Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-07-31

LANCASTER, PA, July 81, 1889.
Our Indiyrnt Insane.


control of the state committee on lunacy.
Thk committee is subject to the super
vision of the state board of charities
There has been movement i'm recent
years to have all the insane of the state
collected i'm the several state hospitals
for the insane at Harrisburg, Norris
town, Warren, DiNmont and Danville.
With an urgency that seemed TO be com
mendable the directors of the poor of
the various counties were asked TO re-
move their insane to the state asylum.
1t was insisted by the honorable gentle
men of the committee on lunacy that the
county authorities could not properly
treat their insane paupes; that they
i'm many instances did not have the
necessary accommodations that they
could not receive the same medical care
and attention as i'm the state institutions.
In most counties the directors of the
poor yielded in this matter and the in
digeut insane were removed from the
county almshouses and asylums to the
state institutions.
The principle upon which these re-
movals We're made is, perhaps, correct,
namely, that all the insane are wards of
the state. 30 large, indeed, are the
powers OF this committee on lunacy
given them by the legislative act of May
8, 1883, that every insane man, woman
or child in the state, whether INDECENT
or possessed of means, Is under their
direct control and supervision. II they
see fit they can remove such an afflicted
one from the lap of wealth and luxury,
where he or she is receiving the best Of
care, to dwell among those herded in
the state asylums. Though, as a matter
of fact, the incurables and chronic in
sane, who are by far the largest in
number, are just IA we'll attended in the
majority of the county asylums, ,as at the
state institutions, and in many instances
could be kept and maintained there to
better advantage.
Each county under the law must pay
TO the state institutions ~ per week for
every one of their inmates, and the Leg
islature appropriates an additional 81 to
be expended for their care and treat
ment. This makes total of 81 per
week, which is paid for each INDECENT
insane patient. The total cost of such
care and treatment, according to the ro-
ports~sf three of the state asyluns, is re-
--~Ssnis s.ety S3.5S, S3i0 and $50 per
resiueher patient. There can be no
s',re.' T upon their own statement
.,,, =. oy ,,, =, maintenance ought to be
chs,nher asst fifty cents per patient
Rnrk,s either from the counties or
mapces Legislature. Since the insane
rear s,tate are in contemplation OF the
vho exclusively the wards of the state,
n the county authorities and even
Andred and friends have such little con
troll over them, would IL not bo proper
thing for the state to support entirely
the INDECENT insane? This is matter
for consideration when it is remembered
that Lancaster county, through her di
rectors of the poor, pays to the state hos
pital at Harrisburg for her insane alone
over 5000 a year
One other matter Is worthy of atten-
tion and that is the large cash balances
on hand in the treasures of these state
hospitals for the insane at the beginning
and end ofeach year. In the institll-
ton at Danville at the beginning OF
their year there was Il balance on hand
OF S43,6 ,607.S7 and at the close there was
on hand SSs,397.70 During the yeal
ending September 30 1885, that institu.
ton received nearly Ss7 900 from the Leg.
islature, besides over S7l 600 from tn,
counties and 81 900 from private parties
for maintenance. AT Warren the bal.
ance at the beginning of the year was
SIS, ,lS9.sS and at the close with state
appropriations and county contributions
ofovcr sll2,OOo, there remained n balance
OF s23, ,6S3.56. AT Dixmont the year wa,
begun with II balance of SCI $50. 70 and
closed with S3S, 1886 in the treasury.
AT Norristown the cash on hand i'm the
treasury at the beginning was S72, ,005. "a
and at the close of the year "A balance of
Sl9,953.A remained. At tho institution
at Harrisburg, whose last report We
have not seen, the balance has at times
beep Is large as the largest of those re
ferred to-
We make no charge of dishonesty in
the management Of these institutions,
for they are under the control of reputa-
ble men. But To our mind one of two
things must be true, either that -
per week per patient is more than is
necessary for the care and treatment of
the insane, as appears by their reports :
or that the patients do not get the full
benefit OF the money contributed for that
purpose and the excess goes 10 make
up the large balances that are on hand
in the treasures of the several iustitu.
tions.
This whole matter has been several
times discussed at the annual conyen-
tons of the directors of the poor of the
state, and has never been satisfactorily
explained. The committee ON lunacy
for the sake of their own reputation
and particularly, in view of the large
appropriations which at every session
OF the Legislature are lavishly poured
out To the several hospitals for the insane
ought To explain these large unused
balances of cash. They ought To assure
the public who have confidence in them
as men Of honor and reputation, that
the INDECENT insane, those poor unfortu.
mates committed to their charge, are
receiving the full. value Of the appro-
priations and contributions, which are
with no mean hand poured out for their
benefit. -