The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-01-05
WISCONSIN SYSTEM.
How the Insane Are Cared for E1-
planned In Detail.

In no sphere of sociological inquiry has
modern science made greater advance than
in the study and treatment Of insanity. The
early practices Of treating the insane, first,
as possessed, and latterly as criminals, have
been wholly discarded, except as traces re-
main in the forms of our commitments Tho
modern and rational conclusion is that in
sanity is disease. and such requires
treatment the same as any other ailment.
In its acute stage the hospital is the proper
permanent or chronic condition, then the
patient is what we might call mental Grip
pie, and the home or asylum is the proper
place for his care. There is no more sense
in keeping the acutely insane and the chron-
fc in the same institution than there would be
in keeping those who had become physically
crippled as the result of accident or disease
in hospital designed for the treatment Of
acute cases of disease or injury still this
is what we are undertaking to do in this
state today: The chronic insane. or mentally
crippled, differs in no material respect from
the rest of his kind, except that he is help
less to the extent of his ailment. The most
reliable information that l have been able
to obtain Is that he is not subject to fits
a person crippled in body would be likely to
be. l recently at one of the county
asylums in the state of Wisconsin 1874 in
mates, the entire population of the institu-
ton, observe as good order and go about
their various duties quietly and much In the
same way, according to their ability, as the
ike nUmDer OF SOUND people might. l saw
them at work and It their meals. Restraint
of every kind was absent and unnecessary.
PHYSICAL AILMENTS.
In their physical ailments the chronic in
sane do not differ essentially from sane peo-
pie. On the whole, they seem to suffer less
from sickness than people who are mentally
sound. This was evidenced to me by the
fact that in the county asylum of Dane coun-
ty Wisconsin, when | was there about two
a Of
sickness. Bearing these facts in mind, and
the additional one that human being cannot
be content without some means Of employ
ment, and that the instincts and cravings
OF the mentally crippled in this regard are
the same as those OF sane people, it 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
more natural and humane to the unfortu-
mates, and which will also utilize such eie-
ments of efficiency for production and self
support as they possess AS to what this plan
should be the board of trustees and the board
of corrections and charities do not agree
The board of trustees recommends what is
termed the colony system" which could be
inaugurated by erecting inexpensive buildings
at both Anoka and Hastings. They say that
the overcrowded condition of the other hospi-
tails could thus be relieved from time to
time by transferring to these colonies, which
should be in charge of competent physicians
whose sole time should be devoted to their
out this plan farms should be purchased
within short distances from the present hos
pitfalls, to which the chronic insane could be
transferred and cared for under the same
staff OF officers who now conduct our hos
pitfalls, and that this latter method is the
best and most economical that can be adopt
ed.
ANOTHER PLAN SUGGESTED.
The board. of corrections and charities, on
the other hand, recommend what is known
the .'WiScOn sin MAN To no
gested condition of our present hospitals and
to provide a humane and economical method
of caring for the chronic insane. Under it
any county that may so elect should be au-
thorized and empowered by the legislature to
erect and furnish suitable building OF build
ings for the maintenance and of the
chronic insane, under such restrictions and
safeguards they point out and suggest, the
state to pay the county $1.o0 per week for
each inmate cared for. Both plans have this
In common: That they are better calculated
to place the chronic insane under natural con-
dit1ons and thus insure their greater comfort
and happiness, and also that they will,
though in differing degree, utilize the pro-
ductive capacity of the inmates towards their
Self-support.
The plan of the hospital board it will be
Observed retains the entire subject and ma
chinery of administration under state con-
troll. The other RENTS the administration of
the institution to the local authorities re-
serving, however, ample power of control and
plans. my judgment has led me to favor the
Wisconsin plan, and recommend It's adoption
without hesitancy or reserve. My first i'm
pressions were against it, and my present
judgment is the result Of investigation and
observation. If no other considerations entered
into 1t, l should deem 1t a great reform in
itself for you to select that method which
transferred the burden of administration to
the local authorities. Local self government
and administration are usually conducive to
the best interests of the people and of our
institutions. and should be encouraged when
ever practicable, rather than repressed. If q
city or county can perform a municipal func-
ton as well or better than the state, it is poor
policy to burden the state with its perform
ance. The administration of the county asy-
lums in Wisconsin is most admirable Judged
by the same standard, 1t is as good in all re-
spects the administration of the state hos
pitfalls, in that state or In ours.
AS TO ECONOMY.
In respect to economy. there is hardly any
room for comparison, the arguments In the