St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-11
BAD INSANE LAWS
Are Responsible for the Pres
ent Crowded Condition Of
Asylums.
CHANGEOF METHOD NEEDED
"RallroadiDg" Of Disagree
able Relatives an Easy
Matter.
CHANGEOF METHOD NEEDED
COMMON DUMPING PLACES
Or Big Poorhouses Is What
the ASylums Are Con-
sidered.

w HSIeEtI a. group VI TU5 lSi1 lOi .
could be found about the hotels yes
terday the GLOBE article on the dis
graceful state of affairs existing at
the st. Peter insane hospital was
under discussion. 1t will serve to
bring before those who should know
them the exact facts; and if any
change for the better shall result the
GLOBE will be satisfied.
But there is more to be said. There
are too many people being sent to
insane asylums in Minnesota.
Many are incarcerated simply be-
cause under our law it is a sipfully
easy process to send ailing ones to
an insane hospital.
individuals, and counties, have
come to regard the insane hospitals
as dumping grounds to relieve them
of unpleasant responsibilities.
There cannot be any good or valid
reason advanced in favor of the
present system. The big, unman-
ageable and overcrowded asylum
buildings ought to be torn to pieces,
destroyed and obliterated. In their
place we should have the cottage
system, and very few cottages.
Positive statements like the pre-
ceding demand backing, and they
are based on the expressed views
of men who have given these mat
ters a great deal of attention.
While here recently the lieutenant
governor of Wisconsin, in conVersa-
ton with group of senators at the
capitol, said that if one of the big
asylums in his state were to burn
down it would never be rebuilt If
L am not mistaken, his idea is that
the state should provide only one
large institution for the safe keeping
and care of incurables and violently
insane
With the big asylums abolished.
the cottage plan substituted, and
present laws tightened UP, SO that
people cannot so rapidly Shift onto
the state responsibility they are too
selfish or too mean to assume them
selves, our insane asylums would
not be so crowded that a fourth one
would be necessary.
AS HARMLESS AS HOPELESS.
Perhaps one-half to two-thirds of
the patients 1 saw crowded together
at st. Peter are perfectly docile, pass
i've and harmless. There is about as
much reason for many of them being
there as there is why those who have
quartered them on the state should be
sent to the penitentiary-probab not
as much. Undoubtedly scores of them
are made worse, perhaps confirmed in
their unfortunate condition, by daily
and hourly association with hordes of
crazy people of every kind and descrip-
ton. If they close their eyes to shut
out sights that disturb, and cover
their ears to be rid of sounds that
excite the mind and brain, there is
still the unavoidable jostle of physical
contact with the restless, uneasy and
irresponsible patients who are never.
still, and are entirely careless of who
they rub against or disturb. Let the
doctors be ever so careful, let the
nurses be watchful as they will, the,
cramped quarters make avoidance of
these things impossible.
L watched a claw-handed virago. in
a jealous fit, shut three different pa,
tients into rooms, because she con-
sidered them in her way when she
was monopoliZing DIR. Tomlinson. A
nurse sought to restrain her, but the
demented creture vehemently rebelled
against interference. Other instances
of similar character came under nv
observation. Yet these active. stir
ring, noisy ones are, perforce, con-
tinually mixing with others, young
and old, who most assuredly cannot
profit by the contact In reply to
questions several of the nurses said
they become used to it; and 1 suppose
they do. Daily experience and asso-
citation have Injured them to observe
as a matter of course occurrences
that strike the casual visitor with dis
agreeable force.
A BIG POORHOUSE.
The light in which some folks regard
the insane hospitals will be shown by
some things DR.. Tomlinson said. 1t is
frequent experience to have men
bring children with an insane mother
and ask to have them left with her.
Sometimes it is difficult to convince
them this cannot be done. Others.
again, when they ascertain that the
state supplies clothing, such as it is.
proceed to strip the unfortunate one.
especially if it be a woman, of every
thing at all valuable she may have on.
like a cloak, a good dress, shoes, and
sometimes they would strip them alto
gether If allowed.
An asylum is great big poorhouse
in the eyes of one class. To another
class 1t is a convenient place to leave
disagreeable or afflicted relatives. No
need, they say, to leave good clothes
here; she will have no use for them:
and we might as well take them away.
But no great anxiety is manifested. ex-
cept in rare instances, to take away
the one who wore the clothes in hap
pier days.
If our law could be so changed that
each county would be compelled to paw
anywhere from 81 to 81 per week toward
the expense of keeping each patient
sent to the asylum, there would be no
need to ever again invest great sums
OF money in additional aSylums. Such
scrutiny would be exercised by coun-
ty. authorities that every Tom, Dick
and Harry could not rid themselves of
those whom they should especially care
for when sickness or aff1iction has made
them helpless and dependent. Seeming
ly, such change might be easily made.
and good move it would be for any
broad-minded, able man to make in
the legislature. Eventually a rule of
this kind would save the state a large
amount of money; and it seems natural