The weekly Oskaloosa herald. [volume] (Oskaloosa, Iowa) 1855-1885, 1872-05-30
LAWS OF IOWA.
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY.
CHAPTER 1S,

| CHAPTER 1S3.
AN ACT TO protect the Insane.
Sec. l. Be it enacted by the General
| Assembly of the State OF Iowa, That there
! shall be a Visiting Committee of three
appointed by the Governor, to visit the
Insane Asylums of the State at their dis
erection, with power to send for persons
and papers, and TO examine witnesses on
OATH TO acertain whether any of the in
mates are improperly detained in the
Hospital, or unjustly placed there, and
whether the inmates are humanely and
kindly treated, with full power to correct
any abuses found to exist; and any inju-
ry inflicted upon the insane shall be treat
ed as an otfense, misdemeanor, or crime,
as the like offense would be regarded
when inflicted upon any other citizen out
side of the insane asylum. They shall
have power to discharge any attendant
or employee who has been found guilty of
misdemeanor, meriting such discharge
and in all these trials for misdemeanor,
offense, or crime, the testimony of pa
tients shall be taken and considered for
what it is worth, and no employee at
the Asylum shall be allowed to sit upon
any Jury before whom these cases are
tried. Said Committee shall make an an
nual report to the Governor OF the State.
SEC. 9 The names of this visiting COM
mittee, and their post-office address, shall
be kept posted in every ward in the asy-
lum and every inmate in the asylum shall
be allowed TO write when and what they
please to this committee, and to any other
person they choose.
PROVIDED, The Superintendent may if
he thinks proper, send letters addressed
to other parties, to the visiting committee
for inspection before forwarded to the in
dividual addressed. And any member of
this committe neglecting to heed the calls
OF the patient to him for protection, when
proved to have been needed, shall be
deemed unfit for his Office, and shall be
discharged by the Governor.
SEC. 3. Each and every person, confined
in any insane asylum within the State of
Iowa, shall be furnished by the Superin-
tendent or party having charge of such
persons at least once in each week while
writing enclosing, sealing, and mailing
letters: PrOgided, They request the same
unless other wise ordered by the visit
ing committee which order shall contin
ue in force until countermanded by said
committee.
SEC. 4. II is hereby made the duty of
the Superintendent or party having charge
of any person under confinement to re-
ceive, if requested TO do SO by the per
son so confined, at least one letter in each
week without opening or reading the
same, and with out delay to deposit it
in a postoffice for transmittal, by mail,
with proper postage stamp attached
thereto.
SEC. 5. 1t is hereby made the duty of
the Superintendent, or party having
charge of any person confined on account
of insanity to deliver to said person any
writing to him or her directed, without
opening or reading of the same Preceded,
This letter has been forwarded by this
Visiting Commute.
SEC. 5. In the event of the sudden and
mysterious death of any person so cODfin-
ned, a coroner's inquest shall be held as
provided for by law in other cases.
SEC. Z. Any person neglecting to COM
ply with, or willfully and knowingly vi
olating any of the provisions of this act,
shall upon conviction thereof, be punished
by Imprisonment for term not exceeding
three years, or by fine not exceeding one
thousand dollars, or by both fine and i'm
prisonment, in the discretion of the court,
and by ineligibility for this office in future,
and upon trial had for such offence, any
testimony OF any person, whether insane
or otherwise, shall be taken and consider
for what it is worth.
SEC. s. At least one member of said
committee shall visit the Asylum for the
Insane every month.
SEC. 8. That there shall be allowed
as salary of such Visiting Committee, the
sum of five dollars per day for the time
taken in visiting such Insane Asylum, and
the same mileage, as is now allowed by
law members of the General Assembly.
And the disbursing officers of such in
sane asylum, shall pay the per diem and
mileage allowed such Visiting Committee
under the provisions of this act, and each
member of This Visiting committee shall
certify under oath TO such disbursing Off
GERS, the number of days he has served,
and the number of miles Travelled.
SEC 10. This act being deemed of i'm
mediate importance, shall take effect and
be in force from and after too toeekS publ
cation in the Daily Iowa State Register and
Leader, newspapers published at Des
Moines Iowa.
Approved April %, 1872.
hereby certify that the foregoing act
was published in the Daily Iowa State
Register April 20, and in the State Leader
April %, 1872. $685..
ED WRIGHT,
Secretary of State.