The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-11-18
STATE AND ITS INSANE
THE CHIEF TOPIC DISCUSSED AT
THE CONFERENCE or CHARITIES.
Paper Read by Supt. Joseph G. ROg-
ers-MethOds of Teaching the
Blind Illustrated.


medical superintendent for the Northern
Indiana Hospital for the Insane at Logans-
port. DR.. Rogers reviewed exclusively the
history of the care for the insane of In
diana and vigorously presented the need for
a more efficient provision for this unfortu-
nate class.
DR.. Rogers showed first the apparently
enormous increase of insanity. In 1910 there
were in Indiana PAL insane persons a ratio
of one to one thousand. In 1880 the number
had increased to $500, and the ratio was 1
to 800. The record for 1898 shows that there
are 1900 insane people in the State. ratio
of to 675. On Sept so, of the 1890 insane,
$500 were in the hospitals. For the year go
were refused admittance to the hospitals
on account Of lack of room, 424 were placed
In the county asylums, and thirty-eight were
in county jails. Taking into account that
one-third Of those committed, but not adj
mitted, to insane hospitals help to make up
the number in the county asylums, there are
still enough of those who are kept by pri-
vate means to make the entire number
reach 1890.
Thus about one thousand of the States
insane are left without proper provision.
Dr. Rogers also added that the ratio of in
crease, while not so great probably, as the
statistics indicate is very real and will in
crease until society assumes the care of all
insane and enforces rigid regulations to re-
move the exciting cause of mental defect.
DIR. Rogers showed that laxness in the care
of the insane has not been limited to the
past few years. In 1857 after the Central
Hospital for the Insane had been estab-
lished ten years 303 persons were sent TO
their counties because the Legislature failed
To mob ri
finally cared for by the State, but the sue
ceeding years have been the history of a
struggle with inadequate funds. Increases
IN the capacity of the State to care for this
class of people came only gradually. The
northern Hospital, which was opened in 1883,
and the Southern and Eastern hospitals,
which We're opened in 1880, were a great
help, but they We're overcrowded by 1892.
MUST TURN SOME AWAY.
In speaking of the situation at the pres
ent time, DR.. Rogers said that in the central
district the superintendent is required to
make room for all new and possibly durable
cases: but he is often obliged to turn some
away. In the other districts of the State
superintendent are required to keep all
needing custodial care, and thus room is
given for newcomers only by death and
cure. Many hundreds are thus RELOCATED to
the county poorhouses and are kept in jails
or at their homes under distressing condl-
tions. The present capacity of the hospi-
tails to properly care for inmates is 3,1S8, so
that additional provision should be made
for l, 1l2 DIR. Rogers added
That large number of these need GUS
tOdlal care is shown by the number of COM
mitments in excess of capacity. The ur-
exemplitied by very recent instance in the
northern district, in which d delicate and re-
flned woman was admitted to Long Cliff
after unavoidable delay, during which she
was in common cell in a Jail, nude, raving
and uncontrolled. When the State adopts
permanently the policy of having ready at
all times a hospital place for at least one
out of go of its people, the hospitals will be
ready to promptly and properly care for the
States insane-and not till then"
In the discussion of the paper, DR.. S. E.
Smith, of the Eastern Hospital for the In
sane, called attention to the fact that the
expense of keeping men in the asylum is
not so great as is now paid TO keep them
in a Jail. The hospital charges only AS cents
for it's care, while 40 cents is required 10
pay for the food only of the Jail inmate.
Professor Butler mentioned the fact that in
some counties sheriffs are paid additional
sums for the care of insane inmates.
An interesting paper on Music Instruc-
ton for the Blind" was read by Miss Ade-
laide Carman, of the Institute for the Blind.
With the aid of a large board and several
pupils she illustrated the methods used in
teaching the blind Richard o. Johnson,
superintendent for the Institution for the
Their Education" One of the teachers in
Mr.. JOhnson's school was on the platform
and illustrated the manual system of con-
versation. Several examples were given
with pupils, and Mr. Morris, teacher OF
the school, gave Jonah and the Whale"
which was not altogether unintelligible to
those unfamiliar with the language.
GOV. MOUNT PRAISED.
The committee of the conference on reso-
buttons made report. After commencing
the progress of the State In reform move
ments and praising Governor Mount for his
conduct in relation to this progress, the re-
port recommended that the Governor make
special mention in his message to the next
Legislature of the need of the State for
additional provision for the insane The re-
port asked that provision be made for cell
houses for the proper care of the inmates of
the Indiana Reformatory. The separation
OF the Reform School for Girls and the
W0man'S Prison was also insisted upon. TO
carry out the plans of the conference for
legislative action it was recommended that
committee of five be appointed, with the
incoming president at the head, the four to
be chosen by the executive committee.
of CHARITIES and Correction the following
officers were elected: President, John Fl.
Holiday; vice presidents. A II. Graham,
Knightstown; William c. Ball, Terre
Haute; Mortimer lowering, Lafayette, and
Miss Mary Wilson, Evansville secretary,
Prof. Z. T. Moran, of Lafayette; executive
committee. John IL. Holiday, Indianapolis;
Prof. T. r. Moran, Lafayette; A. w. But
Ter, Indianapolis; j. w. Comfort, Jefferson
N1Ies HrOT. II. L. BOSarI, bloomington; the
Right Rev. Francis H. Gavisk Indianapo-
lis, and Alexander johnson, Fort Wayne.
Later in the day Miss Sarah +. Keely was
appointed vice president, and Miss AIDE
laide Carman and Mrs. r. NJ Carpenter be-
came members of the executive committee.
The morning meeting. was devoted to the
subject of Child Saving" Talks on the
truancy law were made by d. M. Geeting
and David K. Goss. Miss Anna Brock
hansen read a paper on. vacation
Schools" Mrs Deborah Wall president of
the Grant County Orphans Home Associa-
in the Home" William B. Streeter spoke
on THE Advantages of the Present De-
pendent Children's Law"
The general subject for the final meeting
of the conference last night was "AsSo-
ciated Charities" Miss Carrie Rein, gen.
eral secretary of the Associated Charities of
Evansville, read the chief paper OF the
evening on Organized Charities in Small
Cities" She said that the way to make or
ganiZed charity succeed is to place the man.
agement in the hands of the proper kind of
a trained worker. First of all, he must be
a lover of his ENJOYABLE brother. Then he
must have too much sense TO know when he
society must enter into cooperation with
already existing societies, must make ex-
haustive investigation of all cases of need,
and must find for every man who needs help
a brother who will enter into his life and
help him live it. If these conditions are
extending help to street beggars is effect
ually stopped there is no reason, in Miss
Retn'S opinion, why organized charity shall
not succeed in towns whose inhabitants DO
not number more than 1900 to 400O.
President Scot Butler, of Irvington, gave
a brief discussion of the paper and was fol-
lowed by Alexander Johnson, Of Fort Wayne,
and T.. A. Fay. of Dayton, o. Mr.. Fay