The record-union., 1898-07-24
INVESTIGATION FOR ACNEWS
ACTION OF THE STATE COM
MISSION IN LUNACY.
Scandals Will Be Sharply Probed-
Deportation of Alien Insane
Patients.

Secretary Carrere of the State Lun-
acy Commission returned last night
from San Francisco, where the Com
missioners held a very important ses-
sion and planned a great deal of work
Governor Budd presided at the meet
ing, and there were present Attorney
General Fitzgerald, DR.. f. w. Hatch
president of the board), DR.. w. 2.
Matthews Secretary of the State Board
OF Healthy, Director Isaac Upham Of
the Agnews Asylum and Secretary Cal
rere.
One of the directors of the Agnews
Asylum submitted the following to the
board:
AS member of Agnews State Hos
pital, / hereby request the State Com
mission in Lunacy to investigate, at
its earliest convenience. the general
management and administration of the
said State Hospital"
On motion of Governor Budd the re-
quest was granted and it was decided
that the entire board should meet at
Agnews on Tuesday next at IL a. m.
and proceed TO make a thorough in
quiry into the affairs of the hospital
The investigation will be conducted by
the Attorney General, will consume sew
eral days and full report will be taken
down by stenographers.
Secretary Carrere was instructed to
notify all the directors, which he has
already done. He went to San Jose in
the afternoon and served notices on Di-
rectors Hale and Curnow, also on DR..
Sponigle, the Medical superintendent.
Directors Hale and Curnow were
greatly pleased that the recent scandals
are to be investigated, and expressed
the hope that the inquiry would be
thorough.
Governor Budd, in making the motion
for an investigation, said he preferred
it would be conducted by Republicans,
as he did not wish it to be called
Democratic affair.
Among other business transacted the
board appointed DR.. Hatch and Sec
retary Carrere a committee to ascer-
tain the best method of ridding the
asylum of alien patients. After ad-
journment they called on the Chinese
and japanese Consuls, both of whom
expressed a Willingness TO assist the
authorities in the matter.
In China there are no hospitals for
the insane. Persons slightly afflicted
are allowed their freedom, but what
becomes of the maniacs is conun-
drum, the solution of which can only
be guessed at. AT all events it is said
there are no real crazy people seen in
China
Under these circumstances it is prob
able that only the milder cases will be
considered, and the Chinese Consul and
Consul General will shortly visit the
asylums and ascertain the condition
of the Chinese patients with view to
the deportation of such as may be
deemed advisable. There are about 300
Chinese patients altogether.
The japanese, however, have asylums
for their insane, and the Consul is will
ing to have those in the California hos
pitals-some forty in number-sent
home.
There are other aliens in the hospital
who have no right to be there, and i
is thought that a hundred or more of
them can be sent home in addition
to the Chinese and Japs. These deport-
ations will greatly relieve the State
asylums and reduce the cost of main
tanning them.
Secretary Carrere says it was also de-
cided to erect cottages at the Napa
Asylum for the accommodation of the
assistant physicians These can be
paid for out of the contingent fund,
and Will not increase the maintenance
demands Of the institutions. The doc
tors now have apartments in the asy-
lum, and when these are vacated about
eighty more patients can be accommo-
dated.
The reductions made in the expense
of conducting the asylum, said Secre-
tary Carrere will render it unnecessary
for any of them to ask the next Legis-
lature for appropriations for buildings.