The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-11-04
.CARE 0F IHE INSANE
Subject Likely to Engage the
Next Legislature.
HISTORY OF MANAGEMENT
Comparison Of State With
Private Control.

before the next legislature VIII De the
future care Of the insane, the private
/ contract for whose care treatment and
maintenance expires in June, 1901. Doubt
less there win be an attempt made by
several of the ambitious towns Of the ter
ritory to secure the location Of a perma-
neut institution under the direct control
Of the territory for that purpose in view
Of which a review Of the present system
of maintenance may prove Of interest
not only TO prospective legislators who
VIII have TO deal with the question, but
to the public at large.
The care Of OkIahoma's insane has all
ways been under private contract. The
system was inaugurated by Governor
Seay eight years ago, when a contract
was made with the Mcfarland sanitar-
ium, located in Jacksonville. III, to re-
/ ceive the insane from the territory at a
stipulated rate of $500 a year for each
! patient to which was added the mileage
o fthe sheriff or guard accompanying the
patient amounting in each case 70 $50
on an average,
With the growth Of the territory's pop
ulation and the proporuonate increase Of
insanity the mileage charges become a
matter of serious consideration with
Governor Renfrow, who succeeded Gov
ernor seay in Office. After vainly seek
/ ing to contract with some state institu-
ton nearer home, Governor Renfrow en-
tered into negotiations which led to the
/ formation Of private company who for
the same price paid the Jacksonville in
sdution agreed to erect suitable struc-
lures and maintain the insane patients at
a central location within the territory
where they would be convenient Of ac-
cess to their friends and relatives. The
contract was signed in the spring Of 1885,
and the company located its institution
at Norman where an abandoned Meth
odist college building had been purchased
and reftted for the purpose desired. The
/ first patient was admitted from Woods
county in the following June which was
followed by the transfer of Il insane
! persons from the Illinois asylum The
contract made by Governor Renfrow was
ratified by the legislature Of 1885, and the
/ legislatUr of 1897 by resolution author
J lied a renewal Of the contract under the
authority of which Governor Barnes, the
/ present chief executive. I'm June. 1898 en-
/ tered into contract with the sanitarium
management for the care OF the insane
/ at the rate of 500 each per year, a net
saving of 500 on the former cost of each
4 patient. this charge to include the cost
of care. maintenance treatment cloth
ing-in fact relieving the territory Of
every charge except the annual stipulated
! rate for maintenance. That the contract
has been advantageous to the territory
would appear from comparison with the
state asylum of Kansas. located at Ossa-
| ws tonic, where. according to the last BIZ
1 ennial report made to the governor. 1.100
! insane patients were being maintained
at an average annual cost Of S156 per pa
tent which does not include the salar-
les Of the 900 officers and attendants or
/ interest on the large investment in build
ings and grounds.
From a financial standpoint it appears
that the territorial system of private con-
tract is not only more favorable to the
| taxpayer but TO the health and comfort
/ o fthe unfortunate inmate, and that the
system as exemplifed by the present
management is infinitely preferable to
that Of state control with it, Political
! favoriusm and frequent shifting of exc
cutye officers and attendants under
changing administrations
/ However, DR.. Threadgill the principal
/ owner and superintendent Of the sani-
tarum. does not agree wholly with the
view In a conversation with the writer
he said. 81 believe that a territory or
state should own and control its public
Institutions just as soon as it possesses
the required reources. The people pay
the taxes for their support and it is only
natural that they should want a voice In
their control"
One Of the grave features connected
with The present system and which. as
Or. Threadgn points out. should he
! remedisd by the legislature is the statute
/ governing the discharge If patients from
the asylum. Upon this point be said-
In the eyes of the law a person once
adjudgad insane IS regarded legally dead
and under our law the only way in which
this disability may be removed IS by pro-
cess of habeas corpus or re-sxaulina
tlon Of the patient before the local board
of INSANITY lit Is true that the last leg-
stature authorized the appointment Of a
territorial visiting board 10 consist of
/ three reputable physicians who were
clothed with authority 50 sumuarily dis
charge any patient whom they deemed
dt bar It has always been a question n
my MIND whether or NOT This process re-
stores the discharged person to ha ieea.
rights. AT least have never yet found
p lawyer. and have consulted NUM-
her. who NiI maintain that dzcharse
by the medical committee acts as re-