history, briefly sketched, of this growth, and what is the outlook? The fact may not be known to the profession at large, that the first hospital for the homoeopathic treatment of the insane in the world was a private institution. It was situated at Margarettsville, N. Y., and was owned by Dr. Hilon Doty. The first printed notice of his place was made twenty-four years ago in the Transactions of the New York State Homoeopathic Medical Society for 1868.* It appears, in connection with the report by the secretary of the society of an effort to obtain the appointment, by the Legislature, of a commission to locate a State homœopathic asylum. That first attempt failed, and no commission was appointed; but a year later, April 28, 1869, the "Margarettsville Retreat for the Insane" was incorporated, with a long list of trustees and medical councillors, with the evident intention of accomplishing by private means what had failed of State patronage. It appears that Dr. Doty treated about thirty patients at his Retreat during the few years prior to the time when, in the autumn of 1869, failing health obliged him to discontinue his work. The history of the whole movement demands that due emphasis be laid at this point upon the fact that Dr. Hilon Doty was the first man in the world's history to open a hospital for the homoeopathic treatment of the insane.

The next step was taken by Dr. George F. Foote, who issued a circular, December 1, 1869, asking for subscriptions of money for the erection of a hospital for the insane. Middletown was finally chosen, providing the town contributed $50,000 as an inducement for locating there. Dr. Foote's plan was to establish neither a private asylum nor a State institution, but a corporation on the model of the Bloomingdale Asylum in New York, or the McLean Asylum in Massachusetts. This plan was opposed by the Albany County Homoeopathic Society, and others, and the original intention of a State asylum was maintained. One year later, April 28, 1870, the New York State Homœopathic Asylum for the Insane was incorporated, and $150,000 appropriated by the State, on condition that an equal amount should be obtained by private. subscription before receiving any of the State aid. This requirement was unfair, and it was insuperable; and in 1871 the charter was amended, permitting the use of certain sums for building in advance of the total subscription. Construction was then commenced at once, and the world's first State homoeopathic hospital for the insane became a visible reality.

For the sake of historical completeness, a moment's digres

Page 32.

+ Transactions N. Y. State Hom. Med. Society, 1869, p. 411.

Ibid, p. 424.

sion should now be made. It is a step I have hesitated about taking, for obvious reasons, but one where the proprieties must give way to a statement of facts. To one man more than any other is due the credit of the establishment of the Middletown asylum and the inception of this whole movement of securing State homœopathic hospitals, and that man is Dr. Horace M. Paine. His hand is evident in the membership of the commission of 1868 for locating a site. It is shown again in 1869, in the incorporation of the Margarettsville Retreat. And again in 1870, when the enterprise had secured the coöperation of most of the leading physicians and the energetic efforts of Dr. Foote, his hand appears once more in the change made, from the private corporation that was planned to the State hospital chartered for the people of the whole commonwealth, and for the poor as well as the rich. It is this pioneer work in New York which has made possible, or at least has smoothed the way, for similar successes in other States. But even in 1870 the charter might not have been obtained in that year had not the omnipotent man of the time become interested and nodded his approval. That man was "Boss" Tweed.

Upon the completion of the main building, the Middletown asylum was opened by appropriate ceremonies in June, 1874, although patients had been admitted some months previously. Dr. Henry R. Stiles was the superintendent at the time, and continued to fill that office until 1877, when, in May of that year, he was succeeded by the present superintendent, Dr. Selden H. Talcott. Under his well-known and able management the hospital has become famous the world over for its uniformly high recovery rate and its low mortality. The results of treatment at Middletown have always been the starting point for appeals to legislatures in other States for similar institutions, and they are appended as table A. Its buildings have steadily increased in number and value, and its insane population now numbers between 800 and 900. In spite of its great prosperity efforts have been made by certain State officials, during the past three years, to limit its usefulness; but the fight is still in progress, and without doubt our parent institution will retain the rights granted to it by its charter.

Another asylum in New York State has often been regarded as a homoeopathic institution. That is the one at Binghamton. It is true that Dr. Theodore S. Armstrong, the superintendent from July 1, 1880, until his death, December 27, 1891, was a homoeopathic physician; but the charter was not in favor of homœopathy, nor were the trustees adherents of our school, and the assistant physicians, together with the present superintendent, are allopaths.

It is singular that the next institution should offer a parallel to the Binghamton situation. The Michigan Asylum for Dangerous and Criminal Insane, at Ionia, was chartered in 1883, and opened for patients in 1885. There was no provision for homoeopathic treatment; but the superintendent, from the beginning, Dr. Oscar R. Long, is a homoeopath. The treatment has always been homoeopathic, and therefore the results are appended as table C. But the asylum cannot be regarded as a permanently homoeopathic institution until the charter is amended and the present treatment continued by legal obligation. Further than this, in making comparisons of results, Ionia cannot be regarded as a hospital, because it is only for criminals, and not for the community at large. Its showing, however, is especially praiseworthy, for the criminal insane do not afford so good material for hopeful treatment as the ordinary, law-abiding population.

Before leaving Michigan and its institution, a digression should be made to the one at Traverse City. It is known as the Northern Michigan Asylum for the Insane. During its construction, in 1883, "the legislature passed an act authorizing the board of trustees to appoint a homoeopathic physician as superintendent, it being then in course of construction. In 1885, when the time came to appoint, the board offered the position to one who declined the office, and, as none of the other applicants were acceptable, and the word authorized used in the act is not mandatory, they selected a superintendent who is not a homoeopath." This incident is worth recording, because it is unique in the history of hospitals, and because it is a warning to others of the necessity of great care in the selection of words for a charter.

The next State to give an institution to the homoeopaths was Massachusetts. The movement originated with Dr. Samuel Worcester, in 1880, when he read a paper * before the State Homœopathic Medical Society in its advocacy. He had previously urged the same step in June, 1873, in April, 1874, and again in April, 1879; but it was not until his fourth attempt that favorable action was taken by the State society, which appointed a special committee, with Dr. I. T. Talbot as chairman and Dr. Worcester and others as members. † By a petition of a large number of the best citizens of the State, by hearings before legislative committees, and by other methods, all being directed by the persistent and skilful chairman of the committee, a charter was obtained June 3, 1884, establishing the Westborough Insane Hospital. The buildings previously occupied by the *New England Med. Gazette, Feb., 1881.

+ New England Med. Gazette, Nov., 1881.

Dr.

State Reform School were transferred to the hospital, and $150,000 appropriated for making the necessary changes. N. Emmons Paine was appointed superintendent in May, 1886, continuing in that position until February, 1892, and was succeeded by Dr. George S. Adams. The buildings were opened for patients December 1, 1886. Its capacity is four hundred patients, but over five hundred and forty have recently been crowded within its walls. A table of statistics of all the Massachusetts hospitals for the last five years is appended, B. The last of the State institutions is that in Minnesota, at Fergus Falls, known as the Third Minnesota Hospital for the Insane. The details of its organization not being at hand, it has been impossible to sketch, even hastily, that interesting period. It was opened July 29, 1890, and has one hundred and forty-four patients, with accommodations for one hundred and sixty, which will be increased shortly to three hundred and twenty-five. Dr. Alonzo P. Williamson, the superintendent, assumed office in May, 1890. Its first year's record is appended as table D.

These, then, are the three State hospitals established for the homœopathic treatment of the insane-Middletown, Westborough, and Fergus Falls; and Ionia may be added so long as it remains under a homoeopathic superintendent. The total number of patients now in these four hospitals is nearly seventeen hundren (1680).

Let us now consider the private hospitals for the insane under homœopathic management.

The first one, Dr. Doty's, at Margarettsville, N. Y., has been described already.

The second was that of Dr. George F. Foote, established at Stamford, Conn., after leaving the Middletown asylum, and which was in existence only a few years.

At the present time the oldest private homoeopathic hospital is "Dungarthel," the property of Dr. Henry S. Stiles, the former superintendent of the Middletown asylum. It was opened in July, 1887, is situated on Lake George, at Hill View P. O., N. Y., and is licensed for six patients.

Drs. J. T. Greenleaf and Edward E. Snyder are the owners of Glenmary Home, at Oswego, N. Y. It has been in operation since 1889, and is licensed to care for thirty patients.

Dr. White's Private Homoeopathic Insane Asylum at Sandwich, Mass., was opened by Dr. G. E. White, in October, 1891, and accommodations are offered for nine patients.

Dr. Amos J. Givens opened his private hospital, Stamford Hall, Stamford, Conn., January 1, 1892. He now has accommodations for twenty-two patients.

The Newton Nervine, at West Newton, Mass., owned by Dr.

N. Emmons Paine, received its first patient February 1, 1892, and can care for seven mildly-insane or nervous invalids.

We have now considered the existing hospitals, both public and private. Let us see where our school is making efforts for the establishment of new institutions.

The first State in point of time is Pennsylvania. There are already five large hospitals within its borders - at Norristown, Harrisburgh, Danville, Warren, and Dixmont - besides the large semi-private corporations at Philadelphia and Frankford.

There is still need, however, of another hospital, and the next one should be ours. Homœopathy is strong in Pennsylvania. There are more physicians of our school in one city than in whole States where our brothers are already securing their rights. The profession is standing on a solid foundation of colleges, journals, hospitals, and dispensaries, with patrons possessed of marvellous wealth. All that is needed now is union and coöperation, and another magnificent institution will surely result. An array of facts and arguments in favor of a hospital was most ably presented by the president of the State Society, Dr. Hugh Pitcairn, in his official address to its members, September 18, 1888. So far as I can learn, no active interest has been taken in the matter since that time; but the feeling is prevalent that a new activity is imminent, and that hopeful results are anticipated during the coming year.

In looking for the next outcropping of the demand for medical rights we shall discover that it appeared in the extreme East, the State of Maine. Dr. A. I. Harvey writes that the legisla ture appropriated money in 1888 "for the purpose of buying the necessary real estate on which to build an insane asylum in Bangor. The land was bought and plans made for the new institution, and it was expected that the appropriation for buildings would be made at the last session of the legislature, 1890-91. At that time the homoeopathic physicians of this State, through a committee appointed for that purpose, applied to the legislature for the control and management of the new asylum. The result was that the legislative committee granted leave to the petitioners to withdraw, and the legislature refused to make any appropriation for buildings whatever, so that the matter remains in statu quo. Our society is united in the movement, and we shall take steps to lay the matter fully before the public before the next session, and we hope to be successful. We have about one hundred physicians of our school in this State, and the population by the last census was about six hundred and fifty thousand." These efforts in Maine are certainly bold, and deserving of success. The State contains only one insane hospital at present, that in Augusta; and if our school can secure the new one at