The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-11-03
Examination OF insane
DR.. Gunster Suggests That Radical
Changes Be Made.
INSANE SHOULD BE ARRESTED
After They Have Been Restrained for
Time They Could BE EXamincd-Tales
of Woe Related for Benefit of
the Poor Board.

Ine poor board meeting yesterday
heard word of advice from DR.. Gun
ster on the subject Of sending ply
sicians to make an examination of per-
sons of unsound mind. The insane
laws are so lax that two doctors can
send man to a lnuatic asylum and
have him confined there for life by
simply filing out a statement to the
effect that the individual Is crazy.
There ought to be a change made, he
thought, in the position directors take.
When a man gives evidence of insan-
ity the proper person should go be-
fore an alderman and swear out in
formation to that effect Then a con-
stable would arrest the insane person
and lock him up. When he was pre-
vented by reason of restraint and con-
fnement from violence two physicians
could be sent for and an examination
into his sanity made.
He told of a case that he visited on
the South Side and found the man sit
ting in a room with access to the
kitchen, where deadly carving knives
abounded, and if that man desired II
was an easy matter for him to do mis-
chief. Another case he knew of In
which the insane man had a brace OF
reVolvers and was prevented from mur.
der by a mere accident. Mrs. Swan
asked DR.. Gunster If he was afraid to
go to the house of an insane man, and
he told her he was not, that he did not
know what fear was, but it was just
like taking ones life in his hands. II
was adopted as the sense of the board
that hereafter the insane person will
be taken to the police station. o. e
Case OF Tanning Family.
Mr.. Shotten reported the case of the
Tanning family in the North End. Six
of the children are down with typhoid
fever and the father goes around in a
drunken condition. He engaged Miss
Jordan, a professional nurse, to at
tend the case, but thought her prices
were too high, $2l week. on motion OF
Mrs. Swan the case was referred back
to Mr. Shotten with full power to act.
Mrs. Rose Ann Hicks. of Keyser
Valley, has a 16-year-old son, George,
who is blind and feeble minded, but
likes music She wanted to take Mr.
Lagstaff over to her house so that he
could see him, and she said he would be
surprised at the brightness of the boy
mind. The board decided to place the
matter in Mr.. Langstafr's hands.
Henry Johnson, gentleman of color,
asked for relief. Mr.. Johnson's left eye
looks to ward the ceiling and his well
modulated voice in connection with the
upward gaze made his appeal very
supplicating one. He was asked where
he lived and answered in this way;
1.-TWO alleys above the high school"
He works on Hotel Jermyn and tolls
at the rate of 10 shillings a day. Pay
day does not roll around regularly
enough for him and he asked the board
to lend him assistance for little while
Mr.. Tropp said the mans wife came to
him and wanted relief, telling him that
her husband had left her. Johnson ex-
plained that gossipy neighbors told her
to do that as it would excite more sym
pathy and that was one reason why he
came before the board and confessed
the truth at the expense of his wife's
veracity. The case was referred to Mrs
Swan.
Thomas Graham, who applied at the
last meeting for admission to the home
was refused because because he was
intoxicated Yesterday he was pres
ent again, but penitent and sober, and
the board granted him admission to the
home.
Resident Physicians Report.
The report of Resident Physician b
f. Evans for October sets forth that on
oct. there were 143 patients In the
asylum. and on Nov. the number was
the same. Three were admitted and
three discharged during the month
There were two births and two deaths
DR.. Gunster, as outdoor physician
made his report: Numberof old cases, 20
new ones, 10; visits, 80; insane patients
examined, 3. Dr. j. r. Murphys report
was visits, &c; calls 26;. prescriptions
given, Al. DR. w. A. Paine reported
patients visited 12; visits made, 6S
births attended, 1%sj 'lis, f.
Patrick Tierney, of the South Side
VINO WhnlS MS ttWU bTdiucliluTel III
dentured to him, was satisfied to allow
the board to indenture the children to
the sisters of st. .Patrick's orphan
asylum The management Of the asy-
lum, 1t is understood, win indenture
the children to Mr.. Tierney upon his
application to them. S} is:}
superintendent Beemer's report was
as follows: Number In home at last
report 149; number now. 149; males, 106
females, 43; number admitted during
october, 10; discharged, II; died, /.
Mrs, Mary Butterman, now living
with her widowed sister in Dunmore
wanted to be sent back to her husband
in Indiana. He lived here until year
ago, and then left her and went west
She followed him, but he did not pro
vide ior her and she left him. The case
was referred to Mrs. Murphy.
The board adjourned to meet next
Wednesday at the Hillside Home, leav-
ing on the noon train.