The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-05-09
Comstock Discusses the
Question of Vicious Literature.
The Views of Charles Coffin Prison Re
fOrm-Annual Election of Officers and
Adjournment of the Session.
MORNING SESSION.

| Vice-presidents-G Governor A. G. Porter, T. A.
Hendricks, Catherine Merrill, j.. B. Roberts,
Joseph G. Rogers and E. W. Halford, Indian
apolis Mrs. Hamilton s. McRae, Muncie; ]. G.
Ridpath, Greencastle; A. P. Edgarton, Fort
Wayne; John Cooper, Evansville; Lemuel Moss,
Bloomington; j. L. Campbell, Charlottesville.
Recording Secretary-Martha N. Mckay, In
danapolis
! Corresponding Secretary-Mrs. L. G. Hufford,
Indianapolis.
Treasurer-Mrs. ]. L. Fugate.
Directors, W. A Bell o. s. McCullOch, Mrs.
Harriet Foster Mrs Emma Merrill Mrs. ]. B.
| Roberts, Mrs. Mary r. Stuart, Mrs. Julia Shlpp,
Mrs. A. H. Carrier, of Indianapolis, and Charles
Coffin, OF Richmond.
The afternoon session was opened by Mr.. VIM
Bell, who introduced DR.. Joseph g. Rogers, su-
perintendent of the Indiana Hospital for the In
sane.
DR.. Rogers explained that the topic originally
selected, "What shall we do with the insanel"
had been practically disposed of by the last Leg
islature by declaring that asylums should be
made sufficient for their needs, and therefore he
had changed the subject to "The State and its
| insane"
| DR.. Rogers said: Before the present century
there were but two asylums in the United States;
| the Pennsylvania State hospital, and that of
Williamsburg, Va. Now there are eighty-fve
asylums and over 10000 insane in our country;
in England and Wales, IT'S asylums, with IA,
600 inmates. In 1910 there were 240 insane in
Indiana, and 100000 people; in 1880, with p
100000 people there were $500 The statistics
of insanity are not exact, only approximate, still
there is no doubt that insanity is thesincrease,
as evidenced by the fact that there was but one
in 1000 in indiana in 1910. to one in 500 in
1880. The provision for the care of the insane
and the protection of society against
insanity are prime demands and to this point the
paper is mainly directed
LEGISLATIVE ENACTMENTs IN INDIANA.
The first legislative action in our State toward
asylum provision in answer to a memorial
| from DR.. John Evans and Isaac Fisher.
DR.. James Ritchie of the legislative commit
| tee, requested the Governor to make inquiry
and report to the next Assembly the relative
| facts, with places and estimates of cost for an
asylum.
Governor Bigger reported to the Legislature
| of 1894, presenting plans based on the Ohio
| and Massachusetts asylums.
Jan. IL. 1884, DR.. w 7. Cornett, OF the Senate,
had passed resolution, chat one cent on the
| asylum" Twelve thousand dollars accrued from
In Is44-5 Governor whitoomb recon-
making Drs. NJ. Evans, L. Dunlop and James
| Blake board of commissioners TO carry out the
| law. By 184S $4,000 was expended, and the
| present hospital opened with DR.. R. ]. Patter-
| son as superintendent There were 40 patients
in the present south wing; 104 were admitted
| the next year as room provided. The CEN
sns of 1850 reported 500 insane in Indiana and
| 1850 in the United States, with 80 asylums
|
| care of all the insane obligatory on the Legisla-
| tnre. In $50 there were 225 inmates: in 1857,
| 300. The same year the inmates were sent
| home to their counties, on account of
tine failure of the appropriation fund,
| in October. In 1863 similar condition was met
as before, by funds supplied extra-legally by the
State officers. In 1860 there were 1855 cases
reported; in 1865, $4,000 was appropriated,
capacity was $40, with 1000 patients in the
| State. In 1875 the department for women
authorized, and partially occupied in 1879,
'since when it has remained as monument of
/ neglectful prccrastination." The last Legsla-
ture ordered its completion. When completed
| the hospital Will receive 400 patients.
| AsYLUMs HERE AND ELSEWHERE.
As a rule, small asylums afford better results
| than large. 1t is not to be understood, however,
that large asylums have not been or can not be
successful.
Dr. Rogers gave statistics of various asylums
twenty or more having over ,oOO and even
| 1000 inmates. In Paris, La salpetriere has
| 5000; willard Asylum, New York, 1900; and
| Columbus, o., 1000. The average capacity is
| 500. In large asylums there is economy in con-
structlOn and management; especially is this
| true in the treatment OF the chronic class. The
| Assembly has provided for three new asylums
| The present asylum, DIR. Rogers argued, could
| be used for the chronic cases, and, by annexes,
| would hold 800. OF the acute cases As per
| cent recover. The most OF the Others-those
| that do not die---become chronic
| CONDITION OF INDIANA's INSANE
In December, 1882, DR.. Rogers wrote to each
county asylum for the poor in the State asking:
! ~ How many insane in your care9 (2) How
many require restraint (3) What restraint az
| How many confined in cells2 ~ How are the
| cells heated, furnished and ventilated2 80 How
| many will not wear clothing or sleep in beds2
! t7j now feG aid bathed3 (Sl How many with
| out estate or frendsl
Answers were received from seventy-Rve
counties. a. Total insane, 659; probably $50
not IN asylums at all. 1t was concluded that The
| condition of the insane III our county asylums
| was no better or worse than in other States.
| New York does not allow her counties to care
for their insane; Indiana may well do likewise.
| Allen county has 80, Elkhart 27, Tippecanoe 40,
| Marion 81, Cass and Carroll each IL. Seventeen
counties did not report.
OF the e59 in county asylums, 2S5 suffer re-
chained in cells, wear ball and
chain, SO will not wear clothing and sleep
through wicket door. Attendance is scanty
| and the general condition bad. There were nota-
| BILE exceptions however.
DR.. Rogers advised that these patients be put
in the present asylum, making annexes If neces-
sary. These 'lncurables" amount to about l.
300. How shall they be bestowedl Either
with the durable cases in the four hospitals, or,
| better, put the acute cases only in the new hos
pitfalls. In any event the new hospitals will be
| SMALL the appropriation and the law compel 1t.
DIR. Rogers discussed the cottage system, stat
ing that a cottage" Of sixty patients made
good sized tavern, and deviated from the AGA
dian idea, In Kankakee, H., the superintendent
had already asked that the Cottages" be con
nected by covered ways, making them essen
| TALLY on the consolidated plan. The relative
merits of the two plans of building were dis
| cussed at length by DR.. Rogers, with the aid of
statistics drawn in part from the commune Of
| Ghee in Belgium, where 1900 patients were,
| In 1872, put in thirty country towns of fifty
| houses each, occupying an area thirty miles in
| circumference. They are policed strictly; are
after all, much restrained have the care of
few much-traveled physicians, and on the whole
the results are not what was ANTICIPATED. Men,
together; accidents, ana even tragedies Oe-
Cured, and constraint apparatus was used.
The cottage system in Scotland has been tried
with / 800 of the 10000 insane of that country,
and as tar as DR.. Rogers was Informed was not
less open 20 criticism than the system OF Gheel,
Belgium.
This closed DR., Rogerss paper which was