The San Francisco call., 1897-09-26
Commissioners and Hospital
representatives bold Two
Executive Sessions.
COISUHPTIVES TO Be ISOLATED.
Alcoholic and Cocaine Fiends Must
Be Exclude From the State Hos
pitals for the Insane,

An executive session of the Lunacy
Commissioners and representatives OF the
various State institutions for the care OF
the insane was held at the Attorney
Generals office yesterday. In fact, there
we're two secret sessions, one in the fore
noon and the other in the afternoon. a
preliminary meeting was held Friday,
which was attended by Governor Budd,
Attorney General Fitzgerald, Secretary
of State Brown, DR.. Matthews (secretary
of the State Board of Healthy, and DR..
Hatch superintendent of State hOspitals).
The Governor did not attend the sessions
Yesterday; but two candidates for Gov
ernor were present-Mr. Fitzgerald and
Mr.. Brown. Among "others present
were DR.. Z. ". King and State Senator
J. II. Seawell, representing the Mendo-
cino Hospital for the Insane; DR.. NJ. B..
Campbell and John W. MCGonigle of the
Southern California Hospital; DR.. F. w.
Spooner Dr. Curnow, Frank Gould and
Isaac Upham of the Agnews Asylum; DR..
Gardiner and Mr.. Barker OF Napa; Dr.
Young, assistant superintendent, and
Messrs. Steffens, Doyle and Wood of the
Stockton institution for the insane.
~
subject discussed in the secret session last
Friday, and that a plan was adopted for
the examination of applicants Tor posi-
tions in all other than the medical depart
ment of the institutions. Each hospital
superirtendent is 10 pre- pare a list OF ques-
Mons and send the list 10 the Lunacy Com
mission. The commissioners VIII ex-
anime these lists and add new questions
il such addition be deemed desir4 ole, and
q ga
slrable The papers, when fixed to SUIT
tho commission, will be sent 10 a commit
Zee consis ting of one memb ber OF the
commission, one representative OF the
board of managers anu the medical super
in,enCent OF the Institution where the e1-
animation is to be conducted. The pre-
sumption is that applicants Will not know
ANYTHING of the questions in advance.
An applicant failing to pass an examina-
ton will have no show of getting Job.
l. is an open question whether the IN
efficient now in place will be permitted to
remain.
The new rules may be interpreted as ap-
plying to those holding positions as well
as others seeking to obtain employment
IN the State hospital service.
J. Z. Garrere, secretary OF the commits
sion. was directed to read a letter which
had been received by DR.. Curnow from
W. A, Stoker, superintendent of the llll-
nois Hospital The letter tells about q
cottage established for tubercular patients
at Anna, LII.
The subject of establishing separate cot
tages for consumptlve patients was then
discussed Every doctor In the room par
ticipated in the talk. Mr.. Brown, Secre-
tarv of State, has recently refreshed MS
knowledge on that particular subject and
was able to keep Up with the doctors in
the alI-around talk. He had statistics to
prove that 80 per cent of the persons In
the State hospitals were tubercular pa
tients.
The discussion had reference to pre-
ject for building cottage at Agnews
That institution has the sum OF $40 0O(
available for experimental work on the
line proposed, and the sentiment of the
session was in favor of spending the
money.
The Attorney-General was surprised a
the revelations concerning the percentage
of consumptive patients among the in
sane, and was dumtounded to hnc
Brown loaded with data.
Every body present favored the PROPOSE
ton to isolate the consum ptive patien Is
and the secretary was Instructed to cor
respond with hospital managers on tht
subject.
DR.. Matthews was strongly in favor o
the cottage plan and sanitarium besides
DR.. Gardiner announced the arrival o.
the era in medicine OF the preventive
which is to supplant the curative.
The Acknowledgement reminded tht
doctors that the legislature some year
ago selected Atlas Peak, near Napa Sodi
Springs, as an ideal spot for sanltarlun
for consumptive patients.
All agreed that persons in good health
could catch the consumption, and tina
isolation was demanded.
q aAa-r ,fVNaxr n To h.
consumptives the doctors then began II
talk about excluding such OF the insane
as were not legit1mately crazy or In othe
words to put up the bars against the ad
mission of patients who were mentally
unbalanced by reason of the excessive use
OF alcoholic stimulant, cocaine and NOR
phine.
II was urged that patients of this clas
should not be admitted 10 the privilege
and benefits of State institution, bu
should remain a charge on the counties
respectively from which they hailed. Iht
law as amended was construed to meal
that only those actually insane should b.
received for treatment.
The discussion on this point took a yer,
wide range, indeed. All the misery
wretchedness, poverty, crime and degra
da ton caused by strong drink and drug
were dwelt upon. Some of the doctor
predicted that The day would come wheI
the wicked disciples OF tins form of vic,
would be so treated that posterity woulC
not suffer for Their sins. The candidate
for Governor were not willing that thi
heroic remedy should be applied to ever,
citizen who took drink.
Secretary Carrere was directed to notify
medical examiners OIL the insane not 1,
accept patient where a doubt existed a
TO the cause of insanity, TO the end tha
the tiends and those atfl cted with demen
tia caused by whi KY snould not find
haven of repose III State hospital.
The afternoon session was executive
likewise. but brief. The fact was consd
cred that California does not insure III,
public buildings of the State. 1t was ais,
taken into consideration that danger O
great loss by fire was constant There
fore, it was decided to appoint Secreta ~
of State Brown. Dr.. Hatch and DR.
Matthews a com mite to examine fire dis
tinguishers ana report the best system TO