physician promises to give a tabular statement of all the cases of mental disease which have occurred in the prison. In the Eighteenth Report he excuses himself for the non-fulfilment of this promise, but assures us that in the "next Report the tables shall be forthcoming." They will be very welcome, for the language hitherto used on this subject in the Reports has often been so ambiguous and obscure, as to give rise to unpleasant suspicions. Thus, in 1845, we hear only of "the cases of insanity which have been developed" within the year; and in 1846, of those only "that are supposed to have originated in the institution during the year.' Does this mean that there were other cases which then first came under treatment, but which were "supposed to have originated" in a former year, or perhaps before the individuals entered the prison, and were not mentioned in the Report on account of this supposition?

We make no charge, founded on the Reports already published, against the directors of this prison, of any intention to suppress the truth; we desire only so far to direct public attention to their conduct in this respect, as to insure the utmost frankness, the most explicit statements, on this point, in their future Reports. The suppressio veri here would be one of the worst forms of falsehood. They owe the complete exhibition of the truth on this subject to their own characters for manliness and candor, to the cause of humanity and truth, and to the community, both in Europe and America, which is in danger, through the multiplication of prisons on the separate plan, of being deluged with a flood of the most terrible hereditary disease to which the human race is subject.

As some persons, who are opposed to the separate system as applied during long periods of confinement, advocate its adoption in jails or county prisons, and other houses of detention, for short terms, it is desirable to produce some evidence as to its effects when thus restricted in duration. We remark first, however, that we differ toto cælo from these persons as to the merits of the distinction which they have set up. Insanity in some of its worst forms is an insidious and slowly progressive disease. If any mode of treatment were sure to develop it in its full horrors only at the end of ten years, we should consider this a sufficient reason why no individual ought to be subjected to such treatment even for a month or a week. Society has no right to implant the seeds

of a terrible latent disease in the mind of a criminal whose offence merited, at the most, imprisonment for a few months. He may have inherited a disposition to become insane, which might have remained hidden for many years, while "the separate system" would bring it out in a week, though a sounder intellect might resist the apparent effects of the system for a twelvemonth.

The

But let the facts speak as to the safety of this system even for short terms. We are lucky enough to find evidence on this subject in a quarter which is liable to no exception, in the last, or Eighteenth, Annual Report of the Eastern State Penitentiary of Pennsylvania. In it "the Board of Inspectors state, page 22, that they "have desired to obtain information from other prisons on the Pennsylvania plan, in order to compare it with that submitted by them. Warden, Physician, and Inspectors of the Chester County Prison, in this State, have most cheerfully and kindly furnished, at the cost of much patient labor, the following tables, showing the condition of the Separate Prison in that county." The table is very complete, covering the whole history of the prison from the date of its opening, in August, 1840, to January 1st, 1846. During these five years, 111 prisoners were confined there; but as one of them was pardoned out on the day after he entered, let us call the number 110. Of these, twelve were imprisoned for a period not exceeding one month, and twenty others for terms of not more than three months; the average period for the whole number, making allowance for those whose terms had not expired at the date of the report, was a little less than ten months. Of these 110, only one died in prison; six were admitted insane, and three became insane after admission. One committed suicide before he had been confined ten months, and as his health was marked "good" when he entered, and "imperfect (melancholy)" at the time of his death, we suppose that his case also must be considered as one of insanity. We have, then, four new cases of insanity among 110 prisoners, who were confined, on an average, less than ten months. This is an average of 36.3 to 1000, a rate of insanity which, if it prevailed throughout the population of the State, would give to Pennsylvania alone 62,581 new cases every ten months. Of the three who became insane while in prison, and were discharged alive, one was confined for six months, another for

two years, and the third for one year and twelve days; but at what period of their confinement the disease first showed itself is not stated. So much for the effects of the separate system, during short terms, in "jails and houses of detention." Yet among our own fellow-citizens, a number of excellent philanthropists have been making the most strenuous efforts, during the past three years, to induce the city of Boston to erect a jail on the Pennsylvania system !

Lest some should think that the operation of the plan of solitary labor by day has been more unfortunate in Pennsylvania than elsewhere, though that State was its birth-place, we will now adduce evidence as to its effects in other places. We have already alluded incidentally to the experience of New Jersey, which adopted the system in October, 1836, and is commonly said still to continue it, though, as we shall see, a tolerably extensive modification of it has been made in practice. The report of its operation during the first year is a picture of complete success, and the inspectors speak with much satisfaction of "the vast superiority of separate confinement with labor and instruction, in ameliorating the condition of the convict, over every system of prison discipline that [they] have any knowledge of." But a marked change appears in the tone of the report of the very next year, and an apprehension is fairly expressed that the system was doing serious injury to the bodily and mental health of the convicts. The deaths during this year were three per cent. speaking of the tendency to insanity, as in the passage we have already cited (ante, page 164), the physician holds the following language.

Besides

"From the observations of the past year, I am convinced that there are diseases peculiar to the prison, and which will make the report less favorable to the health in the institution than what is expected.

"The tendency to glandular obstruction is seen in almost every prisoner who has been confined in the cells for more than a year, when he is in the least degree indisposed. The complexion is pale, of a dropsical hue, such as continued shade almost always produces, and the symptoms of disease of the internal organs are of the character that mark the languid action which prevails under such circumstances. Some post mortem examinations have been made, and in all of them the lymphatic glands were enlarged to an enormous degree, indurated and obstructed."

From the physician's report for the third year, besides the remarks already quoted, we make the following extract.

"There are some among the convicts, who came from the old prison. While there they were in strong health, and for the first two years, in this penitentiary, complained little. Now they have become debilitated, are languid, and exhibit decided symptoms of a decline of their physical powers.

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Among the prisoners are many cases of insanity. Some on their admission showed symptoms of derangement, and since then have continued in the same state."

From the fourth report we cite some instructive passages; those who wish to see the longer extract, which gives the context of these, will find it in Mr. Gray's book, to which we are indebted, indeed, for nearly all the quotations made in this article, though we have seen most of them in situ in the original authorities.

"The effect of solitary confinement on the prisoners in this institution is well determined, however different it may seem from what is reported of other similar establishments. As the punishment is carried out in this place, the result upon the convict is a diminished force of his organs generally; and particularly a weakening of the muscular fibre, obstruction of lymphatic glands, and vitiated nervous action. The mind suffers, in this state of the organs, when absolute derangement does not take place."

"The injurious effects are a constant cause of complaint among the prisoners; and as they are making applications for pardon on this ground more than any other, the physician is constantly solicited for certificates of health, under the belief that his statements will go far to induce the court to suppose a further confinement will destroy the life of the petitioner. Some have been pardoned for this reason, who have died soon after they left the prison."

"There are now amongst the 152 prisoners, 12 deranged men. More than half of these were fit for a lunatic asylum when they were received. Instead of receiving any benefit from their confinement, they became confirmed in their malady."

"In the sixth report of the physician," says Mr. Gray, "we have the conclusion of the whole matter."

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Knowing the circumstances under which mind and body suffer most, care is taken to avoid all such evil, as far as prac

ticable. And now, while we admit the enervating tendency of solitary confinement, we can report for the last year no death amongst an average of 141 prisoners. There have been but a few on the sick list at any time during the year, and no case of insanity has originated in the house during this time.'

"The cause of this great and extraordinary change may be learned from the physician himself."

"These very favorable results are to be attributed to the constant employment furnished the convicts, and also to the treatment the prisoner receives on the first appearance of disease. If his mind begin to fail, and he shows symptoms of derangement, another convict is put with him in his cell. THIS INVARIABLY RESTORES THE PATIENT."

The evil must have been frightful, indeed, if it was thought necessary to check it by such a remedy. That convicts were herded together by night in the same cell was the darkest stain on the character of our prisons before the movement for reforming them commenced, and it did more than all other circumstances united to direct public attention to the necessity of such a reform. It drew from a former governor of Massachusetts, in his message to the legislature, the energetic remark,-"Better that the laws were written in blood, than that they should be executed in sin." And now,

total separation by night is enforced in every prison, that has adopted either the separate or the silent system, in the United States, except in New Jersey, where the continued society of another convict is found necessary to restore the health of one who has been broken down in body and mind by the merciless solitude that he was formerly doomed to suffer. How is it, then, with the prison infirmary at Philadelphia ? We cannot find any information on the subject in their recent reports. Are the sick, and those who manifest the first symptoms of insanity, always subjected to medical treatment in their separate cells, or are they at once removed to the prison hospital, and there cured, not by drugs, but by enjoying, throughout the twenty-four hours, the society of other sick convicts and of their medical attendants? If actually treated in their cells, how constantly does the nurse or physician remain with them? We look for information on these points to the future reports, which ought to specify the an