The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-12-16
MISUSE OF The HOSPITALS.
SANE INDIGENTs COMMITTED
no MENDOCIN0.
Revision Of the Salary 1dst-Noth-
ing Done Regarding Female
Physicians.

consisting OF prs. 3. w. Hatch, w. Il.
Mathews, Secretary of State Curry. At
torney General Ford, and Daniel Ke-
vane, Secretary of the State Board OF
Examiners (who presided as President
in the absence of Governor Cage. held
an important conference yesterday with
the officials of the various State hos
pitfalls, Drs. Gardener of Napa, Crane
Of Agnew, Clark of Stockton, King of
Mendocino, Campbell Of Southern Cali
fornia and Managers Barker of Napa,
Seawell of Mendocino, Hale and Green
niger of Agnew, Woods and Steffens OF
Stockton, and Rays of Southern Califor-
MIA
The conference was called for the
purpose Of devising ways and means TO
provide better management OF the
various State hospitals.
After the meeting had been called to
order of President Kevane, DR.. Hatch
moved that the President appoint a
committee, consisting of the Superin-
tendents of the various hospitals, to
draft uniform system of bylaws for
the government of the several hospitals,
which was carried.
DR.. Hatch then moved the appoint
ment of Committee on Uniformity
of Clothing, Contracts and Supplies,
which was also approved. He also ad-
vocated the appointment of a Dietary
Committee to decide ON the most ad-
vantageous supplies to procure for the
use of the inmates. This also met with
the appreciation of those present.
Then followed a long discussion OF
what should be done with morally in
sane patients, who are apparently sane
when in confinement. It was agreed
that, as there is such a diversity OF
symptoms in the many cases brought
to the attention Of the superintendent,
it would be impossible to formulate any
arbitrary rule, but that they must be
considered individually.
The matter of defective commitments
was then taken up and discussed.
DR.. Crane thought some method
should be devised whereby Superior
Judges should be requested to retain
patients in County Jails for at least a
period of twenty days, in order to ascer-
tain whether their mania was perma-
nent or only the temporary effect of in
toxicants or drugs.
Mr.. Seawell stated that the RESPONSE
bility of commitments lay with the
physicians on the Examining Boards,
and not with the Superior Judges.
Secretary of State Curry said that the
only remedy would be for the various
Superintendents of asylums to come to-
gether and draft some measure that
would govern the subject, for presenta-
ton to the Legislature. County officials
are only too anxious to reduce local
taxation by shifting the support of in
sane persons upon the State as quickly
as possible, and they would never will
ingly agree to their retention for
period Of twenty days. The measure
should also provide for the appoint
ment of Examining Boards, to insure
their competency, as in many cases
they are appointed from among the
political adherents of the Superior
Judges, without regard to their special
ability for deciding on the sanity or in
sanity of the person under examination.
In his opinion very large percentage
of the inmates of the State hospitals at
the present time should be cared for
in the almshouses and on the poor
farms of the counties, instead of being
a burden on the State institutions.
LIZ I1dtcIk luliy d6ACCo with 0CS4 $500 J
of State Curry, and stated further that
the Mendocino Asylum is used as
dumping place for all the rag-tag and
bob-tail of San Francisco's useless hui
mainly. Old men who had outlived
their usefulness and become burdens on
that city are shipped to Mendocino. In
his late visit to that asylum he made
list of those who, in his opinion, should
never have been sent there, and he in
tended to demand their removal by the
Superior Judges of San Francisco. II
this should be refused he would select
some one individual and make a test
case of the matter in the courts.
After a brief discussion of the sub
ject the conference adjourned until
1:3O p. m
AFTERNOON SESSION.
DIR. Hatch announced that the after
noon session would be devoted to a go
as-you-please talk on matters OF
moment. and called upon those present
to bring up anything they desired to
have discussed
Raleigh Barcar of the Napa Hospital
referred to the circular received by the
institution respecting the tenure OF
office of officials and employees of the
rIr, cxsoT THAT Tells