Page:American journal of insanity volume 1.djvu/14

2 The Managers have the general direction and control of all the property and concerns of the Institution, appoint the Superintendent and Treasurer, and upon the nomination of the Superintendent, appoint the Assistant Physician, Steward, and Matron, all of whom, with the exception of the Treasurer, constantly reside at the Asylum, and are designated the Resident Officers of the Asylum. They are as follows:

AMARIAH BRIGHAM, M. D., Superintendent and Physician.

HORACE A. BUTTOLPH, M. D., Assistant Physician.

CYRUS CHATFIELD, Steward.

CHATFIELD, Matron.

EDMUND A. WETMORE, Treasurer.

Although this is a State Institution, and the first established by the Legislature for the exclusive care of the insane, it would be wrong to infer that the State of New York had not, until this period, made liberal appropriations for the relief of this unfortunate class of her citizens. The New York Hospital, in the city of New York, one of the oldest charities in the country, was opened for the reception of patients in 1791, and apartments were then appropriated to lunatics. But few, however, were admitted for several years, as twelve years after it was opened, only 215 insane patients had been admitted. Their accommodations were not, however, good, as the apartments assigned them were in the basement story of the main building.

In 1802, "A plan was in agitation to adapt the hospital more exclusively to the accommodation, management, and cure of lunatics," and an act of the Legislature passed in 1806, granting the sum of $12,500 annually, until the year 1857, enabled the Governors of the Hospital to erect a new building for the insane. This building, now the Marine Department of the New York Hospital, was opened for the admission of insane patients in 1808, and was occupied as a Lunatic Asylum for thirteen years.

The progress of improvement in the construction of Lunatic Asylums, and in the care of the insane, is well illustrated by reference to some notices of this building, published at the time of its