Since the last few days have seen a few questions re Stockton St. Hosp., I thought to repost this from Su. With thanks again for all the work she did. I've a large folder of her extracts from Hutching's Mag., some great insights on early CA history. Phil pvc@vancamp.org . ----- Original Message ----- From: Su Jacobsen <sujac@pipeline.com> To: <NORCAL-L@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2000 8:39 AM Subject: Stockton Insane Asylum - Hutchings Magazine > The following was extracted form Hutchings' California Magazine of September > 1859: > > If any person would fully realize the untold blessedness of a sound mind, > let him pay at least one visit to the Asylum for the Insane. The vessel > that left our port but yesterday with every timber sound and every rope and > sail in order, her captain skillful and her crew able seamen, spreads her > canvas to the breeze and rides in majesty past the rocky shores of the > Golden Gate and out to sea,may, even then the pilot is at the helm, and > after braving in safety many a storm, strike some unknown and unexpected > reef and become a total wreck. How very often is it thus with the human mind? > > A few days ago we visited the Asylum which the State has provided for the > unfortunately afflicted. > > The building is in the suburbs of the city of Stockton, about 3/4 mile NE of > the steamboat landing. It poses a very inviting and exterior. The > beautiful flower and luxuriant foliage of its well laid out and cleanly kept > ground- the work of the patients themselves, tend to relieve it of that > repulsiveness which many very naturally feel when visiting such an institution. > > We had scarcely rang the bell and shown into a sitting room on the left of > the entrance, when the resident physician, Dr. Aylett offered to escort us > to see for ourselves the various phases of the minds diseased. > > But, as the Doctor was called away, while he is absent, will relate to the > reader that Capt. C. M. Weber of Stockton, donated 100acres of land to the > State for this purpose. May 15, 1854, and act was passed and appropriations > made by the State Legislature, establishing the asylum. About 20 acres are > in heavy cultivation, from which an ample supply of vegerables are obtained. > As there are about 1500 fruit grees, fruit will be obtained next year in > abundance. > > The buildings are commodius and conveniently arranged. The main structure > is 70' square and 3 stories high, to which 2 wings have been added of the > same height, each 100' long. There are 2 large yards, male and female > inclosed by a 12' wall at the lowest grade line. > > Management is entrusted to a Board of 5 Trustees, appointed by the > legislature, who discharge their duties without compensation, and whose > terms expire in 1861. Dr. William D. Aylett is the resident Resident > Physician at $5000.00 per annum. Dr. Thomas Kendall is Visiting Physician > at $3000.00 per annum. > > As we walk the first floor, we cannot determine if the large porportion of > men walking around or engaged in employment were patients or employees. Our > guid stated that they were patients of the milder tyle. > > In the yard, some were sitting in the shade of a tree, playing games like > "Fox and Geese". Others looked on. There was a wooden town and a 7000gal. > water tower into which water is pumped by steam power and distributed to > pipes throughout the buildings. There is also a dining room and hot and > cold baths for the nem who are required to bathe once a week, some twice a > week, and others every day, just as their case requires. > > >From the yard we reenter the building and examine the storerooms, > kitchen-range, and other apartments on the ground floor. Then we ascended > the second story. The corridors were divided into several compartments by > stong lattice work, the doors of which were kept locked. The patients here > had a more malignant form of the disease and, although a few were occupied > in some useful or amusing activity, a large portion were wandering up and > down, talking to them selves, others, as though glad to see strange faces, > sought us for their auditors. > > We often heard our name several times pronounced by different persons with > the inquiry "Don't you know me, Mr. ______?", and for some of those, too, > whom we had known under very prosperous circumstances, several long, long, > years ago. How Change, Disappointment, and Misfortune sometimes do their > work! We noticed, too, that although their hands were extended to us in > warmth and kindness, and their faces were lighted up with a gleam of > brightness, it was but momentary. > > >From this point, we passed the female department, and which was as cleanly > kept as that of the males. Here, one woman, who had passed the prime of > life, was engaged in working a sampler, on which a rude attempt was made to > give it the resemblance of a planet, under which she persisted she had been > born; some nodded and smiled; others looked solemn and melancholy; others, > again, were sewing and knitting, and reading. > > It is a depressing sight, indeed, to witness either man or woman, when > reason is dethroned; but it is a wise provision of the State that such > should be well cared for, and by kind and suitable treatment, both physical > and mental, restored to their former sanity. > > The most prolific causes of insanity, we regret to learn, are masturbation > and intemperance, especially the former; next to these, want of chastity and > incontinence is another very productive source of this malady; to these add > physical debility, loss of property, disappointment in love, puerperal > fever, spiritualism, religious excitement, epilepsy, fright, and various > other evils, both mental and physical. > > The number of patients under treatment in this institution are 280 males and > 66 females. > > Extracted by Su Jacobsen > > >