Evening journal., 1898-05-30
THE INSANE PATIENT.

were productive or great ana lasting
beneficial results. He attacked the
prison system; the abuses which ex-
listed in the British penal colonies; the
horrible practices Of shipowners and
consignors who consplred to defraud
marine underwriters regardless Of the
lives Of the officers and crews on ships
which were fore-doomed to destruction
that the owners Of them and their re-
puted cargoes might receive the emolu-
ments arising from the insurance
thereon; the cruelties and hardships
suffered by men in the navy and mer-
chant marine; and one OF his novels
was written for the express purpose Of
calling public attention to the evils
suffered by womankind by reason OF
tight-lacing, and in advocacy of that
system of dress REFORM which
is now affected by 80
many women, and winning to itself
new believers daily. But one Of the
most powerful, as well as entertaining,
Of his many creations is Very Hard
Cash" At the time II was written the
private mad-house was quite common
in England and practically without
governmental supervision. The abuses
connected with these institutions were
horrible to contemplate, and the novel
list led the fight against them by pic
turing in "Very Hard Cash" the fate Of
sea captain who had been defrauded
Of his hard earnings by a dishonest
banker, who, to cover UP his own viii
lainy, secured the committal Of the de-
frauded man to one Of these private
asylums. The story Of his suiferings
so graphically told, shook England
from centre to circumference,
and formed a nucleus about which
those who had been cognizant Of the
abuses could gather and organize for a
determined war against all such insti-
tutions. The result was Parliamentary
inquiry, which disclosed conditions
even more horrible than those depleted
by the novelist, and the government
took prompt steps to break up such
dens and to bring. their keepers to an
accounting.
Perhaps no worse fate can befall a
sane man than to be adtudged insane
and confined in an asylum. Having
been declared insane no one credits his
protestations Of sanity, and his lot is
made doubly hard in this respect be-
cause but comparatively few persons
whose minds are affected really believe
that they are insane. AS proof OF this
it is only necessary for one to 80 over
TO the Delaware State Hospital at
Farnhurst. The patients there are al
most unanimous in their declarations
that they are not insane, and some OF
them beg most piteously to be taken
home For a time you are tempted To
believe them, they talk and act so ra-
tionally, but II you remain with them q
few minutes they will finally come to
the subject OF their distomper, and con-
vince you that they are where they
should be fer the safety, comfort and
well-being of their relatives. friends
and society at large. The best test Oi
o mans mental condition is the true
and unbiased testimony Of his family
and friends and neighbors, together
with a searching examination Of th'
patient himself If he is distempereC
they are the ones who will perceive It
and If they are once convinced that h
is insane they are not likely to endea
vor to interpose any objection to hi
committal to q proper institution. Fo
this reason great care SHOULD be ex
ercised by physicians before they Civ
certificates CT cCmmittai. They owe /
TO their patient and they owe 1t L
themselves to make dillgCnt inquiry
not of the members of the family alone
but OF those with whom the patient as
sociates. socially and in business, he
fore finally passing upon his condition
We have just had a case in point her
in our own city. A man named Georg
Loney, possessed OF some property
acted in an eccentric and abusive man
ner towards his daughters. They calle
in physicians and had their father e,
amined. These physicians declare
that he was insane and the daughter
had him committed to the Delawal
State Hospital at Farnhurst. He W.
taken there by police officer, and 81
perintendent Hancker took him
charge. He, too, was convinced thi
the man was suffering from dement,
Some friends, who did not believe tn.
Loney was insane, interested then
selves to the extent OF securing his r
lease. They retained lawyers, secm,
special legislation had the chancelh
appoint a jury of twelve responsib
men, and went into an exhaustive hea
ing OF the case. The daughters r
tanned lawyers. and the hearing W
ably conducted on both sides. T.
daughters. the physicians and a fC
othens testified that in their opinii
the man was insane. A large numb
OF his friends and business assOciat
came forward, testified that they h
known Loney for many years and tn.