The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-02-05
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY s, 1869.
The Committing OF Alleged LunatIcs.

The Committing OF Alleged LunRtAcs'
DURING the past week the Judiciary Com
mittee Of the State Senate have been inVesti
eating the merits OF the various laws relative
TO insane asylums, and have had before tneni
a large number OF experts in insanity, inoluo-
Ing Drs. Kirkbride and Ray. Both sides Oh
.ba ousat;on ~ reform have been heard, and
IL ia still In doubt as to what form Legislation
should assume. There seems however, 10 Do
some general principle which 1T is eminently
proper should be engrafted on the bill. The
present manner OF committing alleged luna
tios has been shown of late to be capable Of
suoh great abuse that 1t should be cast aside,
and some more efficient mode Of procedure
adopted. OF the details of proper bill We
will not speak, but there are two modes pro-
posed of committing lunatics, and it would be
well TO discriminate between their merits.
The present systsm-for in Pennsylvania
there is no law on the subject-autho-
rizes any physician to give
certificate as to the alleged insanity
of man, and on that certificate, whatever
may be the standing of the doctor, the
patient is admitted to the asylum. 1t trequtres
no proof to show thai such an arrangement as
this is in reality premium on false imprison-
msnt, and that it has been resorted to for
malicious purposes, is also shown by exam
pies. There are two new plans proposed.
One is to enact that no one shall be admitted
unless he is found insane by a commission OF
lunacy in open court, that everything con-
nsoted with his case appear in public docket,
and all the details be published to the world.
This would, of course, prevent anything like
illegal incarceration. But it has other dis
advantages, so grave that we cannot consent
to its adoption. 1t would lay bare before all
the gossiping and scandsl-loving community
the secret griefs and domestic affections OF
families. 1t would lay bare the private
sufferings and misfortunes of the afflicted
to the gaze Of an unsympathetic and uninte-
rested mob. Against this there is everything
to be said. Again, public examination would
be humiliating to all the parties concerned,
aud would seriously tend to aggravate the
disease of the patient. Still further, it must
be remembered that when once committed on
o commission of lunacy, there is no way to get
out of the asylum except through similar
process of public examination. The NORTH
cation of man who should recover, and the
danger that his reason would be exposed to
by public scrutiny, would lead to endless
evils. We cannot, therefore, think that the
present proposed plan is the best.
The other mode suggested is that certif-
cate ofinssnity must be signed by two physi-
clans, sworn to by them and attested by an
alderman, the attestston setting forth that
he knows the physicians, that they are Of
good standing, and that they actually mads the
affidavit in his presence. The certificate
TO be fled at the asylum and open to the in
speotion of commission, whose duty it shall
be to examine the condition of the asylum at
intervals. By this means we think sufficient
safeguards would be thrown around the
alleged lunatio. His case would be always
open to disinterested examination. The doc
tors would be liable to perjury, aud the alder
man to removal from Office, if any wrong be
done. There would be no needless expense,
and as the remedy by haLeoS corpus cannot be
taken away by any Law which might be passed,
he would still have that safeguard from any
injustice. We can see how this plan is supe-
rior to the other, and think that it should
receive the careful examination of the com
mittee. In the matter now before them some
reform is demanded.