The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-12
TWELVE PAGES.
THE NEW INSANE HOSPITALS.

lSldOuT6 II PIdCGlCdliy dilo " al PuA POoSo
to which they may be put under the law es-
tablishing them, under the control of the
new Insane Asylum Commission. This hon
rable body is composed of Governor Porter as
ex oficio member; Judge J. C. Robinson, of
Spencer; Defoe Skinner, Esq, of Valparaiso;
General William Grose, of New Castle, and
Colonel Joseph Gray, of Noblesville. The
use to which these asylums are to be put is
not determined by the statute establishing
them. The generally received impression
that they are to be permanent homes for The
incurably insane has no foundation in any au-
thoritative action yet taken, and IS only based
on the fact that the present hospital is for
cases of acute mania, which may be restored
by judicious treatment
The new Asylum Commission has no
statutory or prescribed relations with the
board of trustees for the Indiana Hospital
for the Insane; there is not a member COM
mon to the two boards. The trustees of the
Indiana Hospital are DIR. T. HI. Harrison, of
Lebanon, president; Philip NJ. Gapen, of In
dianapolis, md DR.. R. H. Tarleton, of Mar
tinsville, as trustees. This board has
control, under the law, of the In
diana Hospital. They can elect or dis
charge the superintendent, confirm or re-
ject his medical appointees, and have the
general charge of the revenue and disburse-
ment. The new Asylum Commissioners
have imperial power TO locate, build,
equip, organize and designate the
purpose OF the three new asy-
lums. The only restriction is that one of
these shall be located at Evansville.
There are an average of $500 cases OF in
100 are cared for in the present hospital,
while over 1000 are outside of hospitals. As
to how they are kept and treated the public
is more ignorant even than of their actual
existence. Insane hospitals stand as among
the best opponents of organized Christian
charity. This great charity is turned over to
the State, which by proxy accomplishes the
requisite good without entailing individual
discomfort. There is no charge put by the
State constitution upon the Legislature that
should be carried out with more conscien-
tiousness, with greater judgment, and more
consummate ability than the order
given by the people thirty years ago, through
the constitution, that the care of the insane
SHOULD be obligatory on the part of the Leg
islature. This has only been partially done;
the establishment of new hospitals is a step
to its contamination.
1t seems unnecessary that a State should
have two insane asylum commissions, one
with its duties prescribed largely by prece-
dent and another entirely a law unto them
selves, and the two entirely disconnected
with each other. The work is a unit-the
care and restoration of the insane; it needs
but one board and one head. There are be-
tween six hundred and a thousand new
cases to be provided for each year. Our
sane have theirs. The insane should not
be kept in private families. The strain breaks
down the well; the sufferers are rarely
rightly provided for. This social skele-
ton cannot be safely kept in the household.
Duty is not met when it is immured in the
county house, or even when the benevolent
intentions of the people become systematized,
hardened and crystalized into vast piles of
masonry. TIL question, "Who is my neigh
bor?" and the still earlier one, Gam 1 my
brothers keeper?' are not set aside when our
mails imprisoned; they still come within the
prescription that thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor as thyself.
1t is to be hoped that these two boards will
act in unison, especially when it comes to the
work OF putting the new hospitals into actual
use, ard determining their future work and
sphere. They might hold joint meetings,
make use of all past experience, and should,
as we have no doubt they will, act wisely in
view of the great trust thrust upon
them. Except Mr.. Tarleton, they are
all new men to the business. They
doubtless have much to learn and unlearn.
Among the questions they will have to
meet, are the relative merits of the so-called
cottage system and the consolidated system
OF construction; what class of inmates the
new asylums are to receive; whether it is not
better to make the present centrally-located
buildings the home of the incurables, and
the new asylums places for the treatment
of acute cases which may recover. The
capacity Of the present buildings can be
easily and cheaply extended to 1900 beds
and patients under the present medical staff
and management, q number equal to the