The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1901-12-19
REPORT ON THE STATES INSANE.
Statements Made by State Board
Of Control.
Troublesome. lamates In Aaay County
Homes Said to Be Treated AZ
Crlmlnaia.

ub"tuAlos
.The'report of the state board of con-
troll upon the treatment of the insane
IN county asylums can have no possible
reference to such excellently managed
Institutions as the Decatur county home.
1t refers to those that are mismanaged
the report says:
The number Of insane in state hos
pitfalls June 80, 1899, was 2,797, and in
county and private institutions 1875.
The number in state hospitals June 80,
1901, was 800, and in county and
private institutions ,4O4. The increase
during the period in all of the institu.
lions was 242.
Some of the insane in private institu-
tons have legal settlements in other
states, but many patients are sent from
this state to private institutions outside
of the state, and it is probable that the
increase shown in the tables is substan-
TALLY the same as the increase in the
number of insane who are residents of
this state. The increase during the
period in the state hospitals was 2l3,
and the number of patients transferred
from the hospitals to county institutions
exceeded by II the number transferred
from the latter to the former. If that
rate ofincrease be continued additional
hospital accomm odations equal to those
now furnished by the largest of our
state hospitals will be required every
ten years. The capacity of existing
hospitals can be largely increased at
comparatively small cost by means Of
cottages.
The Insane In County and Private Instltu.
tlons.
Reference is made to chapter IA, acts
Of the Twenty-eighth general assembly,
which placed under the supervision of
this board all county and private insti-
buttons in which insane persons we're
kept and required each institution to be
inspected twice annually. 1t also
authorizes the board to make rules and
regulations for the care and treatment
Of the insane.
The first inspection in the last half of
the year 1880 was made by members Of
the board, and subsequent inspections
during the current year by member Of
the board and by competent and dis.
interested persons appointed for that
purpose. With one exception the per.
sons so appointed were superintendent
and assistant physicians of the state
hospitals for the insane. The first in.
spection was made by the members Of
the board that they might have direct
knowledge of each institution, be able
to know of its condition, and to judge
Of the merits of the reports to subse-
quent inspections and to understand
the Importance of recommendations
which should be made. Physicians of
state hospitals were appointed inspec-
tors that they might become familiar
with the condition and management of
the institutions inspected and for the
reason that the constitutions might have
the benefit OF their knowledge of and
experience in the treatment of the in.
sane. The expenses of the inves tiga-
tions made in 1900 and the first half of
the current year, not including $48 for
blanks, amounted to $6OS.66.
The number of county institutions in
which insane persons were kept inspect
ed in 1900 was 81, and the number of
private institutions inspected during the
same time was 4. Nearly all of these
county institutions and all of the private
ones were inspected again during the
first half Of the year 1901. The insane
Of several counties were transferred to
state hospitals after the first and prior
to the second inspection. 1t is difficult
to determine accurately all of the coun-
ties which are keeping insane persons
i'll local institutions. This is caused in
part by inaccurate reports made by q
few county officials, and in part by the
fact that persons supposed to be insane
are sometimes received in county insti
buttons not as insane but as poor people
without any examination as to theil
sanity. The first reports indicate thai
not more than So counties were keepin,
insane persons in county institutions
but reports made since June 80 las
show that in IL additional counties per
sons who have never been adjudged in
sane are regarded and held as insane By
the stewards of the poor farms. 1t il
probable that many, if not all, of tn,
persons so held are not insane but idiots
and are not under supervision, but il
all these cases we have directed the in
speeding officer to examine for the pur
pose Of having those really insane ad
Judged so and treated accordingly
From the most reliable information w
could obtain the number of insane per
sons kept in county institutions O,