The evening world., 1892-02-15
Protection FOR THE INSANE.
Two Bills Favored by the Lunacy
Law Reform League,
Ono Strikes at tho Conspiracy Evil,
the Other ut Brutality.

The Lunacy Law Reform League and Anti
Kidnapping Union have begun to push their
work energetically at Albany.
Miss Clarissa {. Lathrop, the Secretary and
founder OF the League. has established her
headquarters at the state capital, where she
may more easily watch the progress OF the
measures which have been introduced in the
Legislature ut the instance OF tho organiza-
tion and bring influence more directly TO bear
upon Senators and Assemblymen and the
committees to which the bills have been re-
ferred.
Two such measures for the amelioration OF
the condition OF inmates OF insane hospitals
and asylums are now pending before the
Legislature. The bills were introduced last
Friday by senator Martin I. Mcmahon.
The first is entitled IAN Act to confer on
boards of trustees OF all hospitals In New
York which are owned by the state or receive
state aid and In which the insane poor are
received and held for treatment, the entire
control and management thereof" ana pro-
vides as follows:
SEC. l. That within ono month after tho passage
Of Of this act tho entire control and management Of
b. for or hs car. ., .nS @
nent OF the insane. owned by the state or which
receive Alu from the StAte or county, snail DC
ferred on the Boards o, Trustees Of those insttu;
tions, three OF whom shall visit tho insane hospital
once week. ana the whole body once month.
SEC. 2. The trustees or managers Of each and
| every hospital owned by the state or county
ee,,ina AID from @ eths5' aud In which The insane
awel qualified male phy,i,,on and such assistant M
Ss OF s .H sn'
and to have other duties than those which per-
. they M as GTfs S
the restoration oil the bodily and mental health OF
their patients.
SEC. 3. Tho Boards Of Trustees or managers Of
the ahoye.nsmed hospital, or asylums snail appoint
aski!ful female physician and such female medical
medical treatm ,nt and care OF the female Insane IN
| such hospitals.
sEc. l.. All acts or parts Of acts inconsistent
herewith be and tne same arc hereby repealed.
1t is claimed by the Lunacy Law Reform
League that many Of the abuses to which In
sane patients are subjected, both in the
larger and sLaller institutions in the state,
and which from time to time come to the
knowledge OF the public. are LhY result of the
imperfect system OF supervision which pre-
walls under the existing law.
BY comforting the control CT such institu-
tions upon the trustees, a number OF whom
shall be required to visit the asylum or hos
pital at least once a week, 1t Is believed that
many OF these abuses can be remedled.
An opportunity will then be gwen OF observ-
ing how patients are treated by superintend-
ents and keepers In these institutions, and in
stances OF cruelty and ill-treatment Will be, 1t
is believed, much less frequent.
The bill also aims to secure better medical
attendance for Insane patients, and by re-
quiring the appointment OF female physicians
and assistants for the special care OF female
patients introduces an entirely novel
feature in the present system OF treating the
insane.
The second bill is entitled "An Act to pro-
hib1t the opening or reading OF certain let
| ters written or received by the inmates OF
insane hospitals and asylums by those In
charge thereof, and providing for the delivery
OF the same" Its provisions are as follows
SECTION I. Each and every inmate of each and
ssa s.ts tor N @
one individual from the outside world with whom
shall write his or her own name on the outside Of
shall be delivered to the person to whom ADDRESSED
without being opened BY any person vhomsoeve
s. s. . to
nish material for writing, inolo,ins. sealing.
:
shall be d.positsd BY tn. writer. thereof in post
Of easy access to the inmates Of each and syery
Yo.i Il. .ea sa in Of ..s % s
isr as this chosen corIespondent 4 foncerned.
the protection OF the postal laws.
And the sppsrintsnI:nt@ ID Of Of each and every insane
OF taking such letters from the post-ofee bo, and
depositins them in % The United State. mail Tor do:
supply the free coeesinE system near or in s tho i1
sane hospital or asylum where he Is superintsnd-
inmates of insane hospitals asylums In regard to
other correspondence, under the supervision of tho
S IN q
The proyisons Of this act sh. not apply to ,nsa ne
SEC. .. Amy superintendent, attendants. doctors
or other persons refusing or neslectinG to comply
mta ~ h .s be Of
mesnor, and upon conviction thereof shall be pun.
ssf 'sS be
sEC. 8; printed copy OF this act snail be framed
gitsl and 9m., both public and private, In the
SEC i, This act shall take effect thirty days from
| its passage.
This measure has for its object the better
protection OF the rights OF those who are con-
safeguard against the Imprisonment in such
institutions OF any person who may have
been the victim OF conspiracy and wroBgfully
and unjustly deprived OF their liberty.
The Anti-kidnapping Union is working
hard for the success OF both OF these bills,
ana when the measures come up Tor hearing
In the committee which have them In charge,
| strong arguments will be presented In favor
OF their enactment.
| 1t is expected that there Will be as vigor-
Gus an opposition to these measures on the
part OF the authorities OF institutions for the
insane throughout the state as there was
last year. But the members OF the Union are
prepared to meet all objections from this
| source, and will make a bitter and stubborn
fight TO secure the proposed reforms.