The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-01
SEATTLE, SATURDAY. DEC. !.
providing For the Insane.


N such additional provision for the care
Of the insane ns this state may Be obliged
a. mako. the experience Of other and older
commonwesiths should Be studied care
fuiIy. Legislation on such matters Il apt
20 run IN weilwcrn grooves. We start out
- buildins q hospital for the insane or q
prison for the criminal, and thereafter we
70 on adding wing. or putting up an
additional building somewhere else, a.
Il that were all that could BE- done The
legislature has many matters TO look az
tor in q short session; perhaps n contains
few members who have made study Of
tine hest methods Of treating the criminal.
tbs dependent and the defective classes:
and 90 the question whether the method
originally adopted may not have been
superseded by one better for the indi-
viduaI ana for the stsAs N nat raised until
tho people have invested vast sums Of
money in huge plants that rest upon no
foundation hettsr than an ANTICIPATED and
faulty principle.
It y admitted that provision for the
insane must be enlarged. Modern sciences
does less to prevent or cure the terrible
afliction Of mental arrangement than the
nerve strain OF modern life does to In
crease ana aesravats II. In all tho states
the INSANE population IL growing rapidly.
g1ncs the state has assumed Of necessity
INSANE. the duty should be discharged In
teIiiEently. with reference to two prime
considerations: the best interests OF the
patients themselves. and the iesnening as
FAR a. possfble Of the cost OF maintenance
and treatment to the taxpayers. On each
Of these points there have been concur
sions reached elsewhere which should not
be overlooked by onr representatives.
Tnua far the only plan suggested is the
building OF an addition 10 one or both
OF the existing hospitals for the insane.
This means an extension Of the present
plan indeanitely. On the contrary. tho
hest authorities upon the treatment Of
the insane agree that what 10 called tho
''costage plan" gives greatly superior re.
suits. This contemplates the maintenance
OF the insane In a number of small
buildings grouped about = common CEN
ter. The inmates thus have the benefit
OF uniform superintendence and treat
m~nt. but the horrible wards. where they
are herded like wild beasts. are done
away with. Tho hospital more resembles
home. There Is greater freedom Of
movement. and no ono now denies that
the minimum OF restraint 10 most favor
able TO the recovery OF the patient. II
10 common remark that sane person.
II cocnned for long In an insane asylum.
would become mentally unbalanced BY the
sorced association. similarly evii effect
Of the sights ana sounds in one OF these
mammoth institutions Is felt by patients
forced 20 remain there The natural ten
denoy IA untayOrahle. and cure becomes
more alrieuR. In the moro progressive
states az Tire Union. the cottage plar u
nrmiy nsea. why should Il not be intro
daced AZ this time into Washington
Again. ., WITH become necessary. sooner
or later. to shift the responsibility FOR q
certain portion ot the se-caiicd insane
irom the state TO the local community
that Is more properly chargeah.e with
them. Whatever the state can Re made
20 40 the county viii put upau n.
II is a weii-knowa fac, that all state tn
ssas Asyiums soatain q large nuu,hsr Of
patients who are not technically speak
ing, insane At all They are weak -nn,nss-
"a. aged or seniie They become unpleas-
act to those who should naturally care for
them They are foissea upon the pusne;
and In tisas the insane hospitals sasher
srsAtsmnnssrs sssasm IRON this sousce