selves, and such
as would suit us were we providing for ourselves, with the knowledge
we have of the needs of this affliction, pending its approach to us.

That his home should be as unirritating and restful to him as possible
it should be unprison-like always, and only be an imprisonment when
the violent phases of his malady imperatively demand restraint.
An hour of maniacal excitement does not justify a month of chains.
Mechanical restraint is a remedy of easy resort, but the fettered
man frets away strength essential to his recovery. Outside of asylums
direct restraint is often a stern necessity. It is sometimes so in
them, but in many of them and outside of all of them it may be greatly
diminished, and asylums may be so constructed as to make the reduction
of direct restraint practicable to the smallest minimum. Direct
mechanical restraint for the insane, save to avert an act of violence
not otherwise preventable, is never justifiable. The hand should never
be manacled if the head can be so influenced as to stay it, and we
should try to stay the hand through steadying the head.

Every place for these unfortunates should provide for them ample room
and congenial employment, whether profitable to the State or not, and
the labor should be induced, not enforced, and always timed and suited
to their malady. A variety of interesting occupations tends to divert
from delusional introspection.

Most institutions attempt to give their patients some occupation, but
State policy should be liberal in this direction.

Deductions are obvious: Every insane community of mixed recent and
long standing cases, or of chronic cases exclusively, should be a
home, and not a mere place of detention. It should be as unprison-like
and attractive as any residence for the non-criminal. It should have
for any considerable number of insane persons at least a section
(640 acres) of ground. It should be in the country, of course, but
accessible to the supplies of a large city. It should have a central
main building, as architecturally beautiful and substantial as the
State may choose to make it, provided with places of security for such
as require them in times of excitement, with a chapel, amusement hall,
and hospital in easy covered reach of the feeble and decrepit, and
accessible, without risk to health, in bad weather.

Outhouses should be built with rooms attached, and set apart from the
residence of trustworthy patients, for farmer, gard