Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-23
CARING FOR THE INSANE
Official Duties Of Sanitary
Officer Frank.
A DELICATE TRUST
SUGGESTION FOR ERECTION OF
HOSPITAL FOR INEBRIATES.
Many Persons Habitual Users of
Cocaine-Effect of Drug Upon
the Mind.

| If you know of any one who is so unfor-
| t,lnate as to require treatment in the Hos
| pital for the Insane. and desire to arrange
| for the commitment, Sanitary Officer Frank
| Of the police department is the man to see.
| In almost every of insanity in which
| District patients are sent to the institu-
| ton he has to be consulted While he has
| not been raised above the rank of private
| in the department, he has probably been
| given more titles than has any other en-
ploye of the District government. Almost
| everyb body in the department knows him as
| Capt" Frank, while some of those with
whom he has business get the sanitary
twisted little and ask for Senator
Frank
So it follows that those who have had
business with him have given him almost
every rank ina ginable; but he never loses
an opportunity to correct the mistakes
The duties performed by the sanitary
officer such to bring him N contact
with many crazy persons. but he does not
hold to the theory that such contact has
bad influence. In the discharge of his du-
ties he has to deal with all the cranks who
come here to the President, and learns
much of the personal history of the faml-
lies of the afflicted ones. There was time
when he mad to look after those who were
stranded here and who wanted transport
tation to other places This work acquainted
him with many residents OF other sections
of the country, and in some quarters ne pc
came well known because of having dls-
pcnsed this part of the District cnaTlty.
MANY soldiers inmates of the Hampton
Home and other institutions, became &C,
quainted with him, and some or them sun
call upon him tn pay their respects:
A number of the soldiers had acquired the
habit of coming here from Hampton to en-
joy q vacation. and were nearly always
without funds when the time came 1or
them to return. 1t was due TO tne "oan
of the sanitary officer that a rule was
adopted at the institution requiring them
to purchase round-trip tickets before con
ing away. Many amusing scenes were wiz
messed in the office during the days when
veterans called to consult the officer re
garding transportation. So many OF them
had been aided in this way that they looked
upon Capt" Frank as being one OF tne'r
hest friends. The old soldier who had
'gone broke and wanted to return always
had good excuse to offer Tor the lmpoN,
eriShed condition of his pocket book All
kinds of excuses were invented and the ap-
plicant for transportation always knew
what to expect when he appeared in the
captains office to state his case.
Change Effected.
This work is no longer done by the po-
lice The handling of insane persons FUR
nishes sufficient work to keep one man
more than busy.
During the course of a year nearly 800
alleged insanity cases have to be con-
sidered. Last year the number went above
the 500 mark, and 467 of the persons We're
committed to the asylum. During the past
fiscal year there were ninety of the So
called cranks to claim the attention Of the
sanitary officer. Most of these came from
other localities and were sent to the states
in which they held legal residences.
During the long number of years he has
held the responsible position Sanitary Offl-
Ger Frank has done all in his power 10
have the authorities take active steps in
the direction of establishing an inebriate
asylum In a recent report to Major Syl-
vester he commented upon the necessity TOT
such an institution. and said:
1.-The establishment of an asylum for the
treatment of those addicted to the excess
sive use Of alcohol. opium, morphine or
other narcotics seems to receive most earn
est Endorsement by this community. The
year just closed has been no exception as
to the number Of applications for treatment
of persons given 70 the excessive use OF
Iiouor and drugs. Numerous sad stories
have been related by the wife or mother
concerning the waywardness OF husband or
son. who. il not dipsomaniaes. are inebri-
ates with uncomfortable desire for alco-
hol or other stimuant and should be re-
strained. l trust that in the near future
a hospital for the compulsory treatment of
this unfortunate class will be erected, for
I am sure such an institution would be in
the interest of morality and good govern
ment and meet long-felt want
Many Needing Treatment.
The need of such an institution, it is
said, is more apparent at this time than it
was several years ago. 1t is not only the
victim Of alcohol who needs such place,
but the users of cocaine, or coke, as 1t is
called, and different forms of opium. CO.
caine, some of the police say, is taking the
place of alcoholic stimulants with many
people and is doing a greater amount or
harm Capt" Frank thinks something
ought to be done to prevent the lndlScrlm-
mate sale of cocaine as it is now dispensed
and then there would be fewer persons
sent to the hospital for the insane
While he has not yet had great num-
Der of the victims of cocaine to look after,
the police have them almost every day, and
with many of them it is perhaps only
question of time before their friends will
applications in order to start the machn-
cry which will eventually get them in the
asylum. The experience Sanitary Officer
Frank has had with victims of dope" con-
vinces him that such people go insane
quicker than those who use alcohol They
are also harder to manage.
A man under the influence of cocaine
usually has an exalted opinion of himself
and is more likely to do harm than those
who are otherwise affected. Most of them
have suicidal or homicidal tendencies and
are harder to restrain than are those who
are made insane by the use of liquor. With
the establishment of an lnebriate asylum,
the sanitary officer thinks. the number of
insanity cases from these causes would de-
crease as many of the victims could get
treatment and would probably recover be-
fore their minds became permanently i'm
haired.