On the Lunatic Asylums in the United States. 61 



ate apartments in the hospital for patients of that description. 

 The building, however, not being designed for such a purpose, 

 the accommodations were found to be extremely inconvenient and 

 inadequate, and as the applications for their admission con- 

 stantly increased, it was resolved in 1806, if the legislature would 

 lend its aid for that purpose, to erect a separate building, to be 

 exclusively appropriated to the reception of that unfortunate class 

 of beings. 



The application proved successful, and a building denominated 

 the " Lunatic Asylum," was immediately erected in the vicinity 

 of the Hospital. This edifice contained 64 rooms, and could ac- 

 commodate about 70 or 75 patients. It was opened on the loth 

 of July, 1808, under the medical superintendence of Archibald 

 Bruce, M. D. 



By an act of the legislature the proper officers in a city or coun- 

 ty were allowed to contract with the governors of the hospital, for 

 the care and maintenance of any pauper lunatic under their respec- 

 tive jurisdictions, and accordingly many have, from time to time, 

 been sent to it from various parts of the state. 



The "Asylum" continued to be the only public institution in 

 this state for the reception of lunatics, until the year 1821, when 

 the * 4 Bloomingdale Asylum" was completed. The history of 

 this we shall hereafter notice. 



Dr. Bruce continued physician until 1817, when Dr. William 

 Handy was appointed. He was succeeded in 1819 by Dr. John 

 Nielson. 



We now proceed to give a detailed account of the numbers ad- 

 mitted and discharged. 



