Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1875-10-13
The RELEASED LCNATICS
Onicisl Correspondence.

THE DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS To ASSIST
ANT skCRkTARY CowEN.
The following communication was for
warded to-day by the District Commission
ers TO Assistant Secretary Cowen, OF the Ia.
terror Department
ceipt of your communication OF the 2lth in
slant, enclosing copy of a correspondence
relating 10 the release from the Government
Hospital of the Insane OF certain patients
possession.
In January, 1875, an account against the
District for board, medical treatment and
clothing OF seventeen patients admitted 10
the institution above mentioned, under au-
thority OF section OF an act Of Congress ap.
us. This account was for the quarter end
ing December 81, 1874, and amounted To
Sl,3l2S4. After examination Of the law and
facts 1t was duly audited and paid. Our at
under which the District Of Columbia was
required TO incur expenditures of this ma
ture. The provisions OF the Congressional
enactment Aforementioned are nov incor-
porated In section 1850, Revised Statutes of
the United States, which is as follows:
ANY INDECENT insane person who did not
reside In the District at the time he became
ficaie of Judge or justice and the appIica-
ton OF member of the board of visitors, be
admitted into the hospital upon the applica-
ton of the Governor of the District, and at
The expense of the District during the con-
tinuation OF such insane person therein, IL
being hereby designed TO give the superin-
tendent thereof authority TO take charge OF
sacn insane person until the governor can
came, with view TO the return of such
person TO such friends, or to the place of his
residence, and thus relieve the District of the
resident"
This statute contemplated the continuance
CT inalgent nonresident insane persons In
the government hospital at the expense OF
the District, until the municipal authorities
can discover who the friends of such patients
are or whence they came, with a view TO
their being returned 10 their friends or To the
place of their residence, and the District be-
Ing relieved OF the expense aud charge of
such INDECENT insane nOn-residents. IL be-
came our duty, therefore, to endeayor TO dis
OF, as Afterwards ascertained, twenty nom
residents who were recei wing board, medical
treatment and clothing at the expense OF
the District, or whence they came in order
that they might be returned and the
District be relieved Of the expense. Atten.
tion to the duty thus devolved by the law
upon us was the more urgently required be-
cause IL was reported to us that in many
cases insane persons who should have been 4
charge upon their friends Or upon the corpo-
rate authorities, were brought into the Dis-
trlct just Tor the purpose OF procuring their
admission into the Insane asylum under the
above cited enactment, and their maiute-
nance therein. including board, medical
District In order to obtain the information
which the law required US to procure, we
requested and received from the superintend-
tabular statement OF the names OF these non
resident patients, together with all the facts
concerning them In the possession OF the
70 the sas Of sa ase
tam such additional infofm.tion e he could