The record-union., 1897-07-14
CALIFORNIA INSANE.
STATE CARE COMPARED WITH
ALMSHOUSE AND PRISON.
Very Valuable Article on the Sub
ject by DIR. A. vi.
Gardiner.

The following interesting and valua-
BILE article from the souvenir book of
the State Board Of Trade is from the
pen of DR.. a. NJ. Gardiner, Superinten-
dent of the Napa Insane Asylum:
IN the year 1851 the first State hos
pital for the care, custody, and treat
ment of the insane was erected in the
city of Stockton. At various times
since the above date, there has been
established by legislative enactment,
four other State institutions, all of
which are devoted to the same ends;
making in all five State hospitals that
are to-day engaged in this charitable
work Upon the 30th day of April,
1897, the total number of insane under
State care in California numbered
4.S14. Probably 125 insane persons
are being cared for in private asylums.
Early in the history Of The State it
was determined that the insane should
become the wards Of the State, and
ever since the opening OF the hospital
located at Stockton, up to the pres
ent. the State of California has as
sumed the entire control, custody, and
treatment of its insane. That system
of caring for the insane which recog-
nizes them as wards of the State is
known as State care in contradistinc-
tion to that system which permits a
certain proportion of .the insane in any
State to be cared for in prisons, jails,
and county almshOuses.
STATE CARE AS COMPARED WITH
ALMSHOUSE AND PRISON CARE.
l.rsa Of h
DDS of caring for the insane should now
be made in a discussion of this sub
ject, in order to make clear certain
propositions that will be considered
later on. There is 4 widespread con-
census of opinion among those who
have an extended experience in dealing
with the insane, that State care af-
fords the best means and methods for
the protection Of these unfortunate peo-
pie. Many Of the worst horrors that
have been connected with the manage
ment Of the insane during the past
fifty years have found a breeding
place and have been carried to their
full contamination within the walls of
prisons, county jails, and almshouses,
abodes in which an uncertain number
of the insane are still maintained in
several of the Eastern States.
As stated before, California had ear
ly learned its lesson of humanity, and
commenced its practical application,
viz. State care New York has re-
Gently learned the same lesson, and now
assumes the entire control and care of
its insane population. Several others
Of the Eastern States have done like
uiSa These instances will cbovv 70
the reader the trend of public opinion,
an opinion which has been productive
of excellent and rapid results in a few
States, which is slowly affecting Others
and which has failed to make any i'm
preston whatever upon those States
which still continue the county aims
house and prison management 1t is
probable, however. that the time is
not far distant when all the insane in
the United States, except those in pri-
vate asylums. will be placed exclusive
~ under State control
To compare the number of insane in
any particular State with the num-
Der of insane in any other State. Civ
ing reasons why a difference of num-
bers should exist, the population in
each State being approximately the
same, is exceedingly difficult of accom-
plishment.
LUNACY LAWS
There are various reasons why this
is true:
First-The laws under which the in
sane are committed. and which control
and direct this department of State
government are unlike in most of the
different States. The lunacy laws of
New York and California place all the
insane under State care. with the ex-
ception Of those in private asylums.
The lunacy laws of Pennsylvania per-
mits an uncertain number of the in
sane to be provided for in prisons, jails.
and county almshouses. The popula-
tion of New York in 1890 was ), 5,497. .S53.
that Of Pennsylvania 5,25S.014 Notice
the population of each State is nearly
the same; still the insane in New York
at the close of that year numbered
16624, While the insane in Pennsylva-
MIA at the same date numbered 1911 {:
by this data it would seem that New
York had 9,013 more insane than
Pennsylvania, the population of each
State being nearly the same. Can
this be true? Certainly not. Had the
lunacy laws been the same in each
State no such discrepancy would have
existed. The facts are, New York re-
ports all its insane; Pennsylvania does
not; hence the difficulty of making a
just comparison. The above difficulty
exists when we endeavor to compare
the number OF insane in California un-
der State care with any other State
where State care does not exist. Com
parisons under such circumstances will
be invariably detrimental to California