The Home of the Unfortunate.  A Visit Yesterday to Lyon’s View Hospital for the Insane

This institution was visited yesterday by an attache of the Journal, in company with Mr. Moore, of Amesbury, Massachusetts.  It was not the day of the week upon which visitors are ordinarily received; but Dr. Campbell, the superintendent, kindly showed us through every ward and every department of the institution.  The building, in all the wards, was found to be in most admirable condition.  The floors are a model of cleanliness in the rooms and halls.  The beds are as nice and clean as can be found anywhere, with plenty of bed clothing to keep each patient comfortable.  It is hard to see how they could be improved.  Every ward is comfortably heated and admirably ventilated.  The water closets and bath rooms were visited and found to be so clean that there is not the faintest trace of an unpleasant odor about them.

The patients at the hour the Journal man was there, were out in the halls, with attendants present, and seemed to be just as happy as persons in their condition are capable of being.  The kitchen was visited, just at the time the food was being taken from the ovens for dinner.  The odor here was one that was tempting to a hungry man and one calculated to make him wish he could stay for dinner.  The laundry was found to be in excellent working order, everything being orderly and cleanly.

Everything that could be seen about the building indicated that it it [sic] is well managed, and nothing is visible going to show that the state of Tennessee has any cause for self-reproach, growing out of the management of the hospital erected for the care and comfort of the unfortunate.  Mr. Moore, who has seen some of the modern charitable institutions of his own and other states, expressed himself as well pleased with what he saw of the Lyon’s View hospital.

Source:  Knoxville Daily Journal and Tribune, February 21, 1889, page 5