Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-10-27
STATE VS.. COUNTY.
THE VIEWS OF AN EXPERT IN REGARD
TO THE DIFFERENT MODES OF CARING
FOR THE CHRONIC INSANE.

THE HERALD:-At your request /
send you brief reply in reference to
the care of the chronic insane in the
state. AS this is subject which needs
at this time great elaboration and care
full thought before any hasty action is
taken, and one which experience
should not hesitate to speak upon, /
therefore comply with your request. In
order that wise action can be had in
this matter, the first thing is to under
stand at least the cardinal points at
stake. In the first place we have not
far from twenty hundred insane people
in our state at this time, in the three
hospitals, the county houses and jails.
Of this large number probably not more
than ten per cent. are durable.
Then we have about eighteen h'lnd-
red chronic insane in the state.
Of this number about seventy per
cent belong to the asthenic or feeble
class, and large percentage of this
class are as helpless as infants and need
at least daily visits from a physician.
A large proportion of this number are
unable to help themselves in the least
and are filthy in the extreme, in many
instances needing from one to six baths
daily, and as many changes of clothing
All of this feeble class need medication,
tonics and special diets, and to give
them these necessaries you must have
the appliances. The more abject and
helpless the more liable are they to be
imposed upon. Many are unable even
to make their wants known, or to give
any information when abuse has been
offered. The question whether the
chronic are the mostfeeble, helpless and
the most difficult to take care of has
been settled in the affirmative long ago.
The question whether they are entitled
to the care and attention their cases re-
quire is no more to be thought of, as
every man of humane instinct would look
with horror upon any suggestion to the
contrary. These questions settled, it is
to be determined which will be the most
humane, practical and economical meth
cd to provide for this class. A practi-
cal business man would decide this in
less time than it takes to ask the ques-
ton. Give him first, humane, second,
practical, and third, economical views
of the question and Re will very soon
tell you the hospital plan is the best.
If you consult only the economical
side of the question of course the county
plan ought to be the best. / would adj
wise that you consult all the county
boards of the counties of the state. In
this manner you can come to some in
telligent and practical understanding.
If proper meeting could be called with
representation from each county. In
this way plan could be fixed upon and
you could go before the Legislature
with some settled ideas of the subject.
To adopt the plan of joining three or
four counties together would be practI-
cally the hospital plan, only on a small
er scale OF course | could enlarge up
on the various reasons why one plan
should be adopted or another rejected,
but thought it best to simply give the
cardinal points of the subject and let
You work up the case in a way that
would seem best to you. | shall look
for your deliberations as published in
THE HERALD. Yours, &C.,
X, M. w.