Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1874-03-30


court having jurisdiction of such offense, and on
conviction the offender shall be punished as DO
vded by law And in all trials tor such ofenses, the
statement OF any patient cognzant thereof, shall be
taken and considered for what it may be worth;
ana one connected with the hospital shall be al
lowed to sit upon the jury which shall try the
case.
SEC. G. In of the sudden death of any patient
in rhe hospital under circumstances of reasonable
suspicion as to the innocent cause thereof, n cor
oner's inquest shall be held as provided by law in
other cases, and the committee of visitors shall
cause coroner to be Immediately notified fer that
purpose.
SEC. :. In all eases of preliminary proceedings
for the commitment of any person to the hospital,
the evidence and certificate of at least two respect
able physicians, based upon due injury and per-
sonal examination of the person to whom insanity
is imputed, shall be required to establish the fact
OF insanity.
SEC. :. If the committee of visitors shall become
satisfied that any inmate of the hospital has been
unnecessarily and wrongfully committed, or is I'M
necessarily detained and held as patient therein,
they shall apply to any judge of the supreme judi
cial court, or judge of probate within the county
where the restraint exists, for writ of habeas
pus, who shall issue the same, and cause said in
mate to be brought before him, and after notice to
the party procuring his commitment and hearing
OF all interested in the question at issue. if satisfied
that such inmate is not proper subject for custody
and treatment in the hospital shall discharge such
inmate from the hospital and restore him to his lib
erty. But this section shall not apply to the case
of any person charged with, or convicted of crime
and duly committed to the hospital by order
court
SEC. .. The names of the committee of visitors
and their post Office address shall be kept posted in
every ward Oft hospital and every inmate shall be
/ allowed to write when and whatever he may please
to them or either of them unless otherwise ordered
by majority of the committee, in writing, which
order shall continue in force until countermanded
by said committee in writing. And. for this pur-
pose, every patient if not otherwise ordered
aforesaid, shall he furnished by the superintendent
on request with suitable materials for writing,
closing and sealing letters. And the superintendent
shall provide at the expense of the state, securely
locked letter boxes, easily accessible to all the in
mates, to be placed in the hospital into which such
letters can be dropped by the writer thereof. No
officer attendant or employee of the hospital shall
be allowed to have the means of reaching the con
tents of these boxes but the letters in them shall
be collected weekly by some member of the COM
mittee, or by such person as the committee may
authorize for the purpose. who shall prepay such
only as shall be addressed to some one Of the COM
mittee and deposit them in the post office without
delay.
SEC. 10. 1t is hereby made the duty of the super
confined on account of insanity, to deliver to said
person any letter writing to him her directed
without opening or reading the same, provided this
letter has been forwarded by the committee or il
directed to such individuals the committee have
authorized to send to receive letters without the
committees inspection.
SEC. IL. The hospital shall be visited as often as
once in every month, by at least one member of the
committee and this visit shall be made at irregular
and not at stated periods; no previous notice, infor
nation, or intmation thereof shall be given or al
lowed TO the superintendent or any officer, atten
dant or employee of the hospital but as far as
poSS'ule, tnelr VISITS snail MADE
to the superintendent and all others having the
Of the hospital and its inmates; and in no case
shall the committee be accompanied by any officer
or employee of the hospital when making their
visits through the wards except upon the special
request of some one Of the committee.
SEC. Il. The committee of visitors shall make
report to the goyernsr and council the first day
OF December, annually, and much oftener as the
welfare of the patients the public good may re-
quire setting forth their dongs and any facts with
regard to the hospital which they may deem i'm
portant to be laid before the public The compen-
sation of said committee shall be two dollars each
per day for the time actually spent in visiting the
hospital and actual travelling expenses; provided
the said committee do not receive compensation as
councillors, for the same days in which said official
visits are made to said hospitals and their accounts
including reasonable sum for the letter carrier
provided for in section nine, shall be audited by the
governor and council, who shall draw their warrant
on the treasurer of the state for the amount found
due.
SIC 49, Any person neglecting to perform the
duties imposed upon him by the provisions of this
act shall be removable from office by the authority
from whom he received his appointment, and if re-
moved, shall be ineligible for Office or place in the
hospital in future.
SEC a. Sections and three of chapter
hundred and forty-three of the revised statutes
and all other acts and parts of acts inconsistent with
the provisions of this act are hereby repealed.
approved March I, 1sTi.)