Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1899-01-06
TREATMENT OF INSANE.

different counties for loading down thu
state with the care and maintenance Of
the INDECENT who are suffering from any
montal disorder or weakness in the slight.
est degree. This 10 certainly bad policy
and should be reformed.
I'm no sphere Of sociological inquiry"
says Governor Lind. has molern science
made greater advance than in the study
and treatment of insanity. The early
practices of treating the insane, first, ~
possessed, and lattsrly. as criminals, have
been wholly discarded, except rs traces
remain in the forms of our commitments.
The modern and rational conclusion Is
that insanity IL disease and as such re.
quiros treatment tho same a. any other
ailment In this acute stage, the hospital
10 the proper place for its care. II 1t ia or
becomes . permanent or chronic condi-
ton, then the patient is what we might
call q mental cripple, and tho homo or
asylum 10 tho proper place for his care
There 10 no more senso in keeping the
acutely insane and tho chronic in tho
same institution than there would be in
keeping those who had become physically
Crippled In . hospital designed for the
treatment of acute cases Of disease or in
jury; still this IL what We are undertak
ing to do In this state to today"
III Adopt = Humane Msthod.
In their physical ailments the chronic
insane do not differ essentially from sano
people On the whole, they seem to suffer
less from siokusss than people who arc
mentally sound. Bearing these facts IL
mind, and the additional one that q
human being cannot be cont Mt without
some means Of employment, and that tho
Instincts and cravings of the mentally
crippled in this regard are the same AZ
those Of sane people, 1t seems to me that
the dictates OF interest and humanity
alike will compel you to abandon hospital
extension in this state upon present lines,
and to adopt a method which will be moro
natural and humane to the unfortunates,
and which will also utilize such elements
OF efficiency for production and self-sup.
port az they possess. As to what this plan
should be the board Of trustees and the
board Of corrections and charities do not
what is termed tho "Colony System"
the other hand, recommend what 10
known 40 the "Wisconsin plan"
Under it any county that may 20 elect
E0OuAA w 0uO0OA AAVSA SAASA SAApO"oA0A W
tho legislature to erect and furnish suit.
able building or buildings for the maintc.
nance and care of the chronic insane, un.
der such restrictions and safeguards az
they point out and suggest, the state to
pay the county $50 per week for each in.
mate cared for. Both plans have this in
common: that they are better calculated
to place the chronic insane under natural
conditions and thus insure their greater
comfort and happiness, and also that they
will, though In q different degree, utilize
the prod uctive capacity Of the inmates
toward their support.
Esvors tho Wisconsin Plan.
The plan Of the hospital board retains
the entire subject and machinery Of ad.
ministration under state control The
other RENTS the administration Of tho in.
stitution to the local authorities, reserv-
ing, however, ample power Of control and
supervision to the state. As between the
two plans, my Judgment has lead me to
favor the Wisconsin plan, and recon-.
mend it, adoption without hesitancy or
reserve. My first Impressions were
against 1t, and my present judgment is
the result of investigation and observa.
tion. II no other considerations entered
into it, should deem 1t great reform In
itself for you to select that method which
transferred the burden Of administration
to the local authorities. The admlnistra:
ton Of the county asylums In Wisconsin
10 most admirable. Judged by the same
standard, 1t Is as good In all respects ~
the administration of the state hospitals,
in that state or In ours. In respect to
economy, there 10 hardly any room for
com garrison, the arguments In the report
Of the hospital board to the contrary not
withstanding.
Governor Lind then details at some
length his observations in visits to some
Of the Wisconsin county asylulns for the
chronic insane, finding them in manage.
ment exceedingly commendable. Hefound
all the Institutions visited better housed
than he had expected, and also better
equipped The food for the most part be.
ing raised on the farms operated in con.
nection was wholesome and abundant, the
beds and bedding cleaner than in any
similar institution he had ever visite
He 10 loath to believe that as good local
management cannot be obtained in this
state as in Wisconsin,. The supervision
rests in tho state, and It's aid to the extent
Of $50 per capita could and should BIZ
made contingent upon the maintenance OF
. high standard. At the present one hos
pitnl In each congressional district would
probably bs sufficient, with one for each
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