Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1871-04-20
Published March u, 1911
CHAPTER I1-GrNrpAr

The people OF the state OF Wisconsin, represented
in senate and assembly, do enact ar follows:
Section /. The governor shall appoint five per
sons, who shall be trustees of the Wisconsin State
Hospital for the Insane, all ofwhorn shall be elect
ors and residents OF this state. They shall be
styled "the Board OF Trustees Of the Wisconsin
State Hospital FOR the Insane" and majority of
them shall constitute quorum for the transaction
of business. OF those members first appointed,
one shall serve for five years. one Tor four years,
one for three years, for two years and one for
one year, as may be designated by the governor
at the time OF appointment, and upon the expira.
ton OF these successive terms, the vacancies shall
be filled in like manner for the term OF five years,
and each mem Der shall serve until his successor IL
appointed. There shall be annually appointed in
the manner above prescribed, one person TO fill
the regularly occurring vacancy; and should
any vacancy occur by death, resignation or other.
wise the same shall be filed by appointment of
the governor for the unexpred portion Of the term
for which such trustee would have been required
to serve prcuided, that If any member Of said
board shall have neglected or failed to attend the
meetings Of said board for Two consecutive meet
ings, the pace OF such member shall be deemed
vacant, and snail be filed by the governor as
above designated for other cases of vacancy.
Sec. 2. The trnstees before entering upon the du-
ties of their office, shall take and subscribe oath
or affirmation to support the constitution of the
United States and this state and also to faithfully
discharge the duties required OF them by law and
the bylaws that may be established. They
shall be paid their necessary expenses during the
time they are actually engaged in the discharge OF
their official duties. such payment to be made out
of any money appropriated Tor the current ex-
penses OF the hospital, by an order drawn by the
secretary OF the board and approved by the super
intendent. The first meeting OF the trustees shall
be nj any time after this act snail take effect upon
notice from the governor, when they shall organ,
lie by the election of a president, secretary and
treasurer, who shall serve until the annual meet.
ing which shall be held upon the second Wedncs-
day in October in each year. in the hospital build
ing when the trustees shall choose one OF heir
number president. and secretary and treasurer
tort a yaur h AT ans
sors are elected and qualified The treasurer shall
give bond the state in such sum as the trustees
shall prescribe, to he approved BY the governor,
and deposited with the secretary OF state, which
bond shall be conditioned for the faithful perform
ance of his duties es such treasurer. The presi-
dent and secretary shall perform such duties as
are required by the laws and 9y-laws established
for the government of the institution. The trust
ees shall meet quarterly at the hospital building,
on the second Wednesday of January, April, July
and October, and at each OF these regular meet
ings they shall examine into the affairs and cond
ton of the hospital.
Sec g. The trustees shall have general control
and management of the hospital. They shall
have full pc ser to make all bylaws necessary for
the government of the same, not inconsistent
with the laws and constitution OF the state Of
Wisconsin, and conduct the affairs of the institu
ton IN accordance with the laws and bylaws reg
ulating the same. The board OF trustees may
take and hold in trust Tor the hospital any lands
conveyed or devised, and any money or ether per
sonal property given or bequeathed, to be applied
Tor any purpose connected WIN the INSTITUTION.
Sec. a. The said board shall appoint superin-
tendent, who sh all be a physician of acknowledge
ed skill and ability in the medical profession, and
shall be a graduate of some Incorporated medical
college, and shall give unquestionable evidence OF
unimpeachable moral character, and shall devote
all his time and attention TO the said hospital
and upon the nomination OF the superintendent
they shall also appoint a steward. matron and as
sistant physician or physicians, who shall be styl
ed the resident officers of the institution and shall
reside in the same and be governed by and sob
ject to all the laws and bylaws established for the
government of said institution. The trustees
shall fix the salaries Of all officers not otherwise
determined by law. They shall appoint compe.
tent physician. whose duty 1t shall be, together
with one of their number, to visit and inspect
said hospital as to its internal management, once
in each month, and such inspectors shall report to
the beard the result of their respective visits, at
each ensuing regular meeting of said board.
Such committee shall be entitled to no per diem,
but all necessary expenses attending said visits to
the hospital shall be PAID out Of the current ex-
pense fund of the hospital.
Sec. 5. The superinte ndent, before entering up.
the duties Of his office, shall take and subscribe
an oath or affirmation, faithfully and diligently to
discharge the duties required OF him by law, and
by laws regulating the institution.
Sec. 6. The experimenting physician shall be
the chief executive officer of the hospital he
shall exercise entire control over all the subordn
ate officers, and shall employ all assistants neces-
sarily connected with the institution, below the
grade which may he designated In the bylaws, as
officers and he may discharge any assistant or
officer under his control, being responsible to the
trustees for the proper exercise OF that duty in
gard to officers and for any satisfactory cause the
said supern .endent may be discharged by an af
frmattve vote of majority OF all the members of
the said board of trustees at any regular meeting
of the same. The superintendent shall not be
compelled to obey the command Of any subpoena,
issued In any civil or criminal Case except where
the accused IL charged with the crime of murder:
rr0pided he shall make and subscribe an oath,
setting forth thai to obey such summons would
be seriously detrimental and hazardous to the vel
fire Of the institution under his charge shall
he be required to obeS subpoena in any case,
unless the court or a judge thereof shall make a
special order, in vacation, at least one week be-
fore the time when he shall be repaired TO appear,
that he subpoena issues, and in all such Cases, a
memorandum OF such order shall be endorsed up
on the subpoena
Sec. Z Abuse, neglect or Ill treatment OF an In
sane patient by the superintendent or any person
under him, with his knowledge and permission,
shall be deemed an otlense merting expulsion
from office, and shall moreover subject the person
20 abusing or ill.treatng suca insane patient, to
fine or imprisonment or both, at the discretion of
the court and such case may be prosecuted by any
person cognizant OF the fact, in the name of the
state of Wisconsin, before any court OF competent
jurisdiction IN the county OF Dane; and any fines
collected IN pursuance of the provisions of this
section shall lie paid into the treasury Of said hos
pital.
Sec, g All persons confined In said hospitsl as
insane pat ents, shs be entitled to the benefits of
the wri. OF habeas corpus, and the question OF in
sanity slal DC determined by the court Issuing
such writ; and II the court before whom such case
is brought shall decide that the person is insane
zach decision shall be no bar TO the issuing of
said writ second time. L. II shall be claimed that
such person has been restored to reason; ana Il Is
hsre6gfuthsy proridsd, that if it be alleged that
any person Is improperly confined In said hospital
as an insane person, the board of trustees shall
have power tc examine into such case, in such
manner as in their opinion its necessities demand;
and If after such examination shall have been
carefully and critically made, aided by AT least two
skiiliu and experienced physicians, VINO shall he
designated BY said board, it shall appear to them
thai such person lie rot Insane, and should not be
thus confined they shall Issue an order for his or
her immed ate release from such confinement;
and such order shall be forthwith executed by the
superintendent OF said hospital
Sec. 9. No person idiotc from birth shall be
admitted INTO the hospital for the insane; and no
person shall be retained in said hospital alter, by
fair trial, it shall have become reasonbly certain
that such person is incurably insane II such per-
son is retained 10 the exclusion OF Others whose
cases arc of more hopeful character.
See 10. The admission of patients from the
several counties Of this state shall be In the ratio
of the population of each of such counties; but
each county shall be entitled 10 at least two such
patients, IL 1t shall seek to do Aad in no case
shall any county have more than Its just proper.
ton of patients in said hospital unless there be
some other county which has not the proportion
ate number of insane persons which II Is entitled
to furnish in the order OF admission bit whenever
il shall appear from the affdayts Of the chairman
of the county board Of supervisors, and the sheriff
of the county, together with the certificate OF the
county Judge, thst the residence OF the person ad-