The Saint Paul globe., 1897-09-25
A Jup1CIous RETREAT.

Minnesota has gone through a very
expensive experience in one phase Of
paternalism the assumption of the
care Of those afflicted with mental all
ments of all kinds In the beginning
of the movement, If memory serves us
well, the state assumed the care and
treatment of the insane free of cost,
when the patient or relatives were too
poor to meet the charge. Some time in
the seventies this was changed to the
provision contained in what is now sec
tion 3461 of the revision of 1894 which
provides care, treatment and support
entirely free of cost and regardless
whether either the patient or relatives
are able to pay for it. The note to the
section intimates that this section ap-
pears to be invalid unde the decision
in State against Billings, but as the
practice of free support continues it is
not considered invalid as to that fea-
ture
The effect of this generous provision
was what might have been anticipated.
The hospitals for the insane quickly
filled with patients sent there by rela-
tives glad to be relieved of the annoy
ance of the presence of defective
and of the expense of support. Unless
she has recently died there is one case,
woman, sent to Rochester in the lat
ter part of the decade of 1850 who pos
sessed property in her own right and
had relatives abundantly able to sup
port and care for her She was not
violently insane. a harmless creature,
lingering out the years of physical en-
durance with clouded mind. The hos
pital filled, and ever since we have
been building more and ever more hos
pitals and incurring greater annual ex-
pense account in their support, With
no prospect of relief from ever increas-
ing demands and expenses
This is wholly due to the mistaken
sentimentalism of the act that provid-
ed free treatment and support and de-
parted from the original conception of
such hospitals that regarded the pa
tientS as subjects for treatment with
view to curing them; or, If found in
durable, of discharging them as hope,
less. 1t is evident that the state has
begun judicious retreat from this po-
sition The last session of the legisIa-
ture required an examination to be
made by physicians attached to the
hospitals of the patients, and, eff, upon
such an examination, it is found that
the patient is not a proper subject for
treatment in any insane hospital of
the state, the fact shall be SO certified,
whereupon the patient is to be dis
charged and returned to the county
whence sent, and delivered to the sher-
iff for delivery to the relatives respon-
sible for support, or, if a pauper, to be
sent to the poorhouse.
The act of 1898 limited the definition
of insane to every species of insan-
ity,'' but expressly y excluded 'idioey
and imbecility." If this definition is
held to in the examinations, it will re-
suit in the discharge of large num-
ber of persons who have become ire
trievably imbecile or idiotic through
inability to make their insanity yield
to treatment And if this law is exc
cuted in accordance with it's evident
intent, there will be not only a cessa-
ton of hospital building, but very
large decrease in the annual expense
bills. There is no dictate of humanity
that requires all to be taxed for the
support of those who become helpless
through mental diseases that doas not
extend to those who are or become
helpless and burden on their relatives
from any other cause. If the move
ment indicates a retreat to the>ccrrect
conception of these hospitals as places
for treatment of mental diseases so
long as a cure is possible, the state is
to be congratulated on the movement,
and those charged with it's execution
should execute it according to that in
tent.
A MILLENNIAL PROPOSITION.
IT, tIo of tho