New-York tribune., 1906-11-16
TOO FEW INSTITUTIONS.
Physician Says State Has Not Pro-
5ided for 2,5OO Feeble Minded.

Rochester Nov 15.-Dr. William /. Russell.
chairman Of the committee study and of
the defective read his report the session of the
State Board OF Charities this morning DR.. Russell
said that il a sad commentary the present
policy OF the state that it had not enough insti-
Jutons for the OF the feeble minded. Altogether
there twenty-five hundred such unfortunates
in need Of institutional treatment for whom
provision had been made by the state. These
people were menace to the community in which
they lived said Dr. Russell. for many crimes
committed by feeble minded persons who
should in early life have received special training
or have been permanently detained in proper in
stitutons. The spelksr suggested the immediate
enlargement Of the Rome institution for feeble
minded males and OF the Newark institution for
feeble minded females Dr. Russell also deplored
70 have 10 recor1 that in only few places in the
state had suitable provisions been made for the
care OF mental cases pending examination and
commitment 10 the state hospitals 1t was still
common to place them in Jails and lockups, some
times for days.
DR. Robert B. Lamb superintendent of the Mat
teawau State Hospital for Criminal Insane, gave
en address on Mental Defect and Crime He
said
am not unaware Of the attitude of the popuace
or inbecilftv his chief defence The faity commonly
suppose that this is done SO the prisoner may may
ter Of fact he is not at all insane or lpcompeteM M
insane criminals are followed and comparison is
made with equal number OF men sent 10 prisons
/: Will be that the actual period OF confine-
ment is longer in the Iunatc hospital than in the
prison. pententiary refOrnatOry. 8,
Within the last ten years more than six hundred
eo2rts Of New York State 10 the hospital for the
criminal Insane In all that number only three cases
have been where insanity not plainly
apparent and demonstrate. The fallacy of the
common belief that the plea Of insanity conduces
20 short sentence ana that II is a ialse plea is
not, therefore. supported by figures readily avail
able 10 any one who may desire 10 make inquiry
stances in which grave injustice is done 10 both
society and the prisoner by committing him TO
q prison reforTnatory when his mental processes
are SO defective o 6ersnged as to preclude his
getting in either institution. In my annual re
port for IE4 made mention Of three cases two of
whom died during the year
II cent 10 a reformatory the inIbecile is actually
Disseminated against, IN that ne, though primary
offender, must serve the maximum sentence simply
because Of his inability 10 the Intellectual
standard required for parole. In one single year
enty-eighr patients classified as insane OF this
number twenty-eight were undoubtedly inbeces
and two were of such defective mental endowmant
that they might properly be classed as unteacbsble
idiots.
The Relation of Immigration the Prevalence
OF Insanity in New York State was the subject Of
& paper by DR.. Thomas ". Salmon, surgeon OF the
United States Public Health and Marine Hospit al
Service. He stated that the ratio OF insane the
population OF New York State had Increased from
10 675 in 1873 294 in 1885 and he held that
immigration of the past had contributed most
heavily and quite disproport nateIy TO the rreya-
lenoe Of insanity in the state. DR. Salmon said the
Immigration law was adequate 10 exclude imm-
history OF previous attack would be demonstrated
their arrival he said it desirable tbst
feriorfty instability should be depOrted Better
sanitation OF tenernents and sWeatsIops increased
adult immigrants. regulation Of child labor, the
distribution 20 the country OF those for city
life is particularly unfsvorable-all would mitigate
conditions which tend 10 destroy the foundations
which sanity rests.