The record-union., 1896-12-21
TEE State INSANE ASYLUMS,
011CialS Hold a Conference With the
Governor.
Proposed Changes In the Manage
ment and Care of the
Inmates.

On Saturday a long and important
conference was held in San Francisco
between the Trustees and Medical Di-
rectorS of the five State Insane Asy-
lums and Governor Budd- The object
was to reach an agreement ON gen.
eral law for those institutions, system
a,tizing and unifying them, and intro
ducing reforms in their management,
the reduction of their cost and a more
humane method of treating per-
sons believed or judged to be mentally
unsound.
According to the report in the
Chronicle the Governor explained
that since his inaugural message, in
which reform in the insane aSylums
of the State was touched upon, he had
more fully studied the subject, and,
after consultation with the officials of
the institutions, he had prepared plan
of action of which he invited discussion.
He pointed out that as each asylum has
been created under a separate Act there
was great dissinilarity in their admin
istration and cost In some cases the
trustees were paid, while in others their
services We're rendered gratuitously.
The number and compensation of Off
cials greatly varied, and there was need
of uniformity and their expense re-
duced.
In this connection Governor Budd
stated that there We're many persons
in the insane asylums who had no busi-
ness there. Committed for acute
mania, they had reached a condition of
dementia. But under the law as 1t
now stands, these harmless and feeble
\ :, a1,a rod
as they had not been technically cured.
The result was the overcrowding Of
the asylums and the imposition of un-
necessary expense upon the State. Re-
form was also required in the COM
mitment and care Of insane patients,
who, in his opinion, should be separated
into chronic, durable and criminal
classes.
To remedy the evils pointed out the
Governor recommended the adoption
of the New York plan of the govern
ment Of the insane aSylums, with GER
tain amendments. This would lead to
the formation of a central board, leav-
ing however, the local boards intact
1t was suggested that the central board
consist of the members Of the State
Board of Examiners, a medical superin-
tendent ana the Secretary of the
State Board of Health. The Governor
explained that by this arrangement the
medical superintendent would be the
only new salaried officer, and said that
as the Board of Examiners had finally
to pass upon all expenditures, much
would be gained by its taking part In
the financial management of the asy-
lums from the outset
The law dealing with the commitment
of the insane, the placing Of them in
cells before examination and general
rough treatment, was defined as brutal
by the Governor. In place of the pres
ent method he desired that on complaint
Of insanity the Judge Of a Superior
Court should appoint a medical expert,
who should sit either in court or at the
residence Of the person to be examined: 4:
that the proceedings should be in writ
ing, and afteTward should be filed for
reference. A change was also de-
manded in the detention Of the insane,
both in the counties and In the State
Asylums.
The insane, Governor Budd asserted,
were sick people and should be treated
as such, and he insisted upon the sep
aration of the violent from the durable,
and the incarceration Of the criminal
insane In wards by themselves. Now,
he said, insane persons, to be dis
charged, must be certified to be cured
even of dementia, and a court Is made
judge of the matter. Under the law
as proposed, appeal may be taken to
the medical director to be appointed
by the central board.
The discussion which took place
showed the ideas Of the Governor to be
generally approved, and a committee
was appointed, consisting Of the Presi-
dent OF the Board Of Trustees and the
Superintendent Of each OF the asylums
and the State Board Of Examiners, to
formulate a new insane law. This will
be submitted to the full board of each
asylum, and the bill when agreed upon
Will be submitted to the Legislature for
adoption.