New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-11-17
THE STUDY or INSANITY.

The National Association for the Protection
of the Insane and the Prevention OF In
sanity was organized last juno in
| Cleveland, Ohio by committee appointed
for that purpose at meeting held at Cooper Union
about year ago. George William Curtis was chair
| man. and the committee was appointed by him. The
methods by which the society proposes to attain its
ends by the announcement of special aud
thorough clinical and pathological observations by
the medical profession generally, las well as by those
connected with asylums by recommending an en-
| lightened State policy which. while neglect
ing no one of its insane population, shall
so administer relief and protection as not
! to lay undue burdens upon the taxpayers;
| by furtherng the perfection of laws relating 20
the treatment of the insane and their rights while
patients in the asylums aud by efforts 70 allay the
public distrust in relation TO tho management OF IN
sane asylumG, by placing them on the same footing
as that of other HOSPITALS. both in the matter of
freer communication with the outside world and the
privilege OF a consulting staff of medical pracition-
crs. The officers Of the association are: II. b. VIII
lur, H. D., president; Nathan Allen, NJ d.. LII. d.,
viceprcsident; Miss A. a. CheyaillIer, secretary;
George ~ Beard, NJ. d., treasurer.
4 TRIBUNE reporter asked DR.. Beard yesterday
what was The special necessity for such an orsaniza-
ton
MAINLY he replied the great increase in the
number of the insane This applies to all the
| highly civilized countries. Another fact, applying
especially to our own country. is that many OF our
asyums have been behind She best aSylums OF
Europe, and the general management of the insane
has not been studied as thoroughly here a. abroad.
| third reason is that nervous diseases
! in general of which insanity Is one, and
! some of which lead 10 insanity, have
been rapidly increasing during the last quarter OF
century A very important object OF our society
Is to andy the prevention of insanity, and this it,
wolves the study Of the and the prevention of
| nervous disease, in general. Oar platform requires
a, 30 "a Sc Up in proper tmc 50 far as we are able 10
do, and investigate everything connected with IN
sanity-i IFS clusatiOn, its treatment in the asylums
and out 81 the asylums. is prevCr on the gathering
of statistics relating 20 H. the construction Of asy
Inns, The scientific researca OF insanity in and
out of asyuns and. what is very import
ant indeed, the obtaining in every State in
tie Union OF such central governmental supervision
of The insane has for 50 long TINE been success
FIJI III Great Britain. have been studying recently
a number Of the best asylums Of Great Britain,
Franco audGcrmany and find that the United States
j. alone OF all the great countries IN leaving the asy
luns public and private the exclusive control OF
superntendens aud local boards OF trustees There
should be IN this State aud III all States, a
commission Of nj least three members, who
ere not Interested in way ia the institutions.
and whose duties should he to do for ali asyiums
puoic and private and Tor all private families
where the INSANE are kepifr pay, just what the
Board of Commissioners does loi tue insane of Great
Dntain'
Have Won been encouraged in yonr work !"
There is an increasing interes It in the sub
ject. not only among tho superintendent
and officers in asylums, and trustees, but
also among scientific and professional men
Of bn =
in different parts Of the country are in sympathy
with orr efforts Some them were present al the
.neetin held at :le Fifth Avenue Hotel last week,
and uumi T who could not be there wrote letters
OF sympathy and regret. | have no doubt that
in time all & institutions VIII cooperate with u.s.
This Who'll, pin, bcm Of the increase # nervous dis
eases in modern times is new AID has 10 prece-
dent in human history. insanity IS Of courso an old
disease but this great frequency Of insanity and |
TINS increase in lrequeuc ncw. THIS subject, |
Therefore. has rc'Gtlons not 0niy 20 heu- |
TOlpgy. but TO politics. legislation, philanthropy, !
and sociology in general. Oar society therefore IS |
properly and necessarily composed 81 ia} men ara /
general practitioners OF medicine rs well as special
isis in diseases OF the nervous system, lrgldGIng /
t5o.e who arc and thOsa who Ire not uii tally con-
nec,ed with asylum-. New member, are cnl>tng |
daily, and IN point az numbers ana ~ tue character +
Of Our members success Is assured already. should
STATE also that Very valuable preparatory work tor |
the 81 cess of our society had bccn done pre- |
yiplsik. Soma years ago Dr. Wilbur. Our president, !
wrote paper giving an account OF his StuuS ol inc
European aSyIdhS, and cr.iicSlhS tle lnperiec-
tons 0t our o NJ ic3T before last the commit % |
of the Neurological >ocieiyof thus city. broHR no
subject 30 the attention OF the LEGISLATURE an az
though they failed of their immediate pufSose,
theiI efforts have been OF service IN YaroUS ways.
LAST yclr also, the committee appointed D. Dir. |
Curtis .red 10 get a b through tho Legislature to !
increase ;hc number and enlarge the powers OF tue
state Board Of Charities. so 10 to make 1t Ceutral
Lunacy Commission. Our bill failed by "a small
majority Ia the House There was no open opp9sI-
ton 1ut there was considerable opposition OF
secre. character, entirely or mainly from one
What are the society'5 plans for the futurcp
"Our plans are increase our member. nip and
investigate ID every practicable way all the general
and -orcial questions relating to insanity and pub
llsh the results ~ obtain them. We shall also |
labor III the different states 10 obtain The central
supery commissions FOR h. ipsGre. Al the pres
ent umr, there IL committee OF INC NeW-tolA
Senate of winch Senator NOoim Is chairman, |
inv estlgaung the asyluinS OF the state: II ~ |
probable that sOm0 members OK oar society may |
appear before It. / have absolute iaith |
III the substantial success OF the association IN ac-
cOmDshng far a. Is possible the objects Tor Which |
It was organized In individual work this country |
is already superior to Europe IN the study OF many |
Of tnp problems re!atin. to the nervous system. Ii
ia in institutions and organizations, however OWING
largely political system. that our infeiority
is most apparent. But the American mind is so
new truth and adopt any practical lnproSemeht
when it's attention has been once earnestly directed
to il, that the time must not be very far dstant
when orr asylums public and private, Will be equal
To or superior TO the best in Europe and III the gen
eral management Of the insane the neuroiog'sts OF
Europe may yet the to learn from us rs we
now do to learn from them. The question has been
often asked why this movement is made public m |
stead of purely professional matter. The answers
that 1t is subject or public as we'll az professional
interest and the relations OF insanity 10 politics
and philanthropy IN general are SO numerous anu
so complex that the profession alone as n probes
son. or specialists alone specialists cannot meet
with success. The scientific study OF INSANITY po-
longs exclusively to experts IN the nervous SYSTEM
bnt for the solution of many of the practical |
problems relating to insanity we, heed ana must |
have all the best forces IN sOOlety."
VASHINGTON NEWS.