The times., 1897-08-23
CARING FOR THE DEMENTED.
Criticism of Local Treatment of
the Insane.

last week read paper before
the insane. He severely criticises the
The Commitment of the Insane in Large
Cities" The paper is especially in.er-
esting to Washingtonians, because the
Government United States Hospital for
District, and we, therefore, have unsOnnd
minds from all cities within cur bound
aries.
DIR Emmons confines himself 10 a Ine,lical
and legal standpoint of the treatment of
the insane. He severely cIiJicises lie
method Of treating insane peIsons in The
District, and strongly recommends that
q detention hospital be established Tor
preliminary examination as To the pa
TENTS sanity. He said In part:
The subject OF placing INSANE persons
under personal restraint is that which at
this time entertains our attention most.
At common law this power is liruited 20
cases where the INSANE person is danger
Gus TO himself or Others, but in practice
1T is frequently exercised with little dis-
cretion and often with great har5arity.
in Phiiadeipnia, Pa, ali such cases are
cared for hy the department OF charities,
and all cases of insanity found by the 90
lice are sent fer examination and deem
tion to the Philadelphia Hospital upon
certificate furnished by the district sur
geCns, stating fully all the details OF the
case. To state that the patient is in need
of hospital care by reason of insanity or
dementia is not sufficient. Cases OF alco
holism, with complications, are also re-
ceiyel 10y this method. These cases, sitter
observation, If found insane, are then sent
to the asylum at Norristown, Pa.
''In ST. Louis cases of lunacy are I'M
mediately sent to the City Dispensary,
an Institution located in the heart Of the
city, where the person is examined by
competent physicians, and If Justified by
the facts forwarded at once to the City
Hospital for observation, there being a
ward set aside for that purpose. Ii it
develops, after several DAYS treatments
that tine person is incurably insane he Ur
she, as the case may be, is sent TO the
insane asylum; If only temporary case
of arrangement, treatment follows until
the patient is discharged as cured.
In Pittsburg, Pa, the cases come under
the superintendent OF charities. A certifi-
cate is issued Immediately by two physi-
clans and the case is comnittedby magis-
trate to an asylum. BY this method they
claim they have the unfortunate in the
asylum in "A few hours. This method is
one that should invoke the sharpesl cri1i-
cism from every lover of justice.
In Baltimore the INDECENT insane are
under the charge of the health denart-
ment, cases are first taken to the police
station, two physicians Immediately make
an examination, and upon certificate
OF insanity issued by them, the lgn1tic
is sent to the dlnishouse for observation.
In Cincinnati INDECENT insane are con-
yeycd to the probate court, when the are
duly examined by a physician appointed
for that purpose, and il found fit sub
jet are sent TO the lunatic asylum. The
examinations are made twice d waek,
and daring that interval, should any Der-
son be charged with insanity, he or she
VIII be confined in the county Jail upon q
commitment made by the Judge of the
probate court.
'In Boston tue cases under consideration
are taken Immediately from the station
house to the Touihs, place OF detention,
where they can be properly taken care OF
and receive medical treatment until tx
! purpose. and If found 10 be insane their
| cases are submitted to the court and ;-iry
and upon their order sent u any as yiuni
In New York all such cases are taken
to the nearest police magistrate and by
him committed To the Commissioner Of
| charities, who detains them at the de-
| tention ward of Bellevue Hospital until
| observed and examined by two physicians.
who commits the prisoner to the insane
| asylum on Wards Island.
| I'm Chicago cases of insanity found by
| the police are committed Immediately from
! the police station TO the Detention Hos
| pitai, upon a warrant issued by the count =
| court. The Detention Hospital is an in
! sttution in which the insane are cua-
| fined previous to their cases being def
| .nitely passed upon by jury.
In the District Of Columbia such cases
are held at the police stations, and are
there examined by two members Of the
/ board of police surgeons, and upon their
/ certificates are sent to the Government
| asylum for the insane by an order of the
Secretary OF the Interior Department..
| A marsbai's jury is then called, and after
| about ten da VS. confinement in the as ylum
the csseis heard. The method in this city
isvery poor and should lie corrected atOnce
Frequently cases are detained for days in
| Il police station with no facilities for their
care or comfort, and very little if any medi-
cal observation.
! SHOULD such cases be arrested upon
Saturday they Will not usually reach The
| asylum until Monday. During that time
the unfortunate is subjected to the above
inconveniences. Many lunatics refuse Il
take food and therefore require To have i
administered to them by force. This neces
states a delicate operation and often on,
requiring great skill and patience. II
| should by law or regulation be require eC
to be performed by medical officer, OF
| at least in his presence. Permanent i'll
jury has, as know OF my own knowledge
resulted from disregard of this obviously
humane provision.
| ''Thcn, again, cases sent to the asylum
with acute mental disorders have recov
cred from their affliction by the tim,
the marshafs jury has assembled, ant
the District fails to commit the case ant
has added additional expense for the To X
payer to liquidate.
1.-The need OF detention hospital, II
charge of competent physician, for tn
Temporary care and detention OF cases o
lunacy, acute alcoholic mania and morphi;
habituates in the District of Columbia
has teen most strongly demonstrated o
late by a number of unfortunate cases
Such method as is now observed il
Chicago should be adopted by the Distric
of Columbia.
"We learn by study of the reports o
I