
 34 
 40 
 
 61 
 
 73 
 86 
 
 143 
 154 
 158 
 154 
 158 
 
 155 
 166 
 176 
 i8g 
 201 
 209 
 217 
 221 
 208 
 219 
 219 
 208 
 231 
 
 234 
 240 
 
 239 
 252 
 246 
 251 
 
 244 
 250 
 245 
 248 
 249 
 235 
 214 
 201 
 198 
 201 
 
 34 
 36 
 
 81 
 95 
 113 
 136 
 158 
 263 
 291 
 
 304 
 312 
 318 
 328 
 335 
 351 
 372 
 389 
 394 
 407 
 
 413 
 415 
 
 436 
 438 
 463 
 442 
 458 
 480 
 493 
 511 
 515 
 511 
 518 
 
 495 
 471 
 489 
 459 
 447 
 441 
 437 
 450 
 
 The foregoing, summarized, shows of the whole number discharged : 
 recovered 42.6 per cent.; improved 17.7; not improved 13.1 ; died 26.6,; 
 and of the whole number received (barring fractional percentages), out of 
 every one hundred (100), thirty-nine (39) were discharged recovered, sixteen 
 (16) improved, twelve (12) not improved, twenty-five (25) died, and eight (8) 
 remained under care. 
 
THE FINANCIAL RECORD. 
 
 This is compiled from the abstracts of the current receipts and 
 expenditures contained in the annual and biennial Reports, and 
 affords the basis for some approximative conclusions and gen- 
 eralizations. 
 
 Year. 
 
 1837 
 1838. 
 
 1839 
 1840. 
 1 841. 
 1842. 
 1843- 
 1844. 
 1845. 
 1846. 
 
 1847- 
 1848. 
 1849- 
 1850. 
 1851. 
 1852. 
 
 1853- 
 1854. 
 1855. 
 1856. 
 1857. 
 1858. 
 1859. 
 i860. 
 1 861. 
 1862. 
 1863. 
 1864. 
 1865. 
 1866. 
 1867. 
 
 1870.... 
 1871-72. 
 1873-74. 
 1875-76. 
 1877-78. 
 1879-80. 
 1881-82. 
 1883-84. 
 1885-86. 
 
 (U (U 
 bG-V 
 
 (U ^ 
 
 < ° 
 
 > rt 0,1 
 
 19 
 
 35 
 52 
 75 
 88 
 104 
 124 
 147 
 210 
 277 
 297 
 308 
 315 
 323 
 331 
 343 
 361 
 380 
 392 
 401 
 410 
 414 
 426 
 433 
 437 
 451 
 453 
 450 
 469 
 486 
 502 
 513 
 513 
 
 506 
 473 
 477 
 472 
 452 
 443 
 434 
 436 
 
 
 ^3-527 
 2.731 
 2.815 
 
 2.429 
 
 2.524 
 2.333 
 
 2.024 
 
 1.844 
 
 I-53I 
 1.596 
 1.712 
 
 1.934 
 2.144 
 2.017 
 1.996 
 2.224 
 2.231 
 2.287 
 2.498 
 2.550 
 2.638 
 2.736 
 2.746 
 2.568 
 2.720 
 2.544 
 3-755 
 2.749 
 2.762 
 
 3.043 
 3.005 
 2.960 
 3.054 
 3.105 
 2,960 
 
 4.349 
 3.640 
 3.810 
 3.581 
 3.902 
 3.948 
 3.646 
 
 $2.00 
 2.00 
 2.00 
 2.00 
 2,00 
 2.00 
 2.00 
 2.00 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.50 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1.75 
 1-75 
 2.25 
 2.25 
 2.25 
 2.25 
 2.25 
 3.00 
 3.00 
 3.00 
 3.00 
 3.00 
 3.50 
 3.50 
 3.50 
 3-75 
 
 368.74 $3.0361 
 
 <u (U 3 +3 
 
 
 -$ 324.02 
 1,866.73 
 5,045.46 
 7,926.54 
 9,926.86 
 11,839.26 
 
 12,935.36 
 13498.61 
 14,673.19 
 17,341.29 
 23,758.40 
 
 26,720.09 
 
 31,295.34 
 35,825.09 
 34,240.12 
 
 35,423.54 
 38,290. 
 
 40,305.73 
 44,492.33 
 
 49,805.11 
 
 53,609.03 
 55,745.43 
 58,663.44 
 59,433.70 
 59,270.28 
 
 59,704.75 
 
 60,381.02 
 
 85,788.51 
 61,744.27 
 66,164.93 
 76,289.19 
 
 78,938.29 
 79,554.28 
 80,028.63 
 85,281.72 
 160,708.51 
 213,810.66 
 
 180,818.55 
 187,261.96 
 168,493.28 
 180,381.43 
 178,247.21 
 180,245.22 
 
 X <U Ih' 
 
 (U i:; 03 
 
 O ^ OJ 
 
 H CL, ' 
 
 $ 3,484.71 
 
 4,970.10 
 
 7,612.68 
 
 9,473.67 
 
 11,549.13 
 
 12,615.54 
 
 13,050.15 
 
 14,092.05 
 
 16,721.45 
 
 23,148.05 
 
 26,445.80 
 
 30.975.93 
 35,110.23 
 
 33,868.93 
 34,349.66 
 39,673.96 
 41,877.18 
 45,194.20 
 50,924.42 
 
 53,161.59 
 56,238.12 
 58,890.58 
 60,408.76 
 57,809.68 
 61,797.24 
 
 59,653.59 
 88,451.81 
 64,335.14 
 67,358.37 
 76,904.17 
 78,450.11 
 78,943.72 
 81,472.07 
 83,163.49 
 
 155.771.73 
 213,929.11 
 180,584.06 
 187,036.16 
 168,352.06 
 179,791.52 
 178,214.10 
 165,336.18 
 
 $2,926,098.24 $2,911,191.20 $604,701.24 
 
 S a o ''' s^ S^ 
 -i y tn o 0< 
 ai^ 5 ?.j o :3 
 
 spJr 
 
 $ 214.75 
 
 1,405.46 
 
 2,518.54 
 
 2,126.86 
 
 2,687.26 
 
 2,119.36 
 
 602.61 
 
 614.81 
 
 961.29 
 
 2.152.40 
 
 3,554.09 
 
 7,271.34 
 
 11,255.09 
 
 9,046.12 
 
 9,605.54 
 
 11,536.88 
 
 12,147.73 
 
 14,852.33 
 19,229.11 
 17,118.03 
 
 18,435.43 
 20,989.44 
 20,940.70 
 19,867.28 
 
 19,937.75 
 19,340.02 
 
 44,565.51 
 20,794.27 
 11,291.93 
 
 19,427.19 
 20,204.29 
 19,533.28 
 20,007.63 
 4,941,72 
 2,836,51 
 66,234.66 
 
 31,994.55 
 39,997.96 
 3,965.28 
 19,129.43 
 20,271.21 
 10,205.22 
 
January 13, 
 
 1837, Rec 
 
 sived of St 
 
 27, 
 
 a i 
 
 ' U i 
 
 Decemb'r 11, 
 
 a i 
 
 i U i 
 
 April 9, 
 
 1838; 
 
 i a i 
 
 Decemb'r 14,. 
 
 u i 
 
 1 a i 
 
 February 15, 
 
 1839, 
 
 a i 
 
 March 11, 
 
 U i 
 
 i u • < 
 
 272 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 The foregoing table shows that the current receipts of the Asylum 
 for the fifty years of its operations aggregate $2,926,098.24. 
 
 Apart from the resources thus collated, there has been received 
 and expended on separate account : — 
 
 1. The Marsh legacy, received, October 3, 1835, $10,000, which 
 was expended in the purchase of the original site of six acres, with 
 buildings, together with forty-five acres of meadow for farming pur- 
 poses, and for remodelling and enlarging the house for the reception 
 of patients, to which it was opened Dec. 12th, 1836. 
 
 2. The appropriations made by the State for enlargements of 
 the buildings, aggregating $23,000. The several appropriations 
 making up the above amount were received and expended as 
 follows : — 
 
 Treasurer, $1,500 
 
 2,500 
 " 2,000 
 
 " 4,000 
 
 " 2,000 
 
 " 2,000 
 
 " 2,000 
 
 These appropriations were expended in the construction and 
 furnishing of the original center building and first wing west. The 
 last three drafts were discounted and cashed by the State treasurer 
 before they fell due, the Trustees having urgent need of the funds 
 to meet the pressing demands of the Asylum extensions. The fore- 
 going sums include the first appropriation of $10,000 (Nov. 9, 1835) 
 payable in five annual instalments, also the individual appropria- 
 tions of $2,000, Nov. 15, 1836, and of $4,000, Nov. i, 1837, due 
 April I, 1838. 
 
 In January, 1841, the appropriation made Oct. 29, 1840, of $2,000 
 annually for two years, was discounted and cashed, and expended 
 in the erection of the first wing east in 1841-2. 
 
 The final appropriation, Nov. i, 1843, of $3,000, payable Oct. i, 
 1844, was discounted and received of the State Treasurer Aug. 15, 
 1844, and was expended in the extension of the west wing that 
 year. 
 
 3. The amount of the Marsh legacy, $10,000, and of the State 
 appropriations, $23,000, added to the aggregate of the current 
 receipts as per table, gives a total received and expended in the half 
 century of $2,959,098.24, save the balance on hand at the close of the 
 last fiscal year of $14,907.04, which latter is offset by liabilities 
 exceeding it by $4,477.46. 
 
FINANCIAL RECORD. 273 
 
 The current receipts of the Institution, as shown by the table 
 have been derived ahuost exclusively from the care of the patients, 
 save what has been received at three different times from insurances. 
 
 In 1858 the receipts include $1,448.63 from this source, on 
 account of the burning of the stock-barn the December previous. 
 
 In 1863 $25,300 was received and expended in the rebuilding of 
 the center building and west wing, burned in December previous. 
 This, in the table, has been added to the ordinary receipts and 
 expenditures of that year. Again, in 1877, insurances to the amount 
 of $7,837.62 are included in the current receipts and expenditures. 
 The entire resources derived from sources other than the care of 
 the inmates therefore, aggregate in the whole fifty years $67,586.25 
 to wit : 
 
 From the Founder, $10,000.00 
 
 " " State, 23,000.00 
 
 " " Insurances, 34,586.25 
 
 4. Calculations based upon the average number of patients for 
 the whole time, show the average cost for each patient per week, for 
 the whole fifty years, to have been $3,036. 
 
 From the opening of the Institution to 1845, the pauper rate was 
 $2 per week. From 1844 to 1856, it was $1.50 per week. From 
 1855 to 1865, it was $1.75 per week. From 1864 to 1870, it was 
 $2.25 per week. From 1869 to 1879, it was $3 per week. From 
 1878 to 1885, it was $3.50 per week, and subsequently to 
 1884, it has been $3.75 per week. The average rate paid for those 
 supported at the public charge for the whole half century is $2.30 
 per week. 
 
 5. Had all the patients from the beginning been of the depend- 
 ent classes, and been supported at the rate allowed by the State, the 
 total resources derived, as shown by the table, would have been less 
 than the actual receipts by $604,701.24. 
 
 The Construction Record shows the whole cost of the Asylum 
 estatel" and buildings, to have been $383,197.36. Add to this the 
 personal estate $56,683.00, and a total property valuation is repre- 
 sented of $439,880.36. 
 
 It is clear, therefore, that the establishment has been developed 
 out of the receipts over and above the income derived from the rate 
 allowed by the State ; and upon striking the balance there appears 
 
 *The landed estate proper embraces a little over seven hundred acres. There 
 are also outlying lands — principally mountain tracts — -of about the same area, orij^in- 
 ally purchased for the fuel upon them, and of little value for any other uses. 
 
274 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 still a surplus of $164,820.88. Taking from this all that has been 
 derived from sources other than the care of the inmates, there still 
 remains $97,234.63, which has been swallowed up in making the 
 financial ends meet from year to year. 
 
 The conclusion inevitably reached respecting the financial 
 relations of the Asylum to the State is, that the latter has been 
 largely the gainer. In any view possible, the Institution has been 
 the loser by so much as the average rate per week paid by the 
 State falls below the average expended per week. 
 
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THE CONSTRUCTION RECORD. 
 
 1836— 1886. 
 
 Compiled from the preceding annals, deeds, etc. 
 
 1836. Land and buildings of N. Woodcock, 
 " of Eben Wells, 
 " " Houghton Pike, 
 Remodeling and extension of buildings, 
 1838. Spring of Houghton Pike, 
 
 Cost of original centre building and first wing 
 west, 
 
 1 841. Cost of first wing east, 
 
 Aqueduct shares of J. Minott, and pipe, 
 
 1842. " " " A. Greene, 
 
 1844. Extension to west wing, 
 
 1845. " " east " 
 Spring of Eben Wells, 
 
 1846. Cemetery plat of A. Brown, and construction 
 
 of tomb, 
 
 1847. Land of John L. Dickerman, 
 Aqueduct and right of way of N. Allen, 
 
 1848. Land of A. and A. Bennett, 
 
 " " Chas. Chapin, 
 Extension of centre building, and east wing 
 (north), 
 
 1849. Land of John R. Blake, 
 
 " " Newman Allen, 
 " " Samuel Thomas, 
 
 1850. '' " Nelson Crosby, 
 " " Newman Allen, 
 
 Cost of meadow barn and horse shed, 
 
 1 85 1. x\ddition to east wing. 
 
 Cost of iron aqueduct pipe from Wells Spring 
 
 1852. Cost of laundry building, 
 
 Cost of laundry machinery and fixtures, 
 Land of Houghton Pike, 
 '\l [ " David W. Miller, 
 
 $3,500.00 
 
 2,700.00 
 
 8.00 
 
 3,560.65 
 
 150.00 
 
 12,399.67 
 
 7,769.87 
 
 250.00 
 
 150.00 
 
 4,654.82 
 
 6,325.66 
 
 200.00 
 
 150.00 
 1,000.00 
 340.00 
 800.00 
 150.00 
 
 6,485.99 
 
 3,500.00 
 
 180.00 
 
 250.00 
 
 100.00 
 
 482.00 
 
 1,100.00 
 
 2,000.00 
 
 1,436.04 
 
 2,500.00 
 
 1,500.00 
 
 5.00 
 
 600.00 
 
276 
 
 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 1853- 
 
 1854. 
 1855. 
 
 1857- 
 
 1859- 
 
 i860. 
 1861. 
 1862. 
 
 1863: 
 
 1864. 
 1865. 
 1866. 
 
 1867. 
 1868. 
 
 Land of Addison Brown, 
 
 " " Chas. Chapin, 
 
 " '^ W. H. Rockwell, 
 
 " '' W. E. Eason, 
 
 " '' Wells Heirs, 
 Cost of piggery, 
 *' " west wing extension and addition (north), 
 '' *' brick storehouse in rear of west wing 
 Land of the Wells Heirs, 
 
 " " Nelson Crosby (including quarry), 
 
 " " W. H. Rockwell, 
 
 " " John L. Sargent, 
 Cost of male infirmary, 
 
 " " female " 
 
 " " wood storehouse appended to Marsh 
 Building, 
 Land of P. B. Francis, 
 
 " " Martha, Elizabeth and Harriet Crosby, 
 
 " " Prouty & Sampson, 
 Cost of Marsh Building, 
 Land of Shepard Rice, 
 
 " " Newman Allen (farm), 
 
 " '' John L. Heywood and others, 
 Cost of rebuilding meadow barn. 
 Land of Mary A. Knowlton, 
 
 '' '' W. H. Rockwell, 
 Cost of brick stable. 
 Land of Keith White, 
 
 Cost of raising roofs of wings on main line. 
 Land of Farnsworth and Colburn, 
 
 " " Colburn and Cobleigh, 
 
 " " Fred'k Holbrook, 
 
 " '' J. F. Stearns, Sally Nurse and others. 
 Cost of rebuilding centre, and west wing, 
 Land of Wells Goodhue, 
 Cost of barn at farm house. 
 Cost of large wood-house (now stable). 
 Land of Henry F. Smith, 
 
 Spring of James H. Capen, (by exchange of land). 
 Land of Francis T. Green, 
 
 " '* Mary A. Knowlton, 
 
 " '' William Knowlton, 
 
 " " Willard Edwards, 
 
 $150.00 
 
 500.00 
 
 4.800.00 
 
 300.00 
 
 3,700.00 
 
 500.00 
 
 8,000.00 
 
 4,000.00 
 
 5,185.00 
 
 90.00 
 
 450.00 
 
 210.00 
 
 5,000.00 
 
 5,000.00 
 
 400.00 
 
 300.00 
 
 600.00 
 
 2,010.00 
 
 10,000.00 
 
 20.00 
 
 10,500.00 
 
 840.00 
 
 2,000.00 
 
 30.00 
 
 100.00 
 
 2,500.00 
 
 1,700.00 
 
 12,000.00 
 
 200.00 
 
 400.00 
 
 1,700.00 
 
 1,752.00 
 
 41,000.00 
 
 1,800.00 
 
 2,500.00 
 
 1,500.00 
 
 250.00 
 
 1,800,00 
 
 1,800.00 
 
 300.00 
 
 1,500.00 
 
CONSTRUCTION RECORD. 
 
 277 
 
 1869. Cost of new laundry wing and furnishing, 
 
 1 8 70. " " new farm house, 
 Land of H. H. Rice, 
 
 187 1. " " D. W. Miller, 
 Water right of C. J. Weld, 
 
 " " I. B. Taft, 
 " " J. H. Capen. 
 '* " " Executors of James A. Chase, 
 
 Land of Executors of James A. Chase, 
 
 " " Lavinia C. Chase, 
 Cost of iron pipe from Capen Spring, 
 1873-4. Cost of east and west extensions to wings, 
 
 " " boiler house, tunnels, boilers and 
 engine, 
 1875-6. " " steam works and reconstructive work, 
 1877-8. " " completion of heating and ventilating, 
 " " rebuilding burned line of rear build- 
 ings and reconstructing wood-house 
 into stable, 
 Land of R. N. Hescock, and house. 
 Cost of shop and ice house, 
 1879-80. Cost of radical alterations and extensions of 
 rear wards, six new bath rooms, etc., 
 Land of George Person and wife, 
 1881-2. " *' J. Draper, 
 
 " " C. A. Miles, 
 Cost of park survey, plan and fencing, 
 " '' reconstructing Miles house, 
 1883-4. '' " constructing verandas, brick connect- 
 ing wall and granite work, 
 " " reconstructing chapel with altera- 
 tions in third story of centre building, 
 Land of Joseph Prescott, 
 1885-6. Cost of new system of sewerage, 
 
 " " reconstructing engine house, and re- 
 locating and reconnecting boilers, 
 etc.. 
 Cost of cupolas on wings, (7) 
 
 Personal estate as per appraisal Aug., 1886, 
 
 12,000.00 
 
 2,500.00 
 
 3,500.00 
 
 2,600.00 
 
 500.00 
 
 250.00 
 
 50.00 
 
 2,575-oo 
 500.00 
 
 3^375-44 
 43,214.18 
 
 13,000.00 
 
 17,313-54 
 8,888.21 
 
 23,449,29 
 
 775.00 
 5,000.00 
 
 4,853.00 
 1,800.00 
 2,400.00 
 7,500.00 
 1,169.00 
 5,500.00 
 
 3,650.00 
 
 7,500.00 
 
 700.00 
 
 2,200.00 
 
 4,500.00 
 300.00 
 
 $383,197-36 
 56,683.00 
 
 Total valuation. 
 
 $439,880.36 
 
IN MEMORIAM 
 
 AT the close of a fifty years' record few remain who at its begin- 
 ning were instrumental in its initiatory work. It is our 
 purpose now to roll back the cloud of oblivion which year 
 by year has settled down upon its history, and catch once again a 
 glimpse of those figures which in the early years came and went, 
 and finally passed out of the sphere of earthly activities into the 
 mists which we cannot lift, and which are beyond our following. Of 
 the four to whom was committed the bequest of Mrs. Marsh, and 
 who were charged with the trust, one alone is yet living. — 
 
 Samuel Clark. 
 
 Judge Samuel Clark, the first named member of the original 
 Board, died in April, 1861. At the date of his appointment as Trus- 
 tee he was 57 years of age, and he presided over the meetings and 
 deliberations of the Board for eighteen years, resigning his trust at 
 75. His characteristic traits are well set forth in a biographical 
 sketch of his life by Rev. Joseph Chandler, as follows : 
 
 " He was, in his sphere, a strong man ; fitted by nature and b}^ 
 the wise and diligent use of his energies, to exert an influence in 
 society. Though possessed of strong feelings, his judgment was 
 sound and his opinion was much valued by his neighbors. Prudence 
 and sagacity were marked traits in his character. Another pleasing 
 trait was his readiness to make amends for anything done under the 
 impulse of excited feeling, which he was led afterward to look upon 
 as wrong. He was not one of those men of assumed infallibility, 
 who make it a point never to take back anything, and never to 
 acknowledge themselves mistaken. In many instances when he was 
 called upon to express his opinion and to give his vote, he seldom 
 hesitated to declare himself faithfully and frankly upon the point in 
 question ; and almost as often would express his willingness to 
 acquiesce in the decision of the majority against him. In all mat- 
 ters, however, involving moral principle, or that seemed to him of 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 279 
 
 superlative importance, he was firm and unyielding ; and he brought 
 all the energies of his strong and impetuous nature to bear upon the 
 business of maintaining and carrying out his convictions." 
 
 This sketch doubtless correctly. estimates Mr. Samuel Clark, but 
 from other sources we have evidence more to the point, illustrative 
 of the strong elements of his character, showing his marked individ- 
 uality, keen observation, unusual executive ability, and withal his 
 strong religious convictions, his sense of the humorous, his position 
 on questions of the day, and especially his systematic business habits. 
 His private affairs often led him to make journeys from home of 
 days and even weeks together, and letters written to his family dur- 
 ing these absences from home have been preserved and bear testi- 
 mony to his positive qualities. On one occasion, writing from 
 Hampton, Washington Co., N. Y., he speaks of attending a fair, and 
 says, " Those who went to see fine horses, handsome cattle, great 
 sheep, ten thousand people, abundance of dirt and a great scarcity 
 of water, must have come away satisfied ; but [I] heard so much 
 talk about Black Hawk and Morgan, that it became sickish as 
 abohtion[ism];" by which latter remark his politics may be inferred. 
 
 Again, writing from Saratoga Springs, (Aug. 8, 1833), he 
 describes the inconveniences incident to the crowded hotels, and 
 says, "Very few people here from Vermont, none from our own 
 county, — chiefly from the South and New York," adding humor- 
 ously, " no very great characters here, except Mr. Van Buren and 
 myself." 
 
 Under date of August, 1836, he writes to his son at home, con- 
 cisely, in regard to business accomplished, which doubtless 
 typifies his method of doing it : "I think I have put a quietus on 
 all our boys in Troy, and they will all be easy with their business 
 and places one year. Have advised S. to keep his store and go on 
 alone, J. to keep his place and be easy, E. to be a good boy — to 
 which they all agree." Of Saratoga he says, " Twenty-four hours is 
 long time enough to be at the Springs merely to see what is to be 
 seen, but three weeks or more is necessary in order to form agree- 
 able acquaintances and enjoy them. Everything seems to go by 
 steam, and at high pressure, too." 
 
 In the autumn of 1837 he was commissioned by vote of the 
 Trustees of the Asylum to go to Montpelier and urge further aid on 
 the part of the State, in extending the capacity of the buildings. 
 Writing from there (Oct. 21st) he says, "Our Insane Report was 
 presented this morning and 500 copies ordered to be printed. Those 
 whom I converse with speak favorably of the project, but can give 
 
28o ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 no opinion of its final result. I am preparing myself to make my 
 statement before the committee, when perhaps half the Legislature 
 will be present. Many agree to assist me in my business, but it will 
 be a hard thing to get $12,000. I shall go home when my business 
 is done if a kind Providence permits. They all like the Institution 
 for the insane — they like my report, but have no money to give 
 away. I do not think we shall succeed, but as long as there is any 
 chance I will not leave. I attend no caucuses whatever, but have 
 been to one anti-slavery meeting quite as bad. ■ The great Birney is 
 here. I appeared before the temperance committee and made my 
 little speech when our petition was under consideration." 
 
 In 1843, writing to his son, then member of the General Assem- 
 bly of Vermont, he says : " You will have much to do for your 
 constituents — the railroad, bank, insane, temperance, etc., for which 
 I hope and presume you will do all you can. I think very little of 
 the railroad, but the East village is all engaged in it, and they must 
 have an act of incorporation. I think the railroad will never come 
 to B., and if it does the stock will be worth nothing." 
 
 He lived to see the iron track laid, and Brattleboro thus held in 
 connection with the rest of the world ; but his prediction in respect 
 to the value of the stock, up to the date of his death, had been 
 fulfilled. 
 
 A subsequent letter in reply to one from this son, so well shows 
 his strong common sense that we quote the bulk of it : 
 
 ^* Yours by Mr. Keyes is received, read twice, shown the family, 
 and laid on the table. We, the people, as yet approve of what our 
 servants are doing at the seat of government, and think we shall if 
 you will follow our directions, and 
 
 ist. As a general thing let existing laws alone. 
 
 2d. Have a short session. 
 
 3d. The law of last year respecting capital punishment ought to 
 be repealed ; so says the sound part of the community. 
 
 4th. Let the usury law alone. 
 
 5th. We are satisfied with the present organization of our courts, 
 and doubt if you make them any better, — but care little about it. 
 
 6th. Pay the State debt if you can get time, and the laws will 
 let you. 
 
 7th. Get the bills for the banks and insane through if possible, 
 as they are right and just. 
 
 8th. In order to satisfy your constituents pay a little attention 
 to the railroad. 
 
 9th. All come home next week. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 281 
 
 loth. We, the people, think well of Judge Williams. Maj. 
 Smith thinks you will leave him out of office." 
 
 His views relative to Asylum management nowhere individually 
 appear, but the foregoing quotations sufficiently indicate his abid- 
 ing interest in the Institution. There seems, indeed, to have been 
 no conflicting views in respect to practical management between 
 either Trustees or Superintendent. The only individual expression 
 in respect to policy is gleaned from a letter to a son under date of 
 August, 1847, in which, among other matters of mention, he says, 
 "It was our annual meeting at the Insane [Asylum] yesterday. The 
 books show 330 patients. We hope there will not be any more." 
 
 John Holbrook. 
 
 Dea. John Holbrook, the second member of the original Board, 
 died in office in 1838, when the Asylum was in its infancy, or had 
 but just been set upon its feet. He was 73 years of age when 
 appointed to this trust, but his life had been second to none other in 
 prominent connection with the development of this village in growth 
 and prosperity. Like Samuel Clark, Mr. Holbrook was a man of 
 the most sterling character, and of marked personal peculiarities. 
 
 The historian of Brattleboro says of him : " Difficulties, dangers, 
 obstacles such as discourage common men, act, if they act at all, on 
 such men as Mr. Holbrook merely as stimulants to their progress;" 
 and again, " Some idea of Mr. Holbrook's peculiar style of express- 
 ing his emotions can be seen by the following : Mr. Holbrook sent 
 his man-of-all-work some distance from home to get some early 
 potatoes for planting. The man returned with the potatoes and 
 informed him of the price charged. Mr. H. said, ' Jacob, return the 
 potatoes immediately, and say to Mr. W. I would as soon die by 
 famine as by the sword.' " 
 
 This incident serves to indicate the self-reliance and independ- 
 ent action of the man, and the manner he would have been 
 likely to meet any attempts in those early days that might have been 
 made at exorbitant exactions upon the meagre funds which had been 
 left to found so great an enterprise upon, and which the result shows 
 were so religiously husbanded and so judiciously appropriated by 
 the Board. 
 
 Another anecdote is related of Mr. Holbrook illustrative of his 
 true catholicity of spirit, which, notwithstanding his identification 
 with the Puritan church and the dogmas of the time, asserted itself 
 on occasion. An old clergyman, and distant relative, once drove up 
 
282 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. * 
 
 to his hospitable door, and being welcomed and made comfortable, 
 entered soon into a discussion and advocacy of the doctrine of infant 
 damnation. Mr. Holbrook listened until his patience was exhausted 
 and his indignation swelled beyond endurance, when he broke forth 
 declaring in no uncertain language that " he would not entertain one 
 who held such damnable>iews," and literally driving him from the 
 house. 
 
 In person Mr. Holbrook was above six feet in height, strong and 
 well proportioned, of swarthy complexion, and of unusually com- 
 manding presence, so much so that a stranger observing him in a 
 crowd would look at him a second time. 
 
 Col. Crocker, late of Fitchburg, Mass., when a young man and 
 clerk in the Kendall Manufacturing Company's establishment, in 
 Leominster, used to relate the circumstance of his first interview with 
 Mr. H. in substance as follows: It was toward the close of a summer's 
 day that Mr. Holbrook, then on his way to Boston, and covered with 
 dust of travelling, entered unannounced the counting-room of the 
 manufactory, and approaching young Crocker, inquired with a voice 
 and manner never to be forgotten, ^' Is Col. Kendall within ? " Being 
 politely informed that he was not far off, Mr. H. supplemented his 
 inquiry by the command, " Young man go and find him, I wish to 
 see him immediately," which he lost no time in doing. The natur- 
 ally swarthy complexion of Mr. Holbrook, made more so by the heat 
 and dust of travel, and his remarkably commanding air and voice, 
 left the most abiding impression upon young Crocker, and as he was 
 wont afterwards to say, he " could not have gone much quicker had 
 he been shot out of a gun." 
 
 Notwithstanding this character of authority, however, he was as 
 remarkable for tenderness of feeling, and for benevolence of the 
 most spontaneous and generous kind. 
 
 His death, which occurred in the second year of the operations 
 of. the Institution, cut off the opportunity for the exercise of his 
 strong individuality in the direction of the work thus newly inaugu- 
 rated, but there is evidence showing that the selection of the site was 
 largely determined by him. 
 
 Epaphroditus Seymour. 
 
 The third member of this first Board was Epahpro' Seymour, who 
 at the time of his appointment was cashier of the Bank of Brattle- 
 boro, and 5 1 years of age. The following testimony to his general 
 character is given by Hon. Charles K. Field : 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 283 
 
 " Mr. Seymour was eminently practical in all his views and opin- 
 ions, and of most excellent judgment. The public, particularly those 
 who were about to engage in new enterprises, reposing great confi- 
 dence in his superior financial ability, uniformly consulted him in 
 relation to their proposed investments, and were always controlled by 
 his opinions. His advice was always eagerly sought and adopted. 
 He constantly warned all who were inclined to engage in specula- 
 tions, against the folly and danger which was so alluring to a man 
 with a greed for wealth, and so dangerous to him when the money 
 of others is under his control. He begged of his friends to make no 
 investments but those that were perfectly legitimate and promised a 
 safe return. The community reposed the most implicit confidence 
 in his integrity. Before the adoption of Savings Banks and Trust 
 Companies in this State, large sums of money were intrusted to his 
 care and keeping, and in many cases with a simple minute noting 
 the amount, yet for the period of more than forty years not a whis- 
 per was ever breathed against his fidelity in the discharge of any 
 fiduciary engagement he had assumed. He was a generous-hearted 
 man to the poor and unfortunate, and kindly aided young men who 
 were struggling against adversity and poverty to obtain an educa- 
 tion, and qualify themselves for professional pursuits." 
 
 Such was the man who was elected treasurer of the Asylum funds, 
 and who filled the office from the organization of the Board in 1835, 
 till the election of Mr. Williston as his successor in 1841. He was a 
 man of positive character and strong in his likes and dislikes. He 
 often gave to young men sound and cautious advice. 
 
 An instance is related in which he sought an interview with one 
 since distinguished, and after referring to a recent event in the line of 
 his advancement, and remarking that "this, in his view, was but the 
 beginning," said, "I am an older man than you, and have perhaps 
 considered some things you have not yet had occasion to. I want 
 merely to say that when you meet a man and converse with him on 
 any subject, you can say anything to his face that it is proper to say 
 to a gentleman, and he will understand you just as you mean it ; the 
 circumstances attending contribute to his correct understanding of 
 you ; but if you go and write it, it may turn out that an entirely dif- 
 ferent construction is placed upon it from what you intended. There- 
 fore, I would advise you fo he very cai-eful what you put on paper y 
 
 John C. Holbrook. 
 
 John C. Holbrook was the fourth, and now only surviving mem- 
 ber of the orio^inal Board, and to him I am indebted for much of 
 
2^4 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 early history in detail. Under date of March ii, 1885, he writes: 
 "You are aware of the difficulties connected with the founding of 
 such an institution with so small a beginning as was provided for in 
 Mrs. Marsh's will, and especially when. three out of four of the orig- 
 inal Trustees were somewhat advanced in life, and all very cautious 
 business men. We had many long and anxious meetings, and the 
 fact that one of the Trustees was comparatively a young man [26 
 years], and of a sanguine and hopeful disposition, probably had an 
 important influence in deciding the case." 
 
 Again, under date of Nov. 3, 1886, he says. ''The announcement 
 by Mr. Keyes of our appointment took the four original Trustees by 
 surprise, and caused us to hesitate to undertake the founding of an 
 institution for the insane, as none of us had had any experience in 
 such work, nor had ever studied or thought on the matter. The task 
 of correspondence with persons abroad who were experienced and 
 interested in institutions for the insane, to gain information and 
 advice, devolved upon me, and involved considerable labor. My 
 father also [John Holbrook] and myself spent considerable time in 
 searching tor the best location for the Institution, and we personally 
 examined many sites. Then the question of a superintendent for 
 the Institution was a perplexing one ; but I believe we were provi- 
 dentially guided in securing Dr. Rockwell, whose careful manage- 
 ment and enthusiastic devotion to the enterprise, under God, secured 
 its remarkable success." 
 
 John C. Holbrook, during the period of his trusteeship, was a 
 prominent business man as well as public-spirited citizen. No man 
 was more prominent than he in all public enterprises, and at all 
 gatherings he was active and apt to seize and forcibly present the 
 strong points, which he grasped as by intuition, and with a ready 
 flow of language gave full and strong expression to. After his 
 retirement from the Board he went west, settling in Iowa, Here he 
 buried his wife and two remaining children (four in all) within a 
 brief period, which turned his thoughts toward the ministry for 
 which he prepared himself, and in which he has since distinguished 
 himself as a preacher, and now bears the title of D. D, He was 
 largely instrumental in the founding of Iowa College, of which he 
 was one of the original Board of Trustees. 
 
 Asa Keyes. 
 
 Judge Keyes was elected to fill the first vacancy in the original 
 Board, succeeding Dea. John Holbrook upon his decease in 1838. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 285 
 
 He was 51 years of age at this date, and held the office till 1874, 
 when he resigned on account of age and infirmities. He was longer 
 identified with the Institution than any of his colleagues, hav- 
 ing drawn up the will for Mrs. Marsh who founded the iVsylum, and 
 been subsequently employed by the original Trustees to procure the 
 charter as the testatrix stipulated should be done. 
 
 By profession a lawyer, his standing is thus attested by an emi- 
 nent colleague, Charles N. Davenport : 
 
 "Though not eminent as a jury advocate, he was a successful 
 practitioner, a good draughtsman, a skillful pleader, and the best 
 equity lawyer in Southern Vermont, if not in the whole State. His 
 Supreme Court briefs are models for other practitioners. He was 
 always listened to attentively by the courts, for he never talked unless 
 he had something to say. He was studious and painstaking, faithful 
 to his clients and honest with the Court. He was a good husband, 
 a kind father, and always faithful to every trust. He never attained 
 wealth. The income arising from the practice of his profession he 
 spent freely in his family, and gave generously to the church he 
 attended, to public objects, and to the poor and needy, as many 
 among them can testify." 
 
 As a Trustee of the Asylum it is difficult to see how he could 
 have been more judicious in counsel or more devoted in his interest. 
 He died in 1880, passing away at the close of a summer's day (June 
 4th) without illness, while quietly seated in his chair, at the advanced 
 age of 93. 
 
 Nathan B. Williston. 
 
 Mr. Williston came upon the Board in 1839, as the successor of 
 Mr. John C. Holbrook, who then resigned and removed from the 
 State. Mr. W. was all his life identified with the town of Brattleboro 
 as a business man, and filled the office of treasurer at the Asylum 
 for thirty-four years. He resigned in 1875, and died in 1883, at the age 
 of 86. He was very useful upon the Board as one of its building 
 committee for many years and in connection with the financial inter- 
 ests of the Asylum, from the practical view he habitually took of all 
 business affairs. 
 
 An obituary by Rev. Dr. Geo. L. Walker (his son-in-law) says, 
 " Mr. Williston w^as a man of retiring and modest disposition, though 
 of somewhat curt and brusque manners. He had a tender heart, 
 and many more were the recipients of his generous kindnesses than 
 ever the history of this world will know. In his religious life he was 
 
286 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 a man of naturally doubting, and even almost skeptical tendencies, 
 though a member of the Congregational church and one of its most 
 loyal supporters for over fifty years." 
 
 Jonathan Dorr Bradley. 
 
 J. Dorr Bradley, Esq., was elected to succeed Mr. Seymour as a 
 Trustee of the Asylum in 1847. Born in 1803, of an old Vermont 
 family (he was grandson of Stephen R. and a son of Wm. C. Brad- 
 ley), a graduate of Yale College in the class of 1822, and a lawyer by 
 profession, he entered upon this trust at the age of 44, and for the 
 remainder of his life served upon the Board with great efficiency, 
 and with both wisdom and zeal. Tributes to his memory, and expres- 
 sive of the estimation in which he was held by his co-trustees and 
 the superintendent, will be found in the record of 1863. 
 
 The estimation in which he was held throughout the State is 
 indicated in the following obituary notice from the pen of Hon. 
 E. P. Walton of Montpelier : 
 
 " It is with great sorrow that we record the death of this distin- 
 guished gentleman, at his residence in Brattleboro, Sept. 8, 1862. 
 We learn that he was taken severely ill with fever some three weeks 
 since, and that his disease made rapid progress until it quenched one 
 of the most cultivated intellects and genial hearts that our State has 
 produced. He had a discerning, rapid and comprehensive mind, an 
 elegant and varied culture. He was quick and ardent in his sympa- 
 thies, a lover of truth and justice, and a fervid hater of all shams 
 and hypocrisy. He was a member of the House of Representatives 
 for two years, in which the State House controversy was waged, and 
 and distinguished himself as a leader in debate in that most brilliant 
 conflict. If it had not been for his deafness, which prevented his 
 hearing all points of a discussion, no man that Vermont has pro- 
 duced would have surpassed him in debate in the halls of legislation. 
 But whatever might have been the qualities that fitted him for a 
 public career, he was most eminent in social and private life. His 
 rare store of information and culture was open to his friends, and he 
 had few equals in the genial exchanges and conversations of social 
 life. His reading was extensive and recherche, his memory was reten- 
 tive, his style of conversation was playful and captivating and always 
 appropriate to his theme. His perceptions were quick and vivid, 
 his illustrations apt and beautiful, and his whole air and manner 
 reminded us of the school of elder times in which he had his training. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 287 
 
 The death of such a man is a public calamity, and in common 
 with his nearer associates, neighbors and friends, we would lay a 
 small tribute of our high appreciation of his worth upon his fresh- 
 made grave." 
 
 Daniel Kellogg. 
 
 Hon. Daniel Kellogg was elected the successor of Mr. Bradley 
 in December, 1863. He was advanced in life at the time of his 
 election to this trust, but held the office until May, 1874, when he 
 resigned. He died the following year. May 10, 1875, ^t the age of 
 84 years. A lawyer by profession, and a resident of Windham 
 County for more than sixty years, the esteem in which he was held 
 is indicated in the following record of his public services : 
 
 He was for a few years State's Attorney for Windham Count}^, 
 and Judge of Probate for the District of Westminster, Secretary to 
 the old Governor and Council of Vermont during the administra- 
 tions of Governors Butler and Van Ness, U. 'S. District Attor- 
 ney for the State of Vermont for twelve years, during the adminis- 
 trations of Presidents Jackson and Van Buren, Adjutant and 
 Inspector General of the State, Representative'for the town of Rock- 
 ingham in the General Assembly, and State Senator for the County 
 of Windham for two years. In 1843, ^e was chosen President of the 
 State Constitutional Convention, and elected Judge of the Supreme 
 Court of the State from 1845 to 1852. After his retirement from the 
 bench he moved to Brattleboro, where he resided until his decease. 
 His wide and varied exjierience and extended acquaintance through- 
 out the State was of service to the Institution, and his connection 
 with the Board added to its strength, while his leisure enabled him 
 to interest himself actively in the mission and work of the Asylum. 
 Few men more fully sustained in personal appearance and bearing a 
 character for dignity, courtliness and integrity, than he ; he looked 
 all these, and commanded everywhere unreserved respect. In relig- 
 ion he was an Episcopalian ; in politics a Democrat. But his 
 patriotism, like that of the founders of the Republic when its exist- 
 ence was contested, governed his action to the exclusion of all other 
 considerations. The following ringing utterances are ascribed to 
 him in the dark days of the civil war : " I know of no other way 
 but to stand by the old flag ; come what may, all else is, with me, of 
 secondary ^consideration — my party, my church may perish, but save 
 the country." 
 
288 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 THE PRESENT BOARD. 
 
 EX-GOVERNOR Frederick Holbrook, the chairman, is now 
 the veteran Trustee, having been elected to succeed Judge 
 Samuel Clark, the chairman of the original Board, in 1852, 
 and having already had a continuous service of near 35 years. 
 
 Dr. William H. Rockwell was chosen to succeed Judge Daniel 
 Kellogg in 1874, and has been upwards of twelve years upon the 
 Board. 
 
 Hon. James M. Tyler was elected at the same time, as the suc- 
 cessor of Judge Asa Keyes. 
 
 Richards Bradley, Esq., was chosen to succeed Mr. Nathan B. 
 Williston, who resigned in 1875. 
 
 SUPERINTENDENTS. 
 
 DR. Wm. H. Rockwell, the first superintendent and the presiding 
 genius of the establishment for more than the average period 
 of a generation, was born in EastWindsor, Conn., Feb. 15, 1800. 
 He was a graduate of Yale in its collegiate course in 1824, and in the 
 medical department in 1831. The history of the Asylum for the 
 first thirty-six years of its existence, is the record of his life-work ; 
 and so far as the chronicler of these annals has been able to do it, is 
 faithfully portrayed. He came to the charge of the Asylum with an 
 experience of some seven years at the Hartford Retreat as the assist- 
 ant of Dr. Todd, and after the death of Dr. T. was for a number of 
 months in charge of the Retreat, and wrote the Report of the Insti- 
 tution for 1834. 
 
 It is difficult in this place to enlarge upon his signal career with- 
 out repetition. He entered upon his work in connection with the 
 Vermont Asylum with a determination to make it a success, that was 
 invincible. Throughout these annals the work of each year, and the 
 salient points in connection therewith illustrative of his strong self- 
 reliance and individuality, are set forth. His great financial and 
 executive ability require no enlargement. Many were the incidents 
 connected with the "days of small things" which he was fond of 
 recalling and relating in his later life. A single anecdote may here 
 be mentioned. 
 
 It was in the winter of the opening ; all the funds had been used 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 289 
 
 in the purchasing, remodehng and furnishing of the establishment, 
 and when the snow fell there was no suitable vehicle in which the 
 patients could be taken out to ride. The Doctor found where a 
 second-hand two-seated sleigh could be obtained at the moderate 
 price of $12. He stated the want to the treasurer, but that official 
 was out of funds, and advised that "'the outlay be avoided that sea- 
 son." The Doctor solved the problem by making the purchase on 
 his own account, and carrying it till the funds of the Asylum war- 
 ranted the treasurer in lifting it from the hands of the superin- 
 tendent. 
 
 A single case illustrative of the Doctor's professional sagacity 
 and judgment seems worthy of special mention. When, in 1859, the 
 writer became an assistant to Dr. R., one of the earliest cases falling 
 under his medical care was that of a gigantic Scotchman,* then in a 
 decline, and suffering from dropsical complications of which he soon 
 after died. 
 
 This man had been an inmate of the Asylum nineteen years. He 
 had been previously for several years kept in a cage, and cared for 
 by the lowest bidder annually. His insanity was originally caused 
 by bathing in cold water when overheated. He was brought to the 
 Asylum chained. It is related that on his arrival in Brattleboro he 
 particularly attracted the notice of a medical man from New York, 
 then stopping in town, from his immense stature and the strong 
 manner in which he was bound ; that he followed him to the Asylum 
 and saw with astonishment that the Doctor at once had his irons 
 removed, and manifested no apprehensions as to the risks. From 
 day to day he came to the Asylum to learn of the condition of the 
 madman, and when, after a month had elapsed, he saw him working 
 in the garden, his astonishment and admiration of the management 
 of the case knew no bounds. He returned to New York saying, 
 "he had found the place in which to treat lunatics, and the man to 
 do it." It may be added that from the time the patient commenced 
 working in the garden, it is a matter of record that he continued a 
 steady worker until stopped by his last illness. In the management 
 of this case we see a repetition of the act which made the name of 
 Pinel famous ; but no one who knew Dr. R. would venture to charge 
 him with having aped the distinguished Frenchman. The motives 
 leading to the apparently venturesome risk, if closely sifted, we 
 apprehend would be found identical. That a condition warranting 
 restraint had existed, would hardly be denied ; and in those days 
 chains were the approved means of restraint. But both recognized 
 
 *Duncan McDonald, Ryegate, Vt. 
 
290 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 that a stage had been reached in these cases, when the. harshness and 
 unrelenting rigor of such restraint might be safely dropped, and 
 other controlling means and influences be substituted and depended 
 upon. 
 
 By reference to the events of the year 1873, it will be seen that 
 the Doctor died at the Institution he had been so largely instrumental 
 in creating. A biographical sketch of his life was presented to the 
 Association of American Superintendents and published in their 
 transactions of 1874. Another was read before the State Medical 
 Society of Vermont, and published the same year. 
 
 A third was published in the History of Brattleboro, 1880, pre- 
 pared by Dr. E. R. Chapin, whose family relationship to him quali- 
 fied him most faithfully to compile. 
 
 I quote from this sketch that which refers especially to his 
 personal characteristics, domestic relations, and the closing scenes of 
 his useful life: 
 
 " In person. Dr. Rockwell was much above the ordinary height, 
 but of erect and well-proportioned figure. His head was large and 
 of fine shape, features regular, and countenance pleasing in expres- 
 sion. On May 10, 1872, as he was starting from his door, he was 
 thrown from his wagon with such force as to cause a fracture of the 
 neck of the thigh ; this, together with internal difficulties consequent 
 upon the shock to his nervous system, confined him to his bed until his 
 death, Nov. 30, 1873. Every day until his death, during his long 
 and painful illness, some of his patients came to see him, and it was 
 most interesting to witness them leaning over the form of the pros- 
 trate physician, and in their turn speaking words of encouragement 
 and sympathy. Encouraged and sustained he indeed was by their 
 presence and kind words, but in a way they knew not of, and cheered 
 by the thought that he had been of service to them, to humanity, 
 and to his adopted State, he died, as since early manhood he had 
 lived, in the hope of a blessed immortality beyond the grave. 
 
 " Of Dr. Rockwell's family, his wife, daughter and one son survive 
 him. His second son, a graduate of the U. S. Military Academy at 
 West Point, died in the service in 1868. Largely indebted for his 
 success to the Trustees of the Asylum, from whom he ever received 
 unswerving sympathy and support, and to the harmonious co-opera- 
 tion of those immediately associated with him, he was also in many 
 ways efficiently aided by his wife, who, though holding no official 
 position, devoted the greater part of nearly every day of her long 
 residence in the Institution to efforts to promote the comfort and 
 welfare of the insane." 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 291 
 
 Mrs. Rockwell's interest in the Asylum and affection for all con- 
 nected with it, continued through her life. Her rare qualities of 
 amiability, tact and culture were ever recognized, and among those 
 who were members of her own family by virtue of their official con- 
 nection with the Asylum during the long term of her husband's 
 superintendency, are still the common theme when in their subse- 
 quent meetings old-time reminiscences come up. x\like do ah thus 
 related to the family recognize the wonderful individuality, sagacity 
 and energy of the Doctor, and the rare combination of force and 
 influence the two together embodied and wielded. 
 
 She died at the residence of her son, in New York, Aug. 30, 1885. 
 Her funeral took place from the Asylum, whence she was borne to 
 her last resting-place in the village cemetery. 
 
 Dr. William H. Rockwell, Jr., was elected superintendent Aug. 
 19, 1872, but tendered his resignation Dec. 11, the same year, to 
 take effect whenever his successor should be secured, and be ready 
 to assume charge. 
 
 Dr. Joseph Draper was elected Dec. 11, 1872, and entered upon 
 service Feb. 16, 1873. 
 
 ASSISTANT PHYSICIANS. 
 
 DR. Chauncey Booth, acting assistant physician at the opening of 
 the Asylum (being then a medical student), filled the position 
 until 1841. He was born inCoventry, Conn., Sept. 21, 1816, and 
 died at Somerville, Mass., Jan. 12, 1858. At the time of his decease he 
 was in charge of the McLean Asylum, with which he had been connect- 
 ed some fifteen years, succeeding Dr. Bell in the superintendency in 
 1856. Between his service at the Vermont Asylum and that of the 
 McLean Asylum, he filled the position of assistant physician in the 
 Maine Insane Hospital for near three years, making a continuous 
 service of about twenty-one years in the specialty. 
 
 A memoir by Dr. Luther V. Bell, his predecessor and friend at 
 the McLean Asylum, was published in the Arrierican Journal of 
 Insanity, Vol. XIV, p. 394. All who knew him bear uniform testi- 
 mony to his rare fitness for the position he filled. 
 
 Dr. Samuel B. Low, the successor of Dr. Booth as the assistant 
 of Dr. Rockwell, filled this position for three years, 184 1-2-3. From 
 the Asylum he went to Suffield, Conn., where — as the successor of 
 Dr. Sumner Ives — he was held in high esteem. He was elected a 
 
292 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Judge of Probate in 1849, which office he held for one year. He 
 was also postmaster of the town for one year. In 1853, he sold his 
 home in Suffield and went west, to Ohio or Illinois, where he died 
 about i860. 
 
 Such are the facts gathered from a citizen of Suffield, who adds, 
 " His success here as a doctor was most marked, and his standing 
 excellent ; but he held an itching ear for the great West, and left 
 here an excellent practice." 
 
 Dr. Henry M. Harlow succeeded Dr. Low at the Vermont Asy- 
 lum. He was a native of Windham County, Vt., and a graduate of 
 the Berkshire Medical College, Mass., in the class of '43. He served 
 as an assistant to Dr. Rockwell in 1844, and was then appointed to a 
 similar position in the Maine Insane Hospital, of which he subse- 
 quently became superintendent. He is now living in retirement in 
 Augusta, Me. 
 
 Dr. David T. Brown, of Massachusetts, followed Dr. Harlow in 
 1845. He was a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, 
 New York, and on leaving the Vermont Asylum filled for a time the 
 position of assistant physician at the Utica Asylum, subsequently 
 being appointed Physician in Chief to the Bloomingdale Asylum, 
 which position he held for many years. He is likewise still living. 
 
 Dr. Francis A. Holman succeeded Dr. Brown in 1846. Dr. H. 
 was from Massachusetts, and was appointed to the Asylum service 
 from the Massachusetts General Hospital. He was four years con- 
 nected with the Asylum, and much liked by the inmates, and appre- 
 ciated by the management. On leaving the Asylum he engaged in 
 the service of the Pacific Mail Steamship Company between New 
 York and San Francisco, and ultimately settled in the latter city, 
 where he had an extensive and successful practice, and where he 
 died in 1884. 
 
 Dr. Oliver S. Lovejoy was the successor of Dr. Holman. He 
 was likewise a native of Massachusetts, graduating in medicine at 
 the college of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, in 1849. He 
 entered upon service at the Asylum at the close of that year, and 
 remained three years, when he married and en.gaged in general prac- 
 tice in Haverhill, Mass., where he has since resided, with the excep- 
 tion of three years (1871 to 1874), when he was superintendent of 
 the State Farm, Work House and Insane Asylum, at Cranston, R. I. 
 
 Dr. Barton W. Chase, of Springfield, Vt., succeeded Dr. Lovejoy, 
 and filled the office in 1853. He was a graduate of Dartmouth in 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 293 
 
 the collegiate course, class of '47, and of the Vermont Medical Col- 
 lege at Woodstock in 1850. He is now a resident of Detroit, Mich. 
 
 Dr. Henry M. Booth (a younger brother of Dr. Chauncey Booth, 
 the first assistant connected with the Asylum), followed Dr. Chase in 
 1854, and remained two years. He was a native of Connecticut, 
 born in 1826, and a graduate of the Woodstock Medical College, Vt. 
 He died at Garden Plain, near Albany, 111., where he had lived for 
 twenty-five years, and acquired a wide reputation as a skillful physi- 
 cian and wise counsellor. 'The following tribute to his personal 
 character is transcribed from a published obituary notice : 
 
 " A born gentleman, of commanding presence and pleasing 
 address, singularly affable and polite in his intercourse with others, 
 refined and cultivated in his manner and expression, he moved with 
 grace and ease in any work of life, readily adapting himself to any 
 circumstances or condition where professional duty called him. His 
 very presence in the sick chamber, so kind, gentle and unobtrusive, 
 with his acknowledged skill and ability as a physician, gave him a 
 large and lucrative practice. Few physicians ever so fully retained 
 the affections and confidence of their patients as Dr. Booth. Their 
 faith in his skill and medical knowledge was unbounded, and so long 
 as he could be reached no other was sought or accepted save on his 
 recommendation." 
 
 Dr. Edward R. Chapin was officially connected with the Asylum 
 as an assistant physician during the years of 1855-6-7. The son of 
 Mrs. Dr. Rockwell by her first marriage, he came to the Asylum as 
 a member of the family, at the opening of the Institution in 1836, 
 being then a youth of fifteen years of age. He was born in Salisbury, 
 Conn., Jan. i, 1821, and died in New York Dec. 7, 1886. An inci- 
 dent connected with the opening of the Asylum was always remem- 
 bered by him and often told. Dr. Rockwell had secured an attendant 
 of experience from the Retreat at Hartford, Conn., to be ready on 
 the opening day, but it chanced that the first patient admitted was a 
 female so that service of him as an attendant was not at once 
 required. With some reluctance he made himself useful, however 
 in the preparations being made for male patients, and in beginning 
 housekeeping on the family scale some potatoes were engaged at a 
 neighboring farm-house, and the attendant was asked to go for these 
 — which he flatly refused to do, saying "he was not hired for that 
 work." Young Chapin at once volunteered the service and soon 
 returned with a bushel basket of them upon a wheelbarrow, the first 
 ever used at the Asylum. 
 
&94 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Dr. Chapin entered Yale for a collegiate course in 1838, but was 
 obliged to abandon this after one year on account of some trouble of 
 his eyes. After his graduation in medicine at the Yale Medical 
 College, in 1842, he was appointed assistant physician at the Maine 
 Insane Hospital, at that time superintended by Dr. Isaac Ray, which 
 position he held for one year, 1843. He was then two years in 
 Bellevue Hospital, and subsequently for four or five years located in 
 practice in New York. In 1849 or '50 he went to California as sur- 
 geon on a Panama steamer, and remained for two years or more in 
 San Francisco, connected with a city hospital there, during which 
 period he improvised, in connection with the general hospital, the 
 first provision ever made in that State for the accommodation of the 
 insane. Returning, he was for a year or two in service as surgeon 
 upon Atlantic steamships, and in 1855 entered the specialty again, 
 this time permanently. From the Vermont Asylum he was, in 1858, 
 appointed Resident Physician to the Kings Co. Lunatic Asylum at 
 Flatbush, N. Y., which position he held for upwards of fifteen years. 
 
 In the winter of 1871, he was seized with pneumonia and barely 
 survived. Convalescence was protracted and the following winter 
 was spent by him in Europe. He returned impro/ed in health, but 
 resigned the following year, married, and henceforth retired from 
 professional life, usually spending the summer seasons in New Eng- 
 land, but seeking in winter the more genial climes of the Southern 
 States or California. In the Autumn of 1885, he went abroad with 
 his wife to spend the winter in Torquay. She died in Paris, June 
 1886, after a brief illness of double pleurisy, and the Doctor imme- 
 diately returned to this country with her remains for burial in Brat- 
 tleboro, her native place; but almost immediately after reaching New 
 York where he had arranged to spend the winter with the family of 
 Dr. Rockwell, and to live, he was attacked again with pneumonia, 
 which terminated his life in little more than a week. 
 
 Dr. John P. Clement succeeded Dr. Henry M. Booth and was 
 associated a§ the colleague of Dr. Chapin, upon the medical staff of 
 the Asylum in 1856-7. He was born in Chester, N. H., March 2, 
 1825. He was educated in Dartmouth College, class of '48, and 
 took his medical degree from the Vermont Medical College at Wood- 
 stock in 1854. After leaving the Vermont Asylum in the spring of 
 1858, he married and settled in practice in Wisconsin. He was 
 appointed to the superintendency of the State Hospital for the 
 Insane at Madison, in i860, resigning the charge in 1864, by reason 
 of ill health. He died June 19, 1873, having returned to Vermont 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 295 
 
 with the purpose, had his Hfe been prolonged, of engaging again in 
 his profession here. 
 
 A member of his family writes, " Such is the brief record of a 
 life which was long in suffering and struggle, for he was never well 
 after leaving college, and only those who knew him best realized 
 how manfully he bore up under difficulties and discouragements 
 which would have crushed a less brave spirit. After leaving Madi- 
 son he was never idle, although obliged to make many changes on 
 account of his health. He went frequently to Panama as surgeon 
 on a steamer, and more than once went to Europe in the same 
 capacity. During the war he was surgeon of a Western regiment for 
 a few months." 
 
 Dr. Franklin C. Weeks was an assistant physician for four years, 
 from the spring of 1858 to 1862. He was born in Chester, N. H., 
 November i, 1835, and graduated at Dartmouth Medical College in 
 the class of '58. After leaving the Vermont Asylum he filled for a 
 few months the like position at the Bloomingdale Asylum, when he 
 enlisted as assistant surgeon in the Fourteenth New Hampshire Vol- 
 unteers. In this service he continued until his decease, which 
 resulted from diphtheritic disease or malignant tonsilitis, at the 
 Hospital of the N. E. Relief Associations in New York, March 28th, 
 1864. He was attacked with the fatal malady as he was returning 
 from a furlough, to New Orleans, and his illness was of but a few 
 days' duration. 
 
 Dr. Weeks was remarkable for his affability, and by his obliging 
 disposition endeared himself to his patients. The writer, from an 
 official association with him of two and a half years, can bear testi- 
 mony to his devotion to professional duty, and his fondness for the 
 work of the specialty. 
 
 Dr. George M. Buffum, a native of Monroe, N. H., and graduate 
 of Dartmouth Medical College in '58, was associated with Dr. 
 Weeks as a co-assistant from the spring of 18^8, till the autumn of 
 1859. He was born January i8th, 1834, and died March 15th, 
 1862, in his native town, of consumption. He was of good profes- 
 sional ability, and had he lived, would doubtless have distinguished 
 himself as a successful practitioner. 
 
 Dr. Joseph Draper, a native of Massachusetts and a graduate of 
 the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, succeeded Dr. Buffum 
 and filled the position of an assistant physician for five years. 
 
 Dr. William H. Rockwell, Jr., graduate of the College of Phy- 
 sicians and Surgeons, New York, in class of '62, came upon the 
 
296 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 medical staff of the Asylum upon the retirement of Dr. Weeks, and 
 held the position of an assistant physician until his election to the 
 superintendency in 1872. 
 
 Dr. Nelson D. Rumsey followed Dr. Draper and was a colleague 
 of Dr. Rockwell, Jr., during the year 1865. Dr. Rumsey came from 
 Goshen, Orange County, N. Y, He was born in Monroe, N. Y., 
 March 13th, 1828, and with the exception of the year of his connec- 
 tion with the Vermont Asylum, always lived in his native countv. 
 He graduated at the Castleton Medical College, Vermont, in 1853. 
 He engaged in general practice after taking his degree, but a frail 
 constitution and consumptive tendencies obliged him to seek a more 
 regular and indoor life, and for several years preceding his appoint- 
 ment at the Vermont Asylum he was engaged in the drug business. 
 After leaving the Institution he travelled for a year or two for his 
 health, then married, and resumed his former business, until his 
 failing health obliged him finally to relinquish it. He died in his 
 native town February 7th, 1885. The testimony of those who knew 
 him best is, that "for one of such delicate physique, he was notable 
 for force, push, indomitable will and ambition, successful in business 
 and professional life, which was only laid aside when his bodily 
 strength failed him." 
 
 Dr. Edward B. Nims, of Sullivan, N. H., a graduate in medicine 
 of the University of Vermont in 1864, was appointed the successor 
 of Dr. Rumsey, and entered upon service at the beginning of 1866. 
 He was the colleague of Dr. Rockwell, Jr., until the end of 1868, 
 when he was appointed assistant physician at the Northampton 
 Lunatic Hospital of which he is now superintendent. 
 
 Dr. Daniel H. Lovejoy of Rindge, N. H., a graduate of Bowdoin 
 Medical College, Me., followed Dr. Nims, and was associated with 
 Dr. Rockwell, Jr., in the years 1869-70. He was born October i6th 
 1838, and died at Concord, Mass., February 17th, 1881. He was a 
 man of good professional acquirements, winning address, and pos- 
 sessed of some brilliant qualities, which, had he lived, would have 
 insured for him distinction in his profession. 
 
 Dr. Charles H. Tenney of Hartford, Vt., was selected to succeed 
 Dr. D. H. Lovejoy as second assistant physician in the early part of 
 1871. He was born February 21, 1830, and graduated from Dart- 
 mouth Medical College in 1858, also at the New York Medical Col- 
 lege in 1859. Besides a number of years' experience as a general 
 practitioner, he had a year's army experience in the civil war. In 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 297 
 
 August, 1872, upon tlie election of Dr. Rockwell, Jr. to the super- 
 intendency, he was promoted to the first assistancy, which position 
 he held to the time of his death at the Asylum April 23d, 1874, of 
 apoplexy. 
 
 A short memoir was published in the Transactions of the Vermont 
 Medical Society, 1874, from which I quote the following: "In 
 my inquiries I have failed to ascertain any specially notable 
 incidents in his life, but as one has expressed it 'the whole was so 
 made up of kind and worthy acts that no one prominent deed out- 
 shone all others.' His was the exemplification of a thoroughly 
 useful, consistent. Christian life, (roverned in everything by high 
 and uncompromising principle, yet painfully sensitive to the opinions 
 of others, no man was more truly benevolent and humane in his 
 feelings and no one more charitably disposed in his judgments of 
 others than he Firmness was a prominent trait, and conscientious- 
 ness a ruling principle of action. He was the last man to be 
 approached or influenced by sinister proposals in any way, and in 
 all his fraternal relations scrupulous and mindful of his obligations. 
 To the Institution with which he was connected as a medical officer 
 he brought superior qualifications. To his professional acquire- 
 ments were added mature judgment and social qualities of a high 
 order. In music he delighted, and many an hour was passed in 
 this indulgence with those under his professional charge, and many 
 in this way were undoubtedly drawn into nearer relations with him, 
 and realized more fully that he was in sympathy with them than 
 otherwise they might have supposed. He saw clearly the great 
 power of moral agencies in the treatment of the disordered mind, 
 and exerted himself to aid in every possible way in the diversions of 
 the inmates even at the cost of personal convenience and comfort. 
 Especially was this manifest during the last winter of his service, 
 when, notwithstanding his growing indisposition, he relinquished no 
 effort, but more than ever before studied the wants of those under 
 his care, and ministered to them with ever increasing assiduity and 
 conscientiousness." 
 
 Dr. John M. Clarke, a native of Vermont, and a graduate in med- 
 icine of the University at Burlington, was chosen to the position of 
 second assistant after the promotion of Dr. Tenney to the position 
 of first, in 1872, and upon the death of Dr. Tenney he was advanced 
 to the place of the latter, which he held until 1882. He has since 
 continued in the specialty, receiving and treating insane persons in 
 his own house at Burlington. 
 
298 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 Dr. Henry T. Whitney, of Lunenburgh, Mass., and likewise a 
 graduate of the University of Vermont, filled the position of second 
 assistant in 1874-5. He has since had charge of the Opium Asylum 
 and Medical Missionary Hospital in Foochow, China, in which 
 service he has been engaged for the past ten years. 
 
 Dr. Frank W. Spaulding, of Bingham, Me., a graduate from 
 Bowdoin College in 1872, and at the medical department of the 
 University of New York in 1875, followed Dr. Whitney and filled 
 the position in 1876-7. He has since resided and practiced in 
 Epping, N. H. 
 
 Dr. Olney W. Phelps, a native of Waitsfield, Vt., a graduate in 
 the Chandler Scientific course at Dartmouth College in 1873, also of 
 the Medical Department in class of '77, succeeded Dr. Spaulding at 
 the close of the year 1877, and held the office till the spring of 1882, 
 when he resigned to enter into general practice, and has since 
 resided at Bellows Falls. 
 
 Dr. Shailer E. Lawton, a native of Connecticut and graduate in 
 medicine of the University of Vermont, was appointed to succeed 
 Dr. Clarke in the spring of 1882, and still holds the position of first 
 assistant. 
 
 Dr. Edward French, a native of Iowa, and graduate of Dart- 
 mouth Medical College in 1881, was appointed to succeed Dr. 
 Phelps in 1882, and held the ofiice until the spring of 1884, when he 
 left to accept a similar position in the New Hampshire Asylum for 
 the Insane. 
 
 Dr. Lowell F. Wentworth, of Bridgewater, Mass., graduate from 
 Dartmouth Medical College, class of 'S^, .was elected the successor 
 of Dr. French in 1884, and held the office till the spring of 1885, 
 resigning to accept an advanced position in the Kansas Insane 
 Asylum at Topeka. 
 
 Dr. Willis E. Bowie, a native of Maine, and graduate in medicine 
 of Dartmouth, class of '84, succeeded Dr. Wentworth, and is still in 
 service. 
 
 APOTHECARIES. 
 
 THE office of apothecary, it will be seen in the foregoing annals, 
 was but irregularly filled and was practically abolished after 
 1856, a second assistant physician having been added to the 
 medical staff, also a business clerk. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 299 
 
 Many of the early assistants commenced as undergraduates 
 in medicine, and performed the duties connected with this office. 
 Dr. Henry M. Booth was the last of these, and held the position in 
 1845-6-7. 
 
 Jacob Catlin was elected apothecary in 1855. He was an 
 elderly man, in broken health, and died at the Asylum after about a 
 year's service. He was born and buried in Connecticut. 
 
 James Hunt was elected to succeed Jacob Catlin, in 1856, and 
 was the last incumbent of the office. 
 
 MATRONS. 
 
 MRS. Ann F. Wilkinson, the first matron, came from Connecticut 
 in the opening year of the Asylum, having had a previous 
 experience in the care of the insane, with Dr. Rockwell at 
 the Hartford Retreat. The following tribute to her faithful service 
 is taken from the Report of the Superintendent for 1842: 
 
 "It was a source of great regret that we must part with our 
 matron, Mrs. Wilkinson. She had devoted her energies to the best 
 interests of the Institution, with a zeal and prudence that is rarely 
 equalled. Being at once kind, humane, prudent, assiduous and 
 untiring in her efforts to promote the welfare of those committed to 
 her care, her resignation was much to be regretted by the friends of 
 the Asylum." 
 
 Mrs. Deborah K. Baker succeeded Mrs. Wilkinson in 1842, and 
 filled the office seven years, resigning in 1849. She was born in 
 Peru, Vt., but was a widow and living in West Brattleboro at 
 the time she was elected to her official position in the Asylum. On 
 her retirement she married the farmer of the Asylum, Mr. Shearer, 
 who likewise resigned his position at the same time. They went to 
 Michigan, where both are still living, she at the advanced age of 84 
 years. 
 
 Miss Abigail Rockwell, of East Windsor, Conn., was elected to 
 succeed Mrs. Baker, and held the office upwards of seventeen years. 
 She was a sister of Dr. Rockwell, and like him possessed of rare 
 executive qualities. She died in service, after a short illness of 
 pneumonia, Jan. 11, 1867, at the age of 68 years. Her decease is 
 very briefly chronicled in the Report of the Superintendent of that 
 year, and may be read in the annals of '67. Her lengthened period 
 of labor deserves further mention and comment. "Anything I could 
 
300 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 say concerning her faithful service would very likely be misconstrued 
 or misinterpreted," said Dr. Rockwell at the time, to the writer of 
 these pages, who can now speak from his personal official relation 
 with her from 1859 to 1865, and out of the full appreciation of her 
 rare qualities of mind and heart, and in the fullness of time. 
 
 It is indeed a grateful privilege to bear testimony to the worth of 
 a friend whose virtues have faded not in the lapse of a score of years. 
 It requires no effort of memory to bring her once more into our liv- 
 ing presence, and no stretch of imagination to see her again in the 
 steadfast performance of her unfailing round of duties. Few per- 
 sons were ever better fitted by natural endowment for the useful 
 position she came to fill. She embodied all the elements of a strong 
 character. To a sympathizing heart and ready hand were added the 
 Christian virtues, and the spontaneous promptings of humanity were 
 guided and governed by her religious convictions — strong and puri- 
 tanic, without bigotry. Hers was emphatically a Christian life, in 
 which precept and practice were ever consistently joined. She com- 
 manded both respect and affection. In person and presence she 
 exemplified the ideal matron. In figure somewhat stout, in counte- 
 nance benevolent, in g^ood sense and efficiency never wanting. 
 Dressed in matronly garb, lace cap and kerchief of spotless white, 
 and with the habitually worn spectacles, no one who ever knew her 
 can fail to recognize her. To this day her memory is cherished by 
 many of the older inmates of the Asylum, and it is no disparagement 
 to those who have succeeded her in ofiice, if they have failed fully 
 to fill in the hearts of these, her place. No one's work was ever more 
 unostentatiously performed. While the day lasted she was at her 
 post. When she lay down for her long rest, she had no cause to 
 reflect upon unperformed duties that might have been done. Hers 
 was a lifetime of duties each day fully rounded out. 
 
 Miss Frances M. Palmer, of Putney, Vt., succeeded Miss Abbie 
 Rockwell in 1867, and filled with efiiciency the duties of the office 
 for nine years. She was for six years previously in service as an 
 attendant. 
 
 Miss Mary Draper was elected matron in 1878 — having been 
 advanced from the position of superintendent's clerk — and held tlie 
 office for four years, making altogether a more or less continuous 
 service of nine years. 
 
 Miss H. K. lUcinche Gibson, at present in office, was promoted 
 from the position of chief attendant January i, 1884, having had a 
 previous connection with the Asylum of near five years. 
 
IN MEMORIAM. 301 
 
 FARMERS. 
 
 MR. James M. Shearer, of Coleraine, Mass., was the first 
 elected farmer under the By-Laws of 1845. He held the 
 office four years. 
 
 Warren E. Eason, of Leyden, Mass., was elected the successor of 
 Mr. Shearer in 1849, and held the office eight years. 
 
 Alanson Weatherhead, of Guilford, Vt., succeeded Mr. Eason in 
 1857, and held the office about five years, resigning on account of 
 failing health. He was born in Guilford March 27, 1824, and died 
 in Vernon April 9, 1862. 
 
 Ira X. Haywood, of Ludlow, Vt., was appointed to succeed Mr. 
 Weatherhead. He entered upon duty early in 1862, and gave near 
 twelve years of faithful labor, resigning in 1873. He died at Lud- 
 low Dec. 23, 1884, where he was born April 13, 1823. 
 
 Asa Gilkey, of Plainfield, N. H., was elected upon the resigna- 
 tion of Mr. Haywood, and held the office for thirteen years. 
 
 George W. Pierce, of Westminster, Vt. — the present farmer — 
 entered upon duty in August, 1886. 
 
 All the farmers, without exception, have been advanced from less 
 responsible situations in which they had proved themselves faithful 
 and capable. 
 
 STEWARDS. 
 
 THE office of steward, as will be seen by the Record of 1879, 
 is of recent creation. 
 
 Porter C. Spencer, of Brattleboro, was elected to this 
 position in August, 1879, having previously for two years and 
 upwards been employed as a business assistant or clerk. 
 
 It is impossible to pass in review those who, in the fifty years 
 past, have for longer or shorter periods filled non-official positions 
 in the Asylum. They number many hundreds, and constitute an 
 ever-changing throng, who, as they move in their orbit within this 
 little world, impress upon it — at least in a general way — a character 
 that from time to time is reflected upon the outer world in light or 
 shadow, as the case may be. The record of the six thousand patients 
 treated, affords material for much elaboration which cannot be 
 entered upon here. It embraces all grades of social status, and 
 all forms of mental disorder. As in the world at large there are 
 .individual celebrities, so here there are notables — a few of whom 
 have found mention in the annals here recorded. 
 
302 ANNALS OF THE VERMONT ASYLUM. 
 
 With the close of the first fifty years, we lay down the pen, but 
 there is no pause in the work ; — already we have passed into the 
 second half-century, the story of which will be told by another 
 chronicler. 
 
 'Like shadows gliding o'er the plain, 
 Or clouds that roll successive on, 
 Man's busy generations pass ; 
 And, while we gaze, their forms are gone, 
 
 'He lived, — he died : ' behold the sum, 
 The abstract, of the historian's page I 
 
 Alike in God's all-seeing eye 
 
 The infant's day, the patriarch's age. 
 
 'O Father, in whose mighty hand 
 The boundless years and ages lie 1 
 
 Teach us thy boon of life to prize, 
 And use the moments as they fly ; 
 
 'To crowd the narrow span of life 
 
 With wise designs and virtuous deeds : 
 
 So shall we wake from death's dark night. 
 To share the glory that succeeds." 
 

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