Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-01-18
An Interesting Paper by DR.. B. w.
Searle on the Subject.
READ BEFORE COUNTY SUPERVISORS
County Insane Hospitals Were Estab.
lislled Advtsedly-The Opinions
IF Famous Alienists
Were Secured.

/ SNei'sI SAAoii SoLC IOl Tic l1SdlC III UuS
county asylum built for that purpose.
is one of much importance to the tax.
payers. It can be positively asserted
that no citizen of Wapello county will
let financial considerations weigh as
against the proper care of the in
sane.
But if it can be be demonstrated, as
we believe it can, that in a large ma
jority of the cases, the care and atten-
ton given these unfortunates at the
county asylum, as conducted by Wa
pello county, is better than these same
unfortunates can receive at the state
asylum, then the question now being
agitated by the state board of control
becomes a very important and vital
matter. The last bill, covering per-
iod Of three months, paid by Wapello
county for the care of the insane at
the state hospital at Mt. Pleasant, pre-
vious to the return Of the majority of
Wapello's county's insane to the coun-
ty asylum, was for the three months
ending July l, 1897, and the amount of
the bill was $2,206.s6. The amount
paid by Wapello county for the care
OF the insane at the Mt. Pleasant hos
pital, for the three months ending
January | 1900, was $665.2O. The cost
to the count, for the care OF the insane
at the county asylum, averages $35
per year for each patient. AT the state
hospital the cost is $36 for each three
months, for each patient, or $144 per
year. At request of County Supervisor
Wagers, DR.. B. w. Searle, OF this city,
prepared the following paper to be
read before the convention Of county
supervisors, which is in session at
Ames today. The paper is an impor-
tant one and will be read with in
terest by Courier readers:
DIR. Searle's Paper.
With the present agitation of the
chronic insane in this state there are
adverse opinions expressed as to its
polity, and in many instances without
duly considering the subject from an
unbiased and practical standpoint.
This subject involves phase Of hui
man misfortune that belongs for its
solution to medical science, and to this
science do these unfortunates, their
friends and the commonwealth submit
them as the only source of cure or
amelioration, consequently, are not
students and practitioners of medicine,
especially those whose circumstances
have placed them for years in response
BILE contact in supervision of these I'M
fortunate wards of the state, compe-
tent to give opinions of the most
weighty value in solving this prob
lem?
As to the states being the legal Gus
todian of its insane citizens, there is
no question; they, the insane, are not
charity dependents, but such, by civil
process, for the protection of person
and property and the best opportuni-
ties to be restored to responsible citi-
zenship. The state has seen proper to
delegate to each county the obligation
of paying the legal expenses of taking
possession of the insane of its own
citizens, sending them to state hospi-
tails, and paying the per capita expense
Of maintenance while inmates direct
to such hospital, and if it should be
thought best, by hospital superintend-
ents, to return certain chronic incur
ables to the county from which they
were sent, so to do, thus placing in
the poor houses OF the more populous
counties, quite number of insane. As
suitable apartments and the necessary
| conyeniences had not been provided for
their proper care, the situation invited
thoughtful consideration and action;
! and among other phases to be consid-
cred was the item of expense. In this
| way the conclusion was arrived at that
| the county's insane expenses were un-
necessarily large, which conclusion has
been verified bv the state board of con-
troll, without abridging in the least,
the successful care and treatment OF
hospital inmates. This being the stu
| alton, the county board set about to
provide suitable buildings and sur
roundings for the more efficient care
OF its chronic insane.
They employed an experienced ar
chitect to visit the county farm and
then to plan and supervise the erec-
ton Of a building suitable for such
| care. The structure is modern and
its appointments are excellent, both as
to buildings and surroundings. The
latter statement is very markedly veri-
fed by the improved physical condi-
ton of the inmates and the low per-
centage of sickness and deaths.
AT this time letters were sent to the
late DR.. Gilman, superintendent of the
insane hospital at Mt. Pleasant, DR..
Hill, of the Independence hospital,
DR.. Hoyt, of the hospital at Clarinda,
Dr. "a. i. Carroll, for years superin-
tendent of the insane hospital at Jack
sonville, H., and DR.. Landon Carter
Gray, of New York City, an alienist Of
international reputation, asking their
opinions as to the undertaking of the
county care of the chronic insane, and
especially the more populous coun-
ties.
DR.. Gilman and DIR. Hoyt opposed
the undertaking as unwise, and mis-
take; however, the latter stated be-
fore a medical convention in session
at Mt. Pleasant not long since, that he
would not oppose the county care by
the more populous counties. DIR. Hill,
Of Independence, replies as follows: 81
have just had my attention called to
ynII,, laftarf r send Won hy fbiS mail