Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-01-23
Judge g. S. Robinson, of the board 0


ccntrol, in his paper on County Care OF
Insane, upheld the present policy of
the board. The first portion of his pa
l'er was largely historical and dealt with
the methods of treatment in the differ
Lent ages as far back as the time when
Insanity was supposed to be caused by
THE evil spirits and the unfortunates.
4 We're tortured and burned at the stake.
looming down to modern methods he
said
4 Reforms in methods of treating the i'm
lsane did not begin to prevail. DR.. r..
i Gardner Hill insisted that lin a prop
.ei'ly constructed building, with a suita-
sEsbe number of attendants, restraint IS
4 lieyer necessary, never justifable. and
always injurious in all cases of lunacy
lswhatcver He proposed to substitute
4 classification, watch fulness, vigilant
4 and unceasing attendance by day and
= night, kindness, occupation and attend
a ance TO health, cleanliness, comfort and
4 the total abstinence of every description
~ other occupation by the attendants
It he views of DR.. Hill are quite generally
followed al the present time in this
county. and that is especially true in
this state. Each patient In our ilospi-
tails is given all the medical attention
which is thought To be beneficial In
addition there is careful assification
i9,sf the patients. Each patient able to do
work is furnished With employment
A shifted 10 his abilities and encouraged to
4 occupy his time with that employment
lat able 10 read he is furnished with
i looks. magazines and papers suited TO
4 lis condition. There are games and
amusenerlts of various kinds in which
the patients able to do so participate
4 There are musical and theatrical enter
tainments and religious services are
I;feg uiarly held. All patients not working
Land who are able to walk are required
Il to take exercise in the open air at least
twice each day when the weather is
Il suitable. In warm weather such pa
tients are required to spend a large part
lsos their time in the open air. Physical
a restraint is resorted to only in excep-
s tional cases and then it is Of the mildest
4 form which will accomplish the desired
i Results. and is continued no longer than
is deemed absolutely necessary All
punishment of patients. and all physical
violence on the part of ATTENDANTS is
a strictly prohibited. If an attendant
81 strike or therwise nlistreat a patient he
q Is 1T once discharged
Al patients are encouraged to form
q orderly and cleanly habits and to take
Ian interest in their surroundings. 1t is
true that the high STANDARD set for the
4 employees in cur state II, spitals is not
s always reached and that there are some
times ca sess of neglect, and even of mis-
4 treatment, of patients.
In View of the large number of attend
4 ants required in our hospitals. and the
short time many of them remain i'm hos
Il rital service. abuses can not be wholly
Prevented, hut they aresexceptional. and
we may rest sured that our state hos
pitals are we'll arranged for the uses for
(which they are intended, that the. are
!, vel equipped and in charge Of inteili-
gent and humane men and wonler
trained for their work and capable OF
& doing i we'll. But our hospitals nov
as completed are sufficient for the proper
accommodation cs not more than 5000
. patients. and there are more than 4 500
q insane people in the state and the num-
t'sr IS Increasing a the rate of about
4 i5,' each Year. The census of the insane
itcently taken by the board of control
shows 9SI inmates in county asylun,s
and 453 in four private institutions.
4 Nearly !, 900 insane are necessarily kept
II county Institutions, and we may Welt
4 llluire as 70 the conditions wit@l pre-
vail IN them, the care which they can
i furnish and whether ii is adequate.
The Law Of this STATE does nor author
i re he confinement in a county institu-.
sst1pn OF any insane person whose 4irsan-
ity is rot chronic and who would be-
4 benefited by hospital treatment. All of
i the insane for whose recovery there is
Reasonable ground 10 hope should be
ssiat 10 state hospitals. or TO other insti-
tutions provided with all things needed
4 Tor the proper treatment of such cases.
/ and provision is made by law for the
Transfer Of such patients from co,nt,s
5institutinns 10 state hospitals The
schronic: insane who may be sent 10
county institutions include many WIN
are violent and difficult to control. OF
/ who. are of filthy OF destructive habts
hsnd hard 10 care for and in all RESPECTS
/ are unde srable as patients or inmates
( he proper care cf that class is propor-
tionsatssS more expensive than OF any
other wile tllei' in state hospitals or In
county institutions. and a careful in
/ speetion Of all the county institutions
n the state has shown thai in not one of
them vas adequate provision made for
sthe class III question. Indeed in many
leounty Institutions conditions we've
found Which were condemned by en-
! lisnlvned people century ago. In
many cases troublesome inmates were
liound locked IN basement cells from
winch they We're rarely If ever per-
lnaittedto go Others We're found tied or
ti,5-.