Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-03-16
CARE O| The insane
The Subject to Have Considerable
Attention From the Legislature
at Des Moines.
Comparison of State and County
Care Forest Ensign's Col.
lege Thesis.
An Investigation Into Iowa Insane
Asylums, State, County and
Private.
Special TO Times Republican.

l1sS MONIES, March lo.--.NO SuDJecI OF
general legislation is attracting as much
attention in Iowa as that OF the care of
Insane. AT the present time the total
number Of insane in Iowa is about 400
the last report. several months ago.
gave 4.356, showing that one person in
ahont 400 in Iowa is insane. OF these
2sa99 are in state hospitals, receiving
i'll. best Of care. In county poor houses
and asylums 1.i41 insane persons are
confined in more or less neglect ana
abuse, While about 40 are in four pri-
Nale as.lums. The state has three fine
hospitals. in Mi Pleasant, lndepend-
ence and Ciarinda. The one in Mt
Pleasant MAS established in ls55 opened
in lssl the Independence hospital was
opened iii ls1a and the one in Cllrinda
in 1883. In 1894 the Legislature author
lied The beginning OF another state
hospital in Cherokee. The sum of $420,-
eco has, already been spent in enclosing.
that hospital. An additional appropriate
ton Of s4so,oeo is now required and VIII
be allowed. To finish II. The state spends
n the care of its insane The amount
Will rapidly increase, as insanity in
creases and the capacity for state care
increases.
The phase Of the question now upper
most is, TO what extent shall counties
be allowed to care for their insane?
Many counties We're compelled to pro-
vide asylums or care for chronic in-
sane in some way, because state hos
pitfalls We're crowded ard chronic cases
had to be removed to make room for
acute cases whore there was some
chance of recovery. The horrible condi-
ton of some of these sn-called asylums
and Worse poor houses, now Just beconl-
ing known, has aroused public ssntI-
ment To insist upon more nunlane treat
ment of the insane. se.rator Carst OF
the senate appropriations committee.
has introduced a bill making the insane
state charges. To be supported by a gen
eral state tax. thus removing the mo-
tive for counties TO care for their in
sane. At present the counties pay the
state ST. a. month for the care of insane
charged 10 each county. This bill may
not pass at this session. but the state
board of control Will be given more au-
thori,y over the county and private aasy-
lums and more discretion in the man
agement of the funds with power 10
transfer money from one Institution to
another. The powers of the board Will
be enlarged gradually, for the new svs-
tenn. now in force only about twenty
months. has proved to be a powerful
influence for improved methods in the
care of insane and in all other institu-
tioral matters.
Forrest c. Ensign. Of Iowa city, has
made an important contribution to the
study of the care of insane. Mr.. En-
sign. who is the principal of the Iowa
CITY high school. devoted several
months last year 10 an investigation of
the conditions prevailing in Iowa in the
care of insane He visited personally
twenty county insane asylums and poor
houses and received reports from relia-
BILE. unprejudiced persons in regard to
eight others. He visited the private
asylunls in Davenport. Dubuque and
Iowa City and the state hospitals IN
Mt. Pleasant Independence and Clar-
india. He made this Investigation for
the purpose Of preparing a thesis upon
which 10 earn his masters degree in the
State University under Prof Isaac A.
i1ooS =. si4s q 'oAi'ical 81
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