The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-01
CARE OF THE INSANE
THE COUNTY ASYLUM SYSTEM COM
PARED WITH THE STATE
HOSPITAL PLAN
STRIKING FIGURES AS TO COST

Per Capita Expense Decreasing In
Minnesota, While the Total Is
Constantly Growing Larger -
Discrimination Between Those
Who Are Sick in Mind and Those
Who Are Ill in Body.
Humanity, that is that portion which
has attained to the degree Of civilized,
has moved upward on its slow and
toilsome path and left far behind that
stage at which those who had lost
their mental balance were regarded as
wild beasts, either to be Gagged Secur
ly clapped into Jail as criminals and
II Gated as such, or summary removed
from this eXistance as dangerous and
useless membranes. We are In the
sentimental stage now where these of
our afflicted are regarded as unfortu-
mates whose misfortune appeals to our
SympathieS, for whom society must
provide curative treatment, and, when
that fails, a permanent support. We
have before us, in a more or less re-
mote future, the attainment of that
condition of philosophic calm and in
tellectual cold, wherein the Sympathies'
are kept under due control and the
utilities given first place. when the
physical will be subordinate to the in
tcllectual, the human body regarded as
only an implement through which the
conscious intelligence works out its
purposes, and when, if the intellect be-
comes incapacitated through disease,
society, having no use for a sane body
without q sane mind, will, when the
permanancy of insanity is established,
quietly, humanely, tenderly, but in
eXorably, remove the inefficient and
me hUa q
while, for a period to which limits can
not now be set, we will continue our
endeavorS as to these and some other
~incapables, to secure the survival of
the unfittest.
1t is, however matter for present
consideration whether, in justice to
those who must bear the burden in
addition to their own personal loads,
society represented by the state,
should make the discrimination now
made between those who are sick in
mind and those who are sick in body.
Why should the state undertake the
treatment for curative ends of those
who are mentally diseased and cast
upon themselves or those upon whom
they depend the cost of treatment in
the cases of those who suffer bodily
disease? Is the one class a more use
fGl portion of society than the other
that they are thus favored? And why
should the state not take over the
maintenance of all it's subjects who
have become incapaciated by any
disease, mental or physical, from self
support, if 1t is to assume the charge
as to those who are only mentally
sick? Why should it compel near
relatives to support their dependent
kin, sick or well, and relieve them from
payment if the dependent is insane? At
the least why should not the property
of an insane person be used to reim-
burse the cost to the state of his or
her maintenance?
TWO POINTS OF VIEW.
Assuming the continuity of the pres
ent policy of assumption by the state
of the entire control, care and main
tenarce of it's insane, the subject pre-
Sents itself from two distinct view
points, that of insane, embracing what
is hest for them, what is most con-
ducive to their comfort, health and
welfare, and the other that of those
who have to bear the cost. Hitherto
the former has been the one more fire.
quently presented to the public Char
liable, psychological, sociological and
kindred societies have discussed the
humanitarian side of the questions,
while state boards having the institu-
lions for the insane in charge have
dwelt less upon the cost, to the state
than upon the need of increased ex-
perditures. Details of cost are of
course given in the annual or BIZ
ennial reports, from which the inveS-
tigator can gather most of the data
he requires. 1t is the purpose of this
article to present the two points of
view and to make a comparison, COW
ering both the econimieS and the HUI
manities of the mass system as prac-
ticed in Minnesota, and the more in
dino lIc.ff
Wisconsin under the county asylum
system.
COUNTY ASYLUM PLAN.
Seventeen years ago Wisconsin, per-
ceiving the inevitable tendency to rap
id increase in the number of insane
asylums, with two already established
and strong pressure upon the state for
another, perceiving also, it may be as
sumed, the absurdity of making the
care and support of the chronic insane
charge upon the entire state in in
Sttutions erected for the purpose Of
remedial treatment, abandoned the
state institution system and adopted
the state and county system Under
this the two establishments were re-
Stricted to the functions of hospitals
to which persons, adjudged to be in
sane, could be sent for treatment
found incurable, they were returned
to their respective counties for main
tenance. To induce the counties to
construct asylums the state gave 81 sc
week for each inmate whose support
was chargable either to the county or
because OF want of domicile, were
state charges. Counties establishing
asylums were authorized to receive in
sane from those counties having no
asylum. On the other hand. the coun-
ty pays the state $3.50 a week during
the time It's insane are under treat
ment in the hospitals Some twenty
OF the counties have established asy-
iuTas, in which they care for their own
insane and those of other counties.
Some twenty of the counties have es-
tablished asylums under this act. and
ranking first among them in complete
ness, In excellence of management is
the Manltowoc asylum. located within
the boundaries of the city of Manito-
voc, an illustration of the buildings of
whlch Is herewith given. 1t was be-
gun IN 1882 by the purchase of some
n1ty acres and the erection of a few
buildings. The land area has been
since added to, partly from the profits
realized IN the conduct of the asylum
until the farm embraces .22O acres ali
under cultivation and in excellent filth
Durlng the past year extensive i'm
provements, including new barn. with
TWO slios' each OF 300 tons capacity, at
for land is valued at SOS, 900. and for
buildings at $4,000. The live stock
partly thoroughbred, is valued 81
$3,ll6, and the products of the farm
this year were worth, at market priees
$4,2O4 Nearly $1,000 is invested in farm
implements and shop tools. The aver
age number of inmates during 1898 was
THESE fIftV-SQUQY