St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1894-08-05
MODEL INSANE HOME
Third Hospital at Fergus Falls
a Splendid Thing in It's
Way.
ITS ENVIRONMENT IDEAL.
The Site One Which Would
Have Been Fine for q
Summer Home.
ITS ENVIRONMENT IDEAL.
NO SLEEPING MEDICINES
Given to the Patients Of the
Asylum--Dr. Weleh as a
Director.

Special TO the Globe.
FERGUS FALLS, Aug. 4.-If Q clouded
mind can nave any conceptions OF top
ographical and physical surroundings,
the patients at the third hospital for the
insane must lead an ideal existence, for
certainly no fairer spot could be I'M
agined for the cure of mental ills.
Situated on an elevated plateau within
a mile OF one of the prettiest cities in
Minnesota. surrounded by waving fields
of grain, by wooded hills and lovely
lakes, with just suggestion of the
silver Otter Fail river threading its way
through the city in the hazy distance,
the massive buildings of the third hos
pital are conspicuous objects i'll this
vicinity. AS l sat on the piazza of
the administration building last evening
with DR.. VI eich. superintendent, and
his charming and enthusiastic wife,
and breathed the cooling evening
ZephyrS after a day Of torrid heat, it
seemed for moment almost TOO bad to
choose so fair spot for public insti-
tuition. No, not TOO bad, but rather TOO
great a departure from established
precedent. One conld easily imagine
such an one as the genial Samuel Hill.
OF Minneapolis, whose substantial i'll
tereSts here, and whose friendship for
Fergus Falls are most marked-one could
easily imagine such a man selecting
such site for
"A Summer Home.
If the unfortunates who here find rest,
and, happily, in many cases perfect
cure, could only realize their surround
ings the cure would greatly advance.
Some there are, OF course, in such all
institution who will never emerge
except TO take their soon forgotten
places upon the lap of earth reserved
for all. But whatever their ultimate
fate, 1t is at once consolation and
satisfaction to know that while they do
remain at the third hospital
they are humanely and intel
ligently cared for. There are
now fraction over 500 patients here,
about 20 per cent OF whom are Scandi-
navians. They are tractable and
obedIent lot of people, and of the total
number committed in a given year
before the year has rolled around.
There are, of course, unhappily GER
tain proportion of chronic and miserable
cases, and feW,a very few obstreperous
cases, the victims of homIcidal or suicidal
mania, who, of necesslty,re require rigorous
yetkindly treatment. And this question
OF treatment is an all-important QueS-
ton. The mind raeoilS in horror in
contemplating what the treatment of
the insane was universally but few
short years ago. Within the past two
years the horrors of the Cook county.
Illinois, insane hospital sent
shudder Of Indignation
Throughout the country. But this is a
purely political Institution, the positions
il which are doled out to successful
ward workers in Chicago, brutal and
inhuman lot of scoundrels as the world
ever produced. My first revelation III
the modern and humanized treatment of
the insane was On visit TO the jefferson
county (WiSconsin) insane hospital
in 1891. There were about 100
patients here, and every one
VI bhSlhs lHoijs hOluuu anu
child, wandered at Will around the
grounds from morning till night Kind
ness was the basis of the treatment
there; kindness is the foundation stone
Of modern treatment of the insane in
nearly every state in the Union today.
1t is the cornerstone Of the Third
hospital at Fergus Falls. In
the words of DIR. WEIGH, "we
allow the patients the widest
liberty'of action consistent with their
own and public safety" You will see
scores Of patients wandering through
the wards and in the corridors, some of
them silent. moody. self-contained,
others muttering their hayward farcies
to irresponsible auditors. And if the
visitor on first entering the ward feels
A Triffe Nervous
this soon wears away under the assur-
ing words of the attendants. There are
perhaps 100 of the patients working
regularly On the farm. which consists
Of GEO acres. These patients are tracta-
bic and entirely safe. Many of them
are on the high road to recovery. None
OF them present any outward evil
hNbICS VI lHiHu uISedSSQs Inc
Third hospital is what is known
technically as Homeopathic" insane
hospital. I hat is to say, the treatment
is homeopathic rather than allopathlc.
Are there any radical differences be-
tween homeopathic and allopathic treat.
ment Of the insane?' l asked DR.. WeIch.
lie was silent for moment. NO." he
said, None except that we give
No sic epin@ Medte1nes,s
such as opium or other sedatives." The
state has expended about 100000 up to
dale en- the Fergus Falls hospital.
When fully completed the inslitu-
ton will have cost with the
grounds about S1,O00,G0O, with
accommodations for 1850 patients.
while at present there are some com
mitments direct to this hospital, many
of the inmates are chronic cases from
Rochester and st. Peter. But every
new insane hospital has this experience
III being obliged to receive drafts from
the ''chronics" of the older institutions.
The third hospital. under DR.. Welch's
administration. has acquired an excel
lent reputation among the authorities
Ia the domain of insanity experts. With
remarkably humane and equabIe
temperament, expert knowledge ac-
quired in the rest Massachusetts hospi-
tails, and real interest in his chosen
work, DIR. Welch will doubtless still
further add 10 the enviahIe rncord no