1) Y-L A W S 
OF THE 
Vermont Asylum for tlie Insane, 
Brattleboro, Vt. 
BRATTLEBORO : 
D. LEONARD, STEAM JOB PRINTER. 
1878. BY-LAWS 
OF THE 
Vermont Asylum for the Insane, 
Brattleboro, Vt. 
BRATTLEBORO: 
D. LEONARD, STEAM JOB PRINTER. 
1878. BY-LAWS. 
Article I. 
Section i. There shall be a meeting of the Trustees at the 
Asylum on the second Tuesday of every month, at two o’clock, 
p. m., to examine into the state of the Institution, the condition 
and situation of the patients, the accounts of the officers, and to 
transact any and all other business deemed expedient when 
met. 
Article II. 
Sec. i. No vote shall be passed at any meeting unless there 
be three Trustees voting in the affirmative; provided, at a sub- 
sequent monthly meeting to which any matter may be adjourned, 
the same may be passed by a majority of those present. 
Article III. 
Sec. i. At the monthly meeting in August, which shall be 
the annual meeting, the following officers shall be chosen and 
appointed, to wit: A chairman, treasurer, secretary, and auditor 
of accounts ; a superintendent and physician, two assistant physi- 
cians, a matron, and a farmer, who shall be resident officers. 
The assistant physicians, matron, and farmer shall be nominated 
annually by the Superintendent, and appointed by the Trustees. 
Provided, however, in case of vacancy, or in case said officers 
shall not be chosen at the annual meeting, such vacancy may be 
filled, or such officers chosen at any subsequent monthly meeting, 
and the salaries of all officers shall be from time to time fixed 
by the Trustees. 4 
Article IV, 
Sec. i. The chairman may at any time, and shall on the 
request of either Trustee, or the superintendent, call special meet- 
ings, giving each Trustee personal notice, or notice by secretary, 
and shall preside at the meetings of the board. 
Article V. 
Sec. i. The treasurer shall have charge of all deeds, and 
other securities and obligations belonging to the Asylum, and 
shall receive and hold all bequests, or trust funds of the Asylum 
for specific purposes, and disburse the same under the direction 
of the Trustees, and in accordance with their specified objects. 
Sec. 2. He shall also hold all policies of insurance, effected by 
Trustees for the preservation of the property, and shall be the 
the agent of the board in all matters pertaining to said trusts and 
insurance. 
Sec. 3. He shall likewise direct the deposits, and oversee the 
disbursements of the current funds collected by the superintendent, 
and shall make report annually to the board the condition of 
the securities and funds in his charge, and of the amount of in- 
surance carried, together with any suggestions relative to the 
same that may seem to him advisable or necessary. 
Article VI. 
Sec. i. The secretary shall have charge of the records of 
the Trustees ; shall attend the meetings of the board and record 
their proceedings therein. He shall also have charge of all 
papers of a historical character, and record in addition to the 
proceedings of the board, any other papers or statements that the 
Trustees may order to be so recorded. He will also under direc- 
tion of the chairman of the board notify the members of the 
meetings to be held. 
Article VII. 
Sec. 1. It shall be the duty of the auditor in the month 
of July, annually, to audit all the accounts of the officers of the 
institution ; take an inventory of all the property of the corpora- 
tion, and take an account of all claims in favor of and against 
the institution, so as to show its true standing on the first day of 5 
August, annually. He shall also audit all bills contracted for 
building or other purposes outside of the current expenditures, 
as they fall due, and are referred to him by the superintendent 
or other agent of the board. 
Article VIII. 
Sec. i. The superintendent, under the direction of the 
Trustees, shall have the general oversight and superintendence of 
the Asylum in all its departments, and all the associate resident 
officers shall be subordinate to his authority. 
Sec. 2. In the discharge of his duties his first care shall be 
for the welfare of the patients committed to the charge of the insti- 
tution, and this care must be so far personal, that he shall be at all 
times conversant with the actual condition of each individual case, 
and he must be responsible for the classification of the inmates, and 
the general course of treatment pursued. 
Sec. 3. He will also be responsible for the current financial 
management of the Asylum, under the direction of the Trustees ; 
determining the number of employes in the various departments, 
establishing for them regulations, and so governing the expendi- 
tures of the several departments, that a wise economy may be 
practised, and as much as possible be accomplished with the 
resources of the institution at command. 
Sec. 4. He shall make up the accounts of the patients as they 
accrue, collect the same regularly, and pay all bills as they fall 
due, keeping a bank account in the name of the institution, and 
subject to the direction and oversight of the treasurer, where all 
his deposits shall be made ; and shall carefully take and preserve 
vouchers for all monetary transactions, for the inspection of the 
auditor, and shall refer all bills except for current expenditures, 
to the auditor before settlement of them. 
Sec. 5. He shall endeavor in every way to promote the effi- 
ciency of the stafi'of resident officers and the corps of employes, 
and hold each in his place to faithfulness in the performance of 
his duties ; and on his part carry out the designs of the institu- 
tion, and the views and instructions of the Trustees, upon its 
general management and policy. 
Sec. 6. All assistants and employes will be directly respon- 
sible to the superintendent, and subject to his regulations. 6 
Sec. 7. Records of all cases admitted and treated, and of all 
the transactions of the Asylum shall be kept, or caused to be kept, 
by the superintendent, and shall be at all times subject to the in- 
spection of the Trustees. 
Sec. 8. He shall give his whole time to the interests of the 
establishment, engaging in no other business whereby the welfare 
of the asylum shall be compromised, and in case of his temporary 
absence shall require both his medical assistants to be on duty, 
unless by special leave of the Trustees, but in no case shall the 
Asylum be left without a medical officer. 
Sec. 9. He shall lay before the Trustees at each monthly 
meeting a statement of the number of patients received, dis- 
charged, or deceased during the month previous; stating the 
name and residence of such patients, the time of their admission 
and the security taken therefor, the time of their discharge 
or decease, and if discharged whether cured or improved or 
not; together with an account of all monies received and paid 
out, .from and to whom, and for what, which account shall be 
balanced so as to show the exact state of the finances each month, 
and on the first of August annually, these monthly statements 
shall be embodied in an annual report to the Trustees, which 
shall thus embrace the current results of each year’s operations. 
Article IX. 
Sec. 1. The duties of the assistant physicians shall be 
to carry out in detail the medical treatment of the inmates, as 
well as the plans for their exercise and recreation, and the sys- 
tem of amusements that may from time to time be adopted. 
They shall have charge of the dispensary, and of all medicines, 
instruments and apparatus belonging to the medical department 
of the Asylum, and keep the same in good order at all times. 
Sec. 2. For the more efficient discharge of their duties, their 
work and responsibilities shall be divided ; one of them (at the 
discretion of the superintendent) taking charge of the male, and 
the the other of the female wards. Besides attending to their 
professional duties as above defined, they shall be required to sup- 
port the discipline of the corps of employes, and to render to the 
superintendent such aid in the administrative departments, as 
naturally devolves upon them under the regulations governing 
the attendants and employes. 7 
Sec. 3. Each shall keep the records in the case books of his 
department, in as full a manner as may be required by the super- 
intendent, and keep any other records that may be necessary in 
the prosecution of extended observations, in any line of profes- 
sional inquiry that may be instituted, requiring the co-operation 
of the medical officers. Both will be expected at all times and 
in every way practicable, to labor for the interests of the institu- 
tion, and afford to the friends of patients, and to visitors, all pro- 
per and requisite information relative to the inmates, and the 
institution. 
Sec. 4. They will daily, and as much oftener as may be nec- 
essary, report to the superintendent upon the cases under treat- 
ment, relative to the progress made, and concerning any occur- 
rence of an unusual or unexpected character, and consult with 
him in reference to any changes in classification or course of treat- 
ment, that may be indicated. Any instances of ill treatment of 
patients, or evidences of unsuitableness for position on the part of 
attendants or others employed, they will also report, and will 
uniformly endeavor to instruct them in the discharge of their 
duties, so that humane and kindly treatment may be secured to the 
inmates. 
Sec. 5. Both shall not be absent from the Asylum at the same 
time unless by permission of the superintendent. In the absence 
of the superintendent, the senior assistant physician shall act in his 
place, unless by other special provision of the Trustees. Their 
routine of daily duty shall be so far defined by the superintendent, 
as to insure a frequent and vigilant oversight of the patients and 
their attendants. 
Article X. 
Sec. 1. The matron shall look carefully to the wants of 
the female patients in reference to their individual needs, visit 
their wards daily, and bestow special attention upon the sick 
and feeble generally, (visiting the sick in the male wards, if so 
desired by the superintendent.) She shall see that suitable bed- 
ding is everywhere provided, and that the dining rooms, and 
clothing rooms of the wards are properly cared for, and that the 
wearing apparel of the female patients especially, is duly regis- 
tered and preserved, and judiciously worn ; that the dietary pre- 
scriptions of the medical officers are properly prepared and 8 
served ; that those having care of the sick perform their duties in 
a kindly manner, and give such instructions to the attendants in 
reference to the general care of the wards, as may be necessary 
to secure the proper standard of cleanliness and good order. 
Sec. 2. She shall ascertain the wants in the way of supplies 
for the sewing departments and female wards, and supervise the 
drawing, marking and distributing of the same, under the 
regulations of the superintendent. 
Sec. 3. She shall likewise oversee and direct the work in all 
the domestic departments, the cooking, washing, ironing and sew- 
ing, and see that all are properly done, and that proper order and 
neatness in these departments prevail. 
Sec. 4. She shall exercise forethought in the making up of 
clothing and bedding, and see that prudence is observed in the 
use of materials, and that as much as possible be accomplished 
in each department. 
Sec. 5. In every way possible she will endeavor to promote 
the efficiency of the employes, and add to the personal comforts of 
the inmates, and will report to the superintendent any evidences 
of unfaithfulness to duty, or unkindness to patients, that may 
come to her knowledge. She will be expected to render con- 
stant service to the institution, except when allowed leave of 
absence by the superintendent. 
Article XI. 
Sec. 1. The farmer, under the superintendent’s direc- 
tion, shall take charge of the operations of the farm in detail, and 
have immediate direction of the persons employed for the farm 
service, and shall be responsible for the timely and seasonable 
management of the crops, the proper care of the dairy and other 
stock, and the teams employed in the farm work, together with 
the team wagons, sleds and farming utensils of every description. 
Sec. 2. He shall be responsible for the good order of the barns 
farm yards, and their appendages; the good condition of the 
fences ; the utilization of the sewerage and fertilizing resources 
of the institution ; the preparation and housing of the supply of 
fuel and ice, and the slaughtering of the animals which are the 
products of home fattening. 9 
Sec. 3. He shall also attend to the performance of any other 
work or improvement upon the farm, garden, or Asylum prem- 
ises, that may be required of him. 
Sec. 4. He shall exercise constant care and watchfulness over 
the patients placed under his charge for employment, and over 
those having the immediate care of them ; see that work suitable 
for each is provided : that due discretion is exercised in the use of 
tools and implements for labor, and above all that they are not 
imposed upon in any way, but are treated with the consideration 
and respect properly due persons in their condition of mind, and 
shall carry out in every way possible the plans of the seperinten- 
dent for their welfare and treatment. 
Sec. 5. All wants in his department involving expenditure 
shall be referred to the superintendent ; and no purchases or sales 
of stock or produce be made, except by his direction. He will 
give his time and attention exclusively to his charge, and not 
absent himself from duty without the knowledge and permis- 
sion of the superintendent. 
Article XII. 
Sec. 1. The Trustees shall from time to time fix the price 
of board of patients, and no patient shall at any time be admitted 
for a less price than that prefixed bv the Trustees, and upon the 
admission of patients to the Asylum good security shall in all 
cases be required. 
Article XIII. 
Sec. 1. No monies shall be expended, or debts con- 
tracted, (except for the ordinary expenses of the establishment,) 
unless directed by the Trustees.