The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-01-13

The insane may be. for economic con-
| sideration. divided into these classes
First. the recent and supposed durable
second. the chronic and dangerous: third.
epileptic; fourth. the chronic and appa-
rently harmless; fifth. the chronic and
helpless.
As q matter OF economy the recent and
supposed curable should al once have
treatment by skilled specialists and the
best care possible given 10 restore them
To usefulness and productiveness. with
these. half may be restored. but II only
2 small proportion could have renewed
vigor and health. II IS the right OF ev,ry
citizen to have the benefit OF the ~institu-
tons which he has helped support through
many years, when his day Of distress
comes. An eminent writer and a mai OF
great practical experience in nervous dis
orders and the personal care OF the in
sane. says:
In every county today are hundreds
who, by timely medical treatment. have
recovered reason lost and minds threat
ened with perpetual arrangement who
bless these modern instrumentalities OF
their restoration. They come back 10
the world OF material life. and testify
as though risen from the dead; FOR in
sanity III its earliest stages. in the first
attack. is one OF the recoverable mala-
dies. while in its chronic stages il is
one Of the most hopeless, as ii is one
OF the most pitiable. OF Affections. . :
The right to a rational chance for recov-
cry at the hands OF those who are well
in mind is one of the rights which APP
pertain to insanity. whether il be ration
al enough TO demand lis rights or not"
The second class must be cared for for
the protection of society. The third
class has consistently been refused ad-
mission into the State hospitals for a
number of years past, though all insane
epileptics may be dangerous and from
their progeny come many who eventually
become wards of the State. The sepa-
rate provision for these. as is done in
many states, may properly be considered.
The care of the fourth class is the prob
lem which is prominently before the
State. There is no case Of insanity
which should be regarded as absolutely
hopeless. No board can pick out from a
number of quiet and contented patients in
a hospital living a regular life, under mild
restraint, those who under conditions
prevailing at home, would be in a bear
able mental condition., and in leaving to
the counties or families as VIE are now
doing to a considerable extent the sup
port and restraint of these u~nfortunates,
we draw upon the wealth of the State
tor their support as certainly as if the
State directly cared for them. Nor is
it possible to say any insane person is
harmless.
Common humanity demands that the
chronic and helpless should have the best
OF our care, but it is this class who may
best be cared for by the counties if any
are to be sent there. The State has as
sumed the care of the first and second
classes, but not fully.
1t is calculated that there are two
insane persons to every one thousand of
population. This gives US 2,400 white
insane in the State. At Morganton and
Raleigh we will soon have provision for
1,5C0 of the white insane. 1t seems that
there is almost if not quite sufficient
hospital accommodations for all the col
ored insane at present. There have been
applications made to the two hospitals
for white for 500 persons moro than room
can be provided for, of these probably
three hundred under our laws should be
admitted. We must face the fact that
there are sixty-fve more persons becom-
ing insane each yea than there is avail
~ OOA iiou W III w tLC
hospitals.
There is apparently need of increased
accommodations at the State hospitals
both at Raleigh and at MOrgantOn. They
both have the most expensive part of
the plant already in operation and pro-
vision for others may be made by a
cheaper construction of small detached
buildings and by farm colonies At the
hOSOita1 in MOrpantOn thav have avail
able land for immediate increase in this
direction. The State Hospital in Raj
eigh is in need of additional land for this
reason and for industrial purposes which
will serve to further the efforts of the
authorities to restore patients and de-
crease materially the cost Of mainten-
ance. 1t is generally accepted that the
cultivation of the soil, not only is the best
treatment for the insane, but it makes
the hospitals more nearly self-sustain-
ing, and this is a plain mandate of our
constitution.
The demand of the State Hospital at
Raleigh for a better safer supply is ur-
gent. | invite your special attention to
the note made by the Board of EXamin-
ers Of State Institutions as to this condi-
ton and the remedy which they suggest.
The directors ask for the construction of
an aGdltlOnaI wing at the hospital at
Raleigh. 1t is very much needed.
1t is noteworthy that our people. bur
dened as they AVE been by the incubus
of adve,s1 political conditions and the
problems resulting from the enfranchise-
ment of the negro, have supplied the
needy negro insane with necessary ac-
commodations, Notwithstanding the fact
that many white persons from time to
time hGve been of necessity confined in
the jails as the best protection available.
THE STATE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY.
This institution, which has for it's pur-
! pose the Investigation of the mineral.
timber, and general natural history of
| the of the State, has consider
| ably enlarged its work during the past
two years through a more liberal coop
| Grafton between it and the several Gov
eminent scientific bureaus in Washing
ton. The general basis of this
| ton is an agreement or the part of the
several Government scientific bureaus
that for every dollar expended in these
investigations by the State SurvcU they