In my regular message to the general assembly in December, I called attention to the great increase from year to year in

se institutions. A statute was enacted by the last legislature tructing the governor to appoint a commission, to be comsed of three learned and expert physicians, to examine and quire "whether or not any different system of laws ought to enacted as to the admission of patients into the various asyns of the Commonwealth; and also, whether there are patients said asylums who should not be confined therein as insane rsous." In obedience to this statute, I appointed a commison, composed of Dr. Parker, of Richmond, Dr. Wiley, of Salem, nd Dr. McIlwaine, of Petersburg, to make an examination and port the results of their investigations. These gentelmen have ade a careful examination of the asylums, and have prepared nable report of the facts ascertained by them, a copy of which ill accompany this message, with various suggestions to remedy he evils which they have discovered. They find all of the asyums well managed, and the "bodily health of the patients remarkable." Of the whole number, 2,044, not more than twenty were found in bed. The commission speaks in terms of admiraion of the organization and management of each of the asylums.

In my message above referred to, I commented upon certain defects in the present law, and the evil results connected with it, and advised a change. In this view the committee and all of the superintendents concur. I will examine the law as it now exists, and point out some of its defects.

The Code of 1887, section 1669, declares that when "Any justice who suspects any person in his county or corporation to be a lunatic, shall issue his warrant ordering such person to be brought before him. He and two other justices shall inquire whether such person be a lunatic, and for that purpose summon his physician (if any) and any other witnesses." All this takes place in the county or city, and may be in private, and no doubt it is in general, and there is no record kept of the proceedings. The number of witnesses necessary to convict a party of lunacy and what evidence is required, the law does not declare. Suppose the party has no physician, the statute does not require one to be sent for, or to be present, nor does it require that there should necessarily be any witness present. The statute then says that these three justices shall inquire whether such a person be a lunatic. There is no demand that any witnesses shall be present at the time of the examination, or if present that they shall Sworn, or that they shall be examined after they are sworn. Suppose the evidence shows that the party is not a lunatic, but

an idiot th

and they will see that an insane person "may be an idiot, lunatic, non compos or deranged," and under a misconception of their duties, the idiot may be sent to the asylum as a lunatic, which is expressly forbidden by statute, (See Code of Virginia, page 441,

section 1681.)

It rarely ever happens, I am informed, that a party is refused admittance into an insane asylum after the justice has passed upon the question of his lunacy; or that an idiot is ever returned to the county or city from which he is sent under a mistaken idea. of the law, as the statute requires, but they are received, both the lunatic and the idiot, at the expense of the State, when in fact lunatics are a charge upon the State (which is entirely right), but the idiots are a charge upon the counties or cities, if they are not able to support themselves. This is also proper, but it is contrary to the law to admit idiots into the asylums, or to keep them there. The law requires that an idiot shall be sent back to his home, and the cost of removing him shall be a charge on his own estate, if he has any; if not, it shall be paid by the county or city from which he has been sent.

LUNATICS AND IDIOTS SHOULD NOT BE KEPT TOGETHER IN ASYLUMS.

First. Because there is no law for it. Without going into the question of the danger and the evil results of such a system, which are obvious, and the disagreeable nature of the association of the harmless idiot and the fierce and dangerous lunatic, this question I will leave to the discussion of doctors and experts, and will only discuss it as a question of economy. In my judgment, and for the sake of economy in expenditures as well as of comfort to the patient, there should be a change in the present system. A lunatic is one who has mind, but no reason; that has been dethroned, and there is nothing to guide his judgment or restrain his passions. He has mind sufficient to hate and to love; he is filled with delusions and is excitable, vindictive, and dangerous. The idiot is without mind, timid, docile, tractable, and harmless-to be made comfortable is all that he wants. The lunatic, in consequence of the above-mentioned traits, must be made secure, or he will do irreparable damage. It is necessary, therefore, that the place in which he is confined shall be as strong as a prison; he must be closely watched and strictly guarded. The cost of a proper place to make him secure is great as compared with the house which is sufficient to shelter the idiot and make him comfortable. A cheap building, not a prison, is sufficient; no guard is necessary, only a few faithful attendants

hers in five or six years, and it may be fairly inferred that they ll never do so.

The very able superintendent of our Western asylum, whose eport I take pleasure in commending to you, says: "In this intitution we have many indigent patients who have been here a great many years. Since their admission they have lost wife, children and friends; they have been broken up and the habit of exertion for their own support lost, with no one to care for them outside of an asylum. They are harmless and to all appearances sane, and could get along, perhaps, in the world had they kind friends and relatives to take care of them. Should we discharge them and turn them upon the cold charity of the world, with no one to love them and no means of support? I think not." I agree with the superintendent. We are under a moral obligation to take care of these unfortunate people, since we have kept them so long that their friends are all gone, and they have lost the habit of exertion for a support. But should not this teach us a lesson as business men, acting as agents of the State, and not let this condition of things continue? They should, however, be transferred from the asylums for the insane to comfortable quarters, which should be called homes, not asylums. They should not be shut up within iron doors and grated windows, nor should it be necessary to have the premises surrounded by a strong guard, but the place in which they are held should have all the comforts and the surroundings of a pleasant home. Everything necessary to make them comfortable should be provided-a nice yard for their exercise, and a garden for them to tend, and for their amusement, and a workshop in which they might do something useful to lighten the burden on the State. These homes should be kept up until all those we now have confined in the asylums, as lunatics, have been removed by death or their friends. These harmless persons no doubt are idiots or imbeciles in great. part, and can be taken care of at a much less cost to the State. The lunatics who are dangerous should be confined in one of the strongest asylums and there safely kept, and the harmless idiots and imbeciles should be taken care of at the other asylums at a greatly reduced cost per capita, and a large number of attendants discharged at a saving of not less than fifty or seventy-five thousand dollars annually. Vide report of commissioners.

THE EXPENSE ACCOUNT.

The pay-roll amounts to about thirty-three per cent. of the entire cost of maintaining these institutions. If you reduced the number of attendants you would greatly reduce the expense,

and you would be able to crowd the harmless persons together more closely than you can the lunatics, and in that way you would be able to find a home for all those who are confined in the various jails of the Commonwalth. Thus the expense would be greatly reduced and the comforts increased. It costs about $150 per annum for each person in the white asylums. I am informed that at a well organized and well managed almshouse, the inmates can be cared for and made just as comfortable at a greatly reduced expense; indeed, that they could be taken care of and made comfortable at an expense of $75 per annum, which is about one-half of what it now costs to take care of the lunatics in our asylums.

At the penitentiary they have about 1,400 inmates; they have one physician. I hear no complaint of overwork on the part of the surgeon, and I hear no complaint from the superintendent of inattention. I do not see why one physician would not be sufficient for each of the homes in which idiots and imbeciles are confined. He would have no more to do than the surgeon at the penitentiary with its 1,400 inmates. It will thus be seen from these facts that there is an opportunity to make an immense reduction of the large amount of money now expended in providing comfortable places for the insane.

THE REMEDY.

The party who is suspected of lunacy should be examined in a court of record, and by a judge learned in the law, and with the assistance of the attorney for the Commonwealth. The questions which will come before him for decision are often delicate and difficult. When there is doubt he should have the power to empanel a jury to assist him. Persons have been sent to asylums as lunatics when they are not lunatics, the result of ignorance it may be, or of malice. The law should be so framed that a mistake of this kind would not be possible, and if the decision is prompted by malice, the punishment should be exemplary. This is a serious charge, and should be clearly and fully proven, before the party is adjudged a lunatic. See the consequences-if he is a lunatic he is deprived of all his civil rights; he ceases to be the head of his family and has not the power to control it; he has no right to vote; guardians are appointed for his children and a committee takes charge of his estate. He is deprived of his liberty and becomes the inmate of a prison, and yet he has had no trial, no counsel, no court of record to show what wrong he has suffered; perhaps confronted with no witnesses and the unfortu has had only a private examination accorded him,