Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1904-06-08
The New Inebriate Law.

| have read the law carefully and culled
from it the following: 1t provides
that the Industrial Home for the Blind
at Knoxville be called the State Hos
pital for Inebriates, and shall be used
for this purpose. 1t shall be under
the control of a superintendent ap-
pointed by the state Board of Control,
and necessary assistants, and the Board
of Control shall have the same control
over this as over other state institu-
tions. The hospital will receive male
patients who are dipsomaniacs, inebri-
ates, or addicted to the excessive use
Of morphine, cocaine or other narcotic
drugs. Applications for commitment
shall be made to the judge of the dis
trict court, and may be made in per-
son by the patient, his wife, guardian,
or any other person, those in the lat.
ter class having first obtained the con-
sent of the Judge to do so. The judge
shall then order the patient brought
before him and examine him, either
with or without counsel on either
side. If the judge finds him fit SUBJ
ject for the hospital he shall make an
order committing him thereto the
term to be for three years or until the
patient is cured. All costs connected
with the case and the taking of the
patient to the hospital shall be paid
by the county. The Board of Control
shall fix the per capita monthly allow
ance to be charged the county by the
state hospital for the care of the
patients. but it must not exceed SEQ
per month, all amounts exceedins this
to be paid by the state. Patients at
the hospital shall be required TO labor
if in the opinion of the superintendent
they are able to do so. Any patient
whom the superintendent believes to
be cured may be paroled, conditioned
on said PATIENTS signing a written
pledge agreeing to refrain from the
use of intoxicating Liquors as be-
verage, and from the use of morphine
and cocaine or other narcotic drugs
during the term of his commitment,
and shall avoid frequenting places
and the association of people tending
to lead him back to his old habits of
inebriaty. And said paroled patient
must make written reports to the
superintendent of the hospital at the
beginning of each month on blanks
furnished by the Clerk of Court to
the effect that he has not violated his
pledge during the month, and the re-
port must be approved by the Clerk.
If at any time the patient fails to make
the report, he may be Immediately re-
turned to the hospital under the origi-
nal regulations. Any patient in the
hospital leaving the grounds without
due authority shall be guilty of mis-
demeanor, and liable to Imprisonment
in the county Jail not less than thirty
nor more than ninety days, and both
the district court where the hospital
is located and whore the patient comes
from has jurisdiction in these cases
Any patient refusing to work if able
to do so. shall be subject to punish
ment, and shall not be paroled. Fe-
males who come under this law shall
be sent to the hospital for the insane
for proper treatment. ard shall be SUBJ
ject to the restrictions and regulations
provided for male patients. Any per-
son who shall furnish any patient of
said hospitslf or inebriates, or one who
has been or shall hereafter be COM
mitted to any insane hospital as an
inebriate, dipsomaniac, or as one ad-
dicted to the excessive use of marco
tics, any Intoxicating liquor or marco
tic drug. except upon the written pre-
scription of the superintendent. shall
be guilty of felony, and on convic-
tion shall be punished by imprison-
ment in the state penitentiary for not
less than six months nor more than
one year, or by fine of not less than
$500 nor more than 81, ,0cO Any per-
son who shall knowingly furnish any
Intoxicating liquor or narcotic drug to
one who has been discharged from
either of said institutions as cured. ex-
cept upon the written prescription of
a reputable practicing physician,
shall be guilty of misdemeanor. and
upon conviction shall be punished by
a fine of not less than $500 and not
more than 1000. and stand committed
to the county Jail until such fine is
paid. The remaining provisions of
the law relate to the appropriation of
$l25. 600 for the establishment of the
hospital, its care, the keeping of in
mates, etc., and q section providing
that inmates shall be subject to arrest
and trial for any public offense at all
times.
The above law is now in force. and
its provisions are so drastic that it be-
hooves all to read them carefully and
guard against its violation. There are
some who hold that it prohibits the
selling or giving of cigars or narcotics
of any kind to patients or those who
have at any time been patients of this
hospital. We would advise our people
10 sol ha a. lrs,, L.