New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1874-01-24

Obliged permit such rregulares and che poor sIsn a..
doned patient toutsde OF tho reach and influence o.
frendsj thus deprived Of his uuQuestionaDe 1i9n W
f a. %saST The "z sn" Hys PsSSs de
Medicine Le0die (page i5s-ls5el mako the iuess
sion of such fact in Franco Unhappiy IL Is 'no S'"0
Patient. are erame in large and become ncuran eee.as
article s XII ca.p,s a 81 the french i.~ q j 1888,
S Ss'. sss ,u . be s'R u. Of
But this article Of ,se law .1no be osyed over. np %onS
MOrce says III his Traik des Mdfdd'es ne"N'''''
Patterns ar. cr,mm. w,heu. morality in .,ie az
lams for tue oDy reason 1''os' SIC NV
GOOD TREATMENT PECUSIARILr PROFITABLE
Certainly nowadays. az far as senora ''o"'"o''
goes and material cures concerned tho insane arc
better treated than heretofore They are taken 10 poau
tiful institutions. whore. however, unhappy' ooo"o'
zeal laws are supreme aud might presume 10 say
rratoualy applied. tho only real pront os W w.,
and not the keeping or an ina e. W ap ndi.
desire OF many asylum medical officers no regular nu
vdual clinic has yet established and IN ao'u' q"
T mode of expression Of facts could not
cnre have some relation and reason acoou nted Tor as m
financial ledgers under the mead OF circuit anu oo'
80 the success of treatment could DO traced 10 scc
1c disbmrsement the conditions OF which ought 20 10
prepared and accounted ior IN really gooa m ni Of
The final question would then be merely as 10 cost
cures But the results which can ~
expected nay nos uo ouestons in which the
peeuniary advantage Is not only shown W wnas
spares by shorter residence in the hospital put oy Wv.
yae Of The work done during period OF active
life compared with that OF the same uuradvn as .
chronic insane person ia public inslonto" COO, more
posed scheme is s1ple, would apparently cose ,no
but the cOid PAY The proposed system NJ w.
for recent and acute cases. daily annexation OF the
sympoms and the prescriptions other moral nv gio,o
or phaNmaceuc. For chrome cases such saS
sboud be made every the whole being transerea
on csebooks would bear tho signature OF the attend
ing physician. and be certified by that OF tne ntuoa
snperntendent. What change would such law DriDg
i'm our asvumsi Tneir reputation benefited. ana the
patients asking for admlttanoe tnsteau OIL a'o'''"h
MANY GOOD RESULTS FROM SUCH SYSTEM.
There is another side Of the question. relating to the
necessity of such law. An officially recorded chnic
would be the complementary measure OF any improve
ment of a law concerning the legality of an obligatory
confinement First Such mode of legal treatment would
be incompatible with any scientific error or socaied
false imprisonment Now. supposing that reporters OF
the press could get admission into an asylum Is IL nos
evident that daily clinic concerning me diagnos anu
the truth Such medical records wond contain V i
whole history of case Nothing coud escape tne n
of patients. secondly. There would DO guarantee
for hyscians against false accusations or nu
Tecords Would from Themselves. show the and
assduity OF the medical staff. The resume OF all these
therapeutcal would be one OF the best means Io
| tbe advancement Of science. With such conditions
legally established, the experiment Tor cure might 'ho
place as well in an asy lum in free ar liheels
The prospect OF treatment more or less ,h
according to the case, would not prevent , Tue
lis interference often delayed to the great injury Oh
| the patient Some persons. disbeevng inc urgency
employ all to conceal the intrmy OF TREND OF
patient In other especially those IN when mere
| accidents may and do happen on account OF deiays
| which tho new law would not permit; oa ~
tbs prIyege OF interference be lntrusted, and BY
what soeinnities the deprivation of liberty IA to be
have nothing to do with these so-caied difficulties.
What IL wanted ia that tho patient be cured ia oIder
that he may become again member OF society. ANY
body may hOnorsbly assist to that elect ihero Is no
shame in having friend insane. and 1t duty 10
| al ".
there is no great soemnity in making circumsantial
and scientific AFFIDAVIT: tue effect the position OF the
individual only felt when the Judge makes an order
OF confinement. Publicity would not be required or
feared insuch preliminary proceeding
ISOLATION AMONG RELATIVES OBJECTIONABLE.
The obligatory medical treatment has other advan-
tages which cannot be we'll shown without referring to
the actual system In every free country the dcprga
on of ones liberty the greatest restriction which can
be placed citizen To some minds this RESTRICTIVE
measure conveys the idea OF personal degradation IL
has been inquired If restrictive measures could not be
enforced privately IN once own house mere are crave
directions to private secret isolation FIRST, now VIII
the patient bear It IN his own house ~ Gn' o'
cause of incurability secondly II mgnt oe tesor.ed
unnecessarily and the PHYSICIANS opinion might NOT
! be preponderant. We have the experience OF many
families whose Preside. although we'll governed. was
the place for the patient 70 he medically treated
reason that they are unable to trace moral symptom
TO its real cause. Constant efforts are made to educe
by reasoning their friend out or ms desIons WIN INC
Besides there Is also a danger FOR tho family.
"a
if the slightest hereditary predisposltlon exists For
paents who be kept IN ISOLATION their liberty ana
Inc respect of their rights cannot fail WITHIN the range
of domestic affairs IL one OF the ueiDers OF iainly
disappear has the State or the community not the duty
of nnuring what Deallen of its members Inc
law might admit that under the supervision Oh meuict
officers appointed by judges, such isolation might tahe
mace but the public would soon tnd out that special
nsiitntiops are preferable Again. tho interference OF
the law necessary for the interest OF the family as
If Is useful patient On one side. settles many
ouestions of false delcacy which may in)ure the pa
tept and TO the family the power 10 go Deyonu
f.T hort Of yuha
ON the other the family Is not directly respOnsiDe
the recovered patient can never be dissatisfied WIN he
proceedings employed for his treatment ne mas htd
the benefit OF really protective law.
Another point OF great Importance Is AZ 10 wba sueh
| law sboud require about the making OF medical am
doyts or certificates concerning insanity These lega
Instruments are of extreme Importance. Alter they
establish the probable insanity or person ana serge 10
obtain judicial order admission into an asylum
their efficacy ceases and their value must DO c0nrOed
admitted, rejected Ivy the administrative and medical
chief of the asylum--the superintendent iheSo am
dayts, although introductory Instruments, should con
tain all of which the asy luin Oincers are
! absolutely in Thus ought to contain not
only the general outlines and history OF the case WIN
All possible details concerning the patient and his
circumstances but describe tho observed Indications ana
| symptoms both moral and physiological The iatter
especiay be mnutely described because they are
the medical test of the value OF such document These
data are Indispensable for the denitve diagnosis made
in asylum IL Is easily understood tnat an ihd'lu
ual might simulate with more or less success tue moral
| SYMPTOMS but he could not produce the PathoOgicaI
ones Medical experts consider generally the cOexst
| ence OF apprecable signs OF a bodily nfirmlty in
correlation with mental arrangement as unequyOcai
proof Insanity like any other disease, mas ueHhlte
forms recurring through different wellknown stages
In finishing this paper have not the presumption 10
offer 10 the Society perfect scheme. IL Is simply an
oea of what appears 10 ought DO discussed aud
must anyhow be perfected by others