Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-04-24
RESTS WITH BOARD.
Care Of County Hospitals Rests
With Board of Control.
THE FULL TEXT OF THE Law


Board Will Adopt Rules Touch-
ing the Care of County and
Private Insane,
The state legislature has formulated
and passed a law placing the care of
county and private insane asyluuS
under the board of control of state in
lstitutions. The law is equitable and
just, and if its intent is fairly carried
out by the board of control it will in
ure to the benefit of all concerned.
The law provides that all county and
private insane asylums shall be visited
twice annually by either u member OF
the board of control or some coupe
tent person appointed by them, and
that as soon as practicable they shall
make the first visit. After this is
done u report shall be made of the con-
EDITION, number of inmates, etc, of The
hospitals, and the board of control
shall then adopt rules and regulations
touching the government of these
lplaces. In the opinion of many per-
isons, here is where the harm of the
whole matter will come in. 1t has
been said that the board will make The
rules SO onerous that no county can
comply with them, and it will eyenta-
ally result in depopulating the asy-
lums. The board, however, should be
given credit with some fairness in the
matter, and it should not be believed
that they are actuated by the desire
to fill up the new asylum at Cherokee
and again swell the list of patients at
Mt. Pleasant and Independence, as has
been stated. The law throws many
safeguards aroundI an insane patient.
For instance, he may have the prlvi-
.|lege of communicating with the per-
son visiting the county hospital out of
the hearing of the management and
llay such grievances before him as he
desires and to which the visitor must
pay due heed and give due weight. Ii
also provides that if in the opinion of
the visitor a patient could be helped
more readily in state institution than
lin county hospital, he may be remov-
led to the former place. Or if a chron-
lie case exists at the state hospital he
Imay be removed to the county institn-
ton. A safeguard is thrown around
i this, too. Should difference of opin-
ion arise, the question must be sub
mitted to the judge of the district
}court, whose decision is final If the
board of control manifests the same
fairness that the legislature has, and
there is no serious reason to believe
they will not there is no reason why
county institutions should not on the
whole be better governed than ever.
1.-THE following is the full text of the
bill:
The Law.
i Be it enacted by the General Assem-
\ bly, of the State of Iowa:
j Section L. All county and private in
II situations wherein insane persons are
!; kept are hereby placed under the SUI
pervision of the board of control of
state institutions.
4 Sec. 2. 1t shall be the duty of
} said board of CONTROL as soon as prac-
ticable after the passage of this act,
and at least twice. annually thereafter,
by one or more of its members, or by
some other competent and disinterest-
ed person, whom the board shall ap-
point to visit every private and county
institution wherein insane patients are
kept. Said visitor shall carefully ex-
anime into the capacity of said insti-
tutions for the care of patients, the
number kept therein and their sex, the
arrangement of buildings and the
method of their construction, their ad.
agitation for the purposes intended
their condition as to sewerage, ventila
: ton, light, heat, cleanliness, means Of
water supply, fire escapes and fire pro
lection, the care of patients, their food
clothing, medical attendance and treat
ment, their employmznt, if any, the
number, kind md sex lof employees
their duties and salaries, including
nurses, attendants and night watches
the cost to the state or county of main
tanning patients, which shall in al
cases be kept separate and distinct
/ from the cost of keeping paupers, an6
such other information which the sai
board shall deem proper. Said visito
) shall make written report including
all of said matters to said board.
Section s. The person making the
; visit above provided for shall see al
patients in the institutions, and shall
; give each an opportunity to converse
: with him out of hearing of any office
t or employe of the institution, and shall
fully Investigate and inquire into an.
complaint bv making inquiry from TIL
persons in charge of said institution
and others, and report the result there
of in writing to said board; but sal,
board, before acting on said report ad
: versely to the institution, shall Civ,
: the persons in charge thereof 4 cop,
of such report and an opportunity t,
/, be heard thereon.
] Section 4. In case the inspection
herein provided for shall be made by
person appointed by the board of con
) troll of state institutions, such perso
, shall be allowed such sum as tn
, board may in its discretion deem prop
{ Ter, not TO exceed five ($5.00) dollar
: per day for the time actually employ
ed in said work and in going to an
from the same. The actual expense
of the person making the visit, and hi
per diem, if any, shall be allowed an
/ paid when itemized, sworn to and az
j. proved, as provided for in chapte
S G1S) one hundred and eighteen of tn
acts of the twensy-seventh general a.
sembly, in relation to the expenses e
the board.
Santiny < coo,, .,ll ~,