The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-04-08
INSANE WOMEN IN COUNTY AsYLUMs.
Further Facts Regarding Their Condition
A Demand for Immediate Reform.

The interviews with DR.. W. B. Fletcher, SUI
perintendent of the Indiana Hospital for the In
sane, and DR.. L. S. Elder, secretary of the State
Board of Health, regarding the condition of in
sane women in the poor-houses in Indiana, did
not fall altogether unnoticed. A correspondent,
under date of April 4, writes: 81 wish the
Journal would keep up the fire until the citizens
Of the different counties become interested in
appointing committees of competent and hui
name persons to inspect the county asylums. l
hope at the forthcoming convention of the
county commissioners you will give them a word
or two on the subject of the nhuman mistreat-
ment of the insane women of the State"
The following, handed to the editor of this
paper, would seem to indicate that there is one
county asylum, or poor-house, that is much bet
ter than the great prevailing majority:
NEW CASTLE, Ind, April 3, 1884.
DR.. Fletcher, Superintendent Insane Hospital:
Sir notice an article in the journal rejecting
great discredit on the county asylums all over the
State in regard to the treatment of inmates of these
institutions. | admit that a great many OF the
county houses are in a bad condition, and the inmates
a1e badly treated. If you will visit the Henry county
asylum | will show you one where none are restrained
-thirty-siX rooms, and not a cell or dungeon. We
have some insane, and have two houses. one for males
and one for females, both heated by steam and well
ventilated. | venture the assertion that the inmates
are as well treated, are as well fed and as well clothed
as they are at the Insane Hospital. | do not write
this because l have any i'll feeling toward you or DR..
Elder, but simply to inform you that there is one
county house in the State where the poor are treated
as human beings, and not as hogs. Yours. respect
fully, JOHN w. BELL,
Superintendent Henry County Asylum.
The Philadelphia Medical Record contains the
following:
We are constantly reminded that reform progresses
slowly, especially as concerns the proper medical care
of the insane. Recent dispatches state that a great
deal of indignation has been excited over the reported
condition of insane women in the county poor-houses
throughout the State of Indiana. The secretary of the
State Board of Health and the superintendent of the
Insane Asylum have been making a survey of these
poor-houses, and the condition of things is terrible.
Superintendent Fletcher states: IF one could tell
half the truth about the poor-houses of Indiana, and
the treatment of women in them, the insane and the
idiotic, believe the women Of Indiana would move
upon them and tear them down. There is a fine
opening for reform, and if you awaken sentiment on
the subject you cannot fail of doing great good"
A correspondent asks: eff a prudent and OBJ
servant woman were to pay a visit to a poor
house in a county not fifty miles from the cap
itol of the State and would write what she saw
there, would it be acceptable TO the columns of
the JournalF The answer to this is, yes. Here
is a field for reform, and the journal is ready to
aid in the good work. In the meantime, it is
understood that the trustees of the Indiana Hos
pital for the Insane are in no haste to take these
go miserable women from the filth and iEhu-
manity of the p~oor-house and place them in the
wards now being finished in the Hospital for
the Insane, as they are trying to make a record
for economy, and make it they will, even al the
cost of prolonging human misery. If a showing
of economy must be made by these gentlemen it
would be more to their credit to make it in some
other quarter. The people of the State are not
so hardened as TO desire economy practiced in
any such uncivilized and nhuman way. On re
other hand, with the facilities for their care ex-
listing at the State hospital, even on the score OF
economy it would cost less to carefor them there
than in the cells and dungeons many of them
now occupy.