The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-01-26
TgF CARE OF THE INSANE
rr,.s Abuses and Limitations of
Texas institutions.
,4opss THAT WOULD IMPROVE THEM
,.,.,,.ior Needed to Make This States
~ Fsen,osynary System the Best
in the Union.

-. Antonio, Texas. January 19.-The
,.narins paper on "our Hospitals for the
Some of Their Uses, Abuses and
,,.,rs,lons" was read at the semi-annull
's,or N the Central Texas Medical asso.
''.,on at Bolton last week by DR.. NJ. l..
$50 superlntendent Of the Southwestern
Insane asylum at San Antonio:
Ths state Of Texas assumes the RESPONSE
.,i,y NJ caring for Il large population of de-
sassye and dependent people. state care
y tho insane Is n problem fraught with
m,er difficulties, with great responsibility,
In an ever Increasing burthen of expense,
IA vet, State care is tue word foremost
Is,;rtion I'm regard to the treatment OF
~ whose minds have become disordered
Z y diseased Private care has been trie /
2 "a has met with only limited success.
Sernty care has been widely used and in
tnasf every enlightened State Of tho
anercan Union the iuefficiency OF this
srstem has become so thoroughly establish
N mat State cate Is now almost universal.
He who thli ks the proper care and treat
uert Of this defective and dependent popu-
stiop is an easy problem and already soly-
a does not understand the real condition.
Il d tnday engaging the serious thought
and careful consideration Of our shumanest
men md should receive the practical con
alteration Of our phllanthropists, who sem
10 be seeking some useful way In winch
"a dsposc Of their surplus wealth. Per.
hans In no single method of government ad-
( mnlstration has there been greater i'm
movement IN the last twenty-five years
Than In the care and treatment of the in
d sane From neglect utter and complete.
E thls unfortunate class has now emerged into
Z something Ike hospital rare
It was my fortune some two years ago
10 visit the oldest Institution of this char
acter IN the Southern States, and one Of
he Oldest In the United States, where the
construction of the veritable cells reminded
one OF Don Jon Keeps aand dungeons of
3 ths medlaeval ages, and while this pafticu-
isf Institution has been modernlzed aud
these Objectionable features. of cell conhne-
mont removed the affable superintendent
showed me the small window Grated,
through which the food was thrust to the
! patient, and also exhibited the iron ring
In the floor TO which many of them were
chained, even in the Nineteenth century /!
Like the lepers Of old. IL must be said of
them, unclean, unclean! and by their meth,
ods Of treatment 1t would seem that none
cane near them.
By the side Of this old institution stands
new and more modern one, In contra ST
with the old system. 1t may be said with
equal truth that Ideas of Insanity have un-
dergone an equally remarkable change dur.
Ing this same time. From demoniacal nos.
sessions and witchcraft to modern patho-
logical research, and the demonstration Of
sctuil physical lessons in a physical Brain,
ass oeeh q gigantic stride, but who shall
y
not witness still more brilliant ilIumipa.
uoL 81 the same pathway Of progress
tle5ss Is magnificent State. Imperial
aer aomain, Infinite her resources, magni-
ncent her citizenship. She assumes the caro-
and treatment of $500 dlsordered minds In
generous spirit. We have three hospItals
ior me insane. The North Texas. located
ssil,lerreil which has a present capacity OF
~ pa!lents; Inc State Lunatlc asylum
Y AUSTIN, With a present capacity of 1000
parents, and the Southwestern Insane
..syun at San Antonio with a canscifv ~
~ patents. OF these three institutions
ausnn = me Oldest and located nearest the
geographical center Of the State If Vas
opened In 1861 and up 60 1880 was orr III,
sfslp lot insane. In that year under The
SSyle direction Of DR.. D. r. Wallace the
IN mn ~. isAas asylum was built Mt Terrell.
larro ~ wssck lanu belt, accommodating a
soa 500 nnu ever Increasing population II
,YOn 1eyeoped that these two .institutions
80 incapable OF accommodating tha ayer
iSin ~ 1ob1g army Of the insane Accordihs.
~ tovV legislative provision was made
where III c,i tnstltutson At San Antonio,
post ,ne clmatic conditions were tbs
,aiSs section OF ter r5 could d he T im%e,i
prsc,,osS ssIpIe. Opening In 1892 under the
tbs ipstItbs,gi,oGna h nee, OF DR.; W. L. Barker.
2 ~ Inti istu tlon mad maximum capacity of
bTIIs,Innaaan Two years ago when addItionaI
2 onr aa - were available, which Inftaosed
dtlo TTsIPaelty to 700 patients, and this nd.
been tsYsS ~ Vas promptly taken aud has
Mst 10 the uttermost ever since
,SSi;st,sIics gathered some two Yasrs -,
disesssdn LA, il9t there were 1000 people az
- sSS minds confined In the faljs ~ rer.
mad. "a '9 tSa most piteous pleadings were
7 sAsS tor their adrnittance', CsoySpt;nrt u
fort - ~ campaign had pledged eveSy Of
Y class ~ .ae proper care of thIs N rlic+ed
have basn Voruingiy, extraordinary efforts
10 ssc zen made during his administer finn
esss aSsvoniInodate the large number OF dIs
conntrp dttlshts confined in the homes in tha
Il the S gUgE houses and in the county jails
ali nt"'ttSSnlstandirg the increase of room at
the sue .ue above named INSTITUTIONS during
IRE he e ,l administration in a laree men !,
nsars ,a aun demand for the admittance on
orous sppss nIs mas 9 not been met, and clam
stsntIv o9peals Tor worthy cases are con.
tosS ueing made at all OF the institus
hsfI,,. At tna last called session of the Lee,
persons NJ Wv was estimated that 400 Insane
iaIs notwjtSS st SILL, confined IN the county
been ers~~!.s1standing the relief that had
Inns stsSIntea by enlargments at the asy-
hsVs Slhce that time a number of them
huns hrt tScGommodated at the three asy-
private houses ngs B BaTs IN the jails and in
out ths Z, new cases developing through
Ii h state; Under present circnn,sts nees
room can I1'SS s certain that no additional
Win months, and 1t is quite probnble. tfst
ctve,on T. aaaitlon OF new cases that shali,
IsrSSsp 1T IA this time, together with The re.
chayesA Oh cases that have been dis.
az No.. from tho institution, ana are, now
proviSae Val force the next legislature 10
ssid tn.uulitlonal room at one or an OF
dstlona ~ tpetlons. II is true that uccommo-
Abilene oeing provided for eDlieptics at
Be eynee,.. ogt that Institution can scarcely
IL the go 70 be ready. for occupancy with
be ipmeSft. eighteen months, and there VIII
bed M tSa demand for every available
Orr sse ~ ume II is opened.
cldI6 Is 10 ha -,
leptlns organization to separate the. epi-
incomnss.IhwIi the insane. They are wholly
lepticsP y, PIE and the confinement Of cpl
Menace q an insane asylum ~ a constant
eupf 70 their good order and good con
the irseeu IL Is not only not beneficial 10
leterio',a proper, but Is exceedingly de-
epiientIss ~ It's psychieal effect upon the
bsfgTgsHne nlmself Those who are rational
dsprecaat. thelr attacks Of epilepsy keeriy
sohs ara tnelr associa tion with insane uer-
are irrt ua often bitterly resent liz. Thev
make ,aoie. .unruiy and quarreIsome and
nlkns gs 1851 or our trouble in the internal
are nsstheht OF the insane. The buiiaiags
protect,ons constructed properly, for their
an ,nssSn and restraint. nor ig The def II
1tibuted fo asylum " properly devised and dis
sofsrior,.i LOT their best interests. They are
eaters aud usually prefer those
ANSNeSNNAAAAAAA