New-York tribune., 1901-02-11
THE LUNACY COMlILSSION.
AN ARGUMENT To THE EFFECT THAT
ITS HEAD SHOULD BE A PRAC-
TICAL ALIENIST

To the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: take the liberty of inclosing copy Of GER
tain objections I have prepared in opposition 10
the bill introduced in the Senate by Senator
Bracket and in the Assembly by Assemblyman
Fish, amending the Insanity law generally, as
to eliminate the present qualifications for the office
of president Of the State Commission in Lunacy.
First-The State Commission In Lunacy since
January l. 1885 has been constitutional body. and
Second-The number of insane. public and private.
az this time amounts to more than twenty-three
Third-The Commission among other things is
and pTvs}e 70 see fhaT thew are propeTiy co n
Quoted. both from a medical and sanitary point Of
Fourth-Among other extensive powers the Com
isSion IS REQUIRED 10 examine all patents , ana 70
Iy, must be done by the medical member OF the
must have extensive practical as well as theoretical
knowledge OF mental diseases.
tnth-From 1867 10 1859 there was a state Com
missioner in Lunacy. who was required among
o5ner 5hinss to oe physician OF experience IN the @
State Commission was created. consisting Of three
mitted to practice ten Years. and who had had five
years experience in the care and treatment Of the
the insane.
Slxth~The legislation Of 1859 was confirmed IN
1890 and particularly in 1895. by Chapter 5i5
of the Laws OF 1896: which was amended by Chapter
seventh-The whole care and treatment of the
insane IS substantially medical question. and re-
Sion should be a physician well trained in the
study Of mental diseases and in the management OF
institutions
Eighth-There is; in round numbers. one insane
person 10 every three hundred of the popuat ton.
and II may be stated broadly that there is
~ family IN the State that is not directly In
directly interested In the proper care and treat
ment % the insane, and necessarily In the man
agement OF Institutions for the insane.
Ninth-AmonE other powers the Commission has
the sole power 10 license private institutions for
the of the insane and summarily to revoke
licenses for good reason.
Tenth-By Chapter $50 of the Laws OF 1900 the
Medical Commissioner only IS required TO visit and
inspect private institutions for the insane-the
other two Commissioners being relieved from this
duty. Therefore il is of the highest consequence
that the Medical Commissioner should be able ~
il is charged. is illegally detained. The general
practitioner ot medicine could not perform this
duty.
Eieventh-The New-York State hospitals contain
a proportion Of all the Insane in The state.
namely. more than twenty-five thousand. only
about thousand being in the private asylums, and
II Is only proper that these institutions should
have the benefit OF al least one trained Commis-
sioucT.
Twelfth-The States financial interest he
namely the lawyer and the layman. who are not
required To have special qualifications. except that
anv attorney Is eligible for appointment who has
been n the actual practice of his profession TOT at
least years
Thirteenth-It is not too much say that the
passage OF this bill IN its present form woul
cause widespread apprehension on the part or IN
public which is ke"n!y alive 10 the dangers OF per
sons being improperly detained In asylums Tor the
insane The States interest. too. would undoUbted-
physician who possessed the qualifications required
FOR a period Of nearly thirty years.
4 WORKER FOR THE INSANE
New-York. Jan. g, 1901.