The Honolulu republican. [volume] (Honolulu, T.H.) 1900-1902, 1901-01-23
INSANE ASYLUM ABUSES.

c1sed in certain quarters OF sensation
slism and of playing for political et-
feet Later in a case appealed from
the District Court he took occasion tn
denounce the statute providing the
method Of commitment TO the asylum
That statute reads:
Sec. sis. The Judges of the Su-
preme. Circuit, aud District courts
shall have the power TO commit any
person TO the said hospital on a salts
factory complaint being made before
them that such person is insane. and
that the public safety requires his re
st7aint until he becomes OF sane mind.
Or is ordered 10 be discharged as here
after provided
Nothing is said about requiring an
examination in open court or the he-
cessity for the complaint being sub
stantiated b. two or more competent
witnesses. Under such a loosely
drawn law it was the easiest matter
in the world 10 railroad perfectly sane
people to the Insane Asylum. But get
ting out was long. tedious. costly and
difficult
In the recent crusade against vice
and Tammany misrule in New York.
the New York Herald devoted its at
tention to the mal-administration OF
Bellevue hospital The Herald was en-
abled to show that inmates had not
only been neglected, but in many cases
in-treated. That sane people had been
railroaded to the asylum through
Bellevue, and that doctors connected
with Bellevue had accepted fees from
people interested in securing the com
mitment of others. The pertinent sec
tons OF the New York law on the
commitment Of the insane read:
Section 60. \ person alleged to he
insane may be committed to and con
fined in an institution for the custody
and treatment OF the insane upon an
order made by a judge of a court Il
I record OF the city or county. and upon
a certificate OF lunacy made by two
qualified medical examiners in lunacy,
accompanied by a verified petition
therefor.
Section 81 Medical Examiners
Neither of such physicians shall have
any pecuniary interest. directly or in
directly. or be an attending physician
in the institution to which il is pro-
posed to commit such person.
Section So. Proceedings to deter
mine the question of sanity.-Notice
OF sach application shall be served
personally upon the person alleged 70
be insane. The judge TO WON the
application is TO be made may dispense
with such personal service or may Ill
rect substituted service to be made
upon some person to be designated
( by him. The judge 10 whom such APP
/ plication is made may. if no demand
( is made for a hearing in behalf of the
alleged insane person. proceed forth
with 30 determine the question of san
it,. and if satisfied may Immediately
issue an order for the commitment of
such person
It viii be readily seen that the New
York law is much more stringent than
that in Hawaii, but even under the
New York law most infamous outragcs
were perpetrated. How it was posi-
BILE for sane person to be committed
is thus explained by the Herald:
at is now the custom of the judges
TO sign commitments which are attest
ed by two qualified examiners in lu-
macy. without making any other 4
quiry. Their actionfs thus purely per-
! functory, and INSCRIPTIONS examiners
in lunacy may have any citizen com
mitted TO an asylum.
'Ihev are masters of the liberty II
any man or woman who may be
/ brought before them. The patient is
/ Immediately placed in restraint and
/ has no means OF defence. In the state
hospitals persons not insane are re-
/ iected. but the private sanitariums
which are run on a money making
! basis. desire TO obtain as many ma
tients as possible. and many of them
are not too curious as TO the real men
tai condition of their inmates, as long
as the money for their keep is forth.
coming.
When the money stops they are dis
| charged from these sanitariums,
whether they are sane or insane. Ii
/ is a recognized method of getting out
of the Manhattan State Hospital to OBJ
tain transfer to sanitarium. pay for
few weeks and then refuse to pay
longer. The patient is at once re-
teased.'
/ Following the Herald's exposure.
| Commissioner Keller of the Depart
ment of Charities issued an order for.
bidding the acceptance of fees from
I private patients or their friends by
| the examiners in lunacS. II was
/ brought out that these examiners had
been collecting a fee Of SIS from the
relatives OF patients who were able to
pay that amount and in some instances