The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1890-06-16

Tho Mass OF Work to be Done by the State
commissioners in Lunncy.


ALBANY, June 15-The state Commissioners
in Lunaoy have determined TO postpone the
work OF districting the state and establishing
the new State Hospitals" for the care OF the
| insane until October, and perhaps later. When
under the now State Care law, the Commits
sioners began their work they found dearth OF
records and statistics regarding the insane and
| institutions established for their care. either
| by the State or the several counties. The state
| Commissioner In Lunacy mad held species oil
rowing commission, and carried his office for
| the most part in his hat 80 that the records he
| had to turn over to the new Commission were
| very meagre. The State Board OF Charities
we're able to give but few reports and records,
| and in consequence the new Board was obliged
| to begin with practically no data or records.
| 1t became necessary to gain mass OF infor-
nation. and to hereafter provide for central
bureau OF information. To this end the Com
mission resolved to devote It's energies and the
next eight or ten months. Each of the six State
asylums and the twelve private ones we're COM
PEELED to file with the Commission report con-
tanning all the facts needed relating 10 the in
sane committed to their charge.
The ideal of the Commissioners is uniformity
and they have devised n system Of bookkeep-
ing which is to be used III all pars OF the State
by State Hospital Managers. Thus one man
can 90 from one institution to another and
make a rapid inspection Of all. A uniform
license is also to be employed. Under the old
system it was found difficult to ascertain what
private asylums were licensed and what were
not. Some OF the county houses whore insane
were kept had few records and many moro
had none. All will hereafter be required to
report every fact OF interest concerning their
charges. The condition In which the Commits
sioners found everything relating to their
"chaotic." Two or three years. he thinks. will
lie required to enable the Commission to
thoroughly acquaint themselves with the sub
ject Meanwhile the distributing of the state.
the designating Of state l. hospital s. and tho
establishing Of uniform charge Tor patents
Hospital must be omitted. According to an
estimate OF Commissioner Brown the insane
population of the State is over $4,000. num-
Der euualling that OF the convicted criminals.
While the state Commission in Lunacy has
jurisdiction and. IN measure; control over
into full control until the districts are marked
out and the State assumes the care and sup
possession certain abuses now prevalent VIII
cease. There will be great reduction In the
fusal to take patients now supported at the
public eXponse who have relatives abuudantly
able to care for them The number OF private ate
act which allowed asylum managers TO use
their own discretion as 10 how, many they
would take will also be reduced, because they
take up an amount OF room in the asylum
buildings quite disproportionatet to the num-
bers, and necessitate the crowding OF the pub
lie patients. There are now in the six State
asy,ums over 500 private pntients.
In addition to the general idea OF uniformity
which is to characteriT o every detail OF the new
system the commissioners propose to estab-
fish a complete bureau OF reliable information
regarding every insane patient committed 10
public or private asylum. Already they have
begun a systematic inquiry into the aniece-
dents of those now confined in county and state
where. as a rule. they found the
records both scanty and Incomplete. All
blanks necessary in the commtm OF insane
persons are to be prepared by the Commission.
and each physician signing commitment
must have Il certificate stating his qualifca-
tons as medical examiner in lunacy given by
q Judge OF a court Of record More than that
since every lunatic committed to the care OF
the State has The same status in law as minor
child. the Commission have issued an order
forbidding tho service OF any legal ploccss
whatever upon an insane patient except upon
the order of a Judge OF n court of record:
neither shall he or sho lie permitted to sign
anv bill. check. draft, or other evidence of
Indebtedness. or to execute any contract
deed. mortgage. or other legal conveyance. eX-
cept upon a similar order When such order
from the Judge OF court OF record Is obtained
the service must be witnessed by the medical
or one Of his assistants. and
the whole OF the prOCeediugs entered in the
history OF the natioHt. which must now be
kept in each institution Preliminary work Of
this nature and the examination Of all the In
in the State will keep the Commits !
Bioners employed for twelvemonth or more.