The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-23
AFTER CARE OF THE INSANE.
A WORK BEGUN IN THIS STATE
FIVE MONTHS AGO.


pllshed Already-Its Purpose 10 Pro.
toct Cured Patients From Relapses
-FOrmerIy such Persons Had Little
Chance on Dismissal From the Asylum.
Until five months ago a person who was
discharged as cured from one Of New
York's public hospitals for the insane
went back to his old life and environment
with all the chances against him. II he
had previously held a place Of RESPONSE
bility his former employers we're chary OF
again intrusting their interests to him;
il not he returned to the poverty and dis
heartening conditions which usually were
the cause OF his trouble in the first place
and which in a few months would be likely
to send him back to the hospital again.
Last April the State Charities Aid Asso-
citation started an organized movement
for the after care Of the insane, and already
It has accomplished widespread good.
This is the first time that such a work
has been attempted in America, said Miss
M. v. Clark, secretary Of the after care
committee. though all the progressive
countries Of Europe nave long had societies
or Government organizations devoted to
the after care Of the insane. The great need
of aid Of this kind is shown by the fact that
In 1905 no less than 26.e per cent. Of the
original admissions to our thirteen State
hospitals for the insane were discharged
cured, and in the hospital on Wards Island
alone there are 1000 patients.
institutions are realizing more and more
tina they dor only half their work when
they care for their inmates while they are
within their walls. To effect q cure and
then send the patient or criminal back to
the conditions from which he came is in
the majority Of cases to bring about a
recurrence of the crime or malady."
Often the after care committee has found
Il ia not material assistance hat Is needed
so much az getting the patient into the
right social conditions. This was the case
with a young girl who was discharged from
Wards Island about six weeks ago.
She had suffered from an attack OF what
is known as Oppressive ~psychosis. The
agent Of the after care committee, calling
at the home to which she was to return,
found a fat which was dark and dreaTy.
Her mother, the sole support OF the family,
was laid up with rheumatism and unable
to work; a little brother, not more h I,
Has already known as a terror in the neigh
borhood, and besides being u~nmanageable
bad a contagious eye disease.
Before the girl left the hospital the after
care committee had found a more cheerful
fat in the neighborhood and had assisted
the mother to move into it, had provided
medical attention which made it possible
for her to return to work and had placed
the little boy in a day nursery where, be-
sides being kept from mischief, his eyes
were property treated.
The committee also bought the girl a
Nwaffy amt md hat in which fn leave the
hospital, and as she proved exceedingly
timid, with little ability to make friends, the
workers Of a settlement in the neighborhood
were asked to take an interest In her, and
called soon after her arrival, inducing her
to Join several Of their clubs and classes.
Life has assumed a new and cheerful aspect
to this unfortunate, and the society will oon-
tinue its watchfu interest until no relapse
into her former melancholy is to be feared;
yet, without its timely assistance, there Is
little doubt that the girl would have returned
TO the hospital within three months.
MANY OF the women we meet with in this
work are those who have suffered from alco-
holic insanity said Miss Clark, n who
come from the hospital with their craving
for liquor mastered. These, we have
found, have generally been employed in
hotels and other places where there has been
great temptation to drink. 10 return TO
the old life would mean TO o fall into
former habits.
Through a charitable agency which
makes a speciality of providing workers for
country homes, we have placed many OF
these women in situations where the life
Ia simple and regular, and the cause Of their
weakness not easily obtained. So far, We
ave not had a single relapse into old ways
in any Of them, which II encouraging, even
though our work is SO young that the test
cannot be considered final
Often, too, the after care committee has
found that the drink or drug habit has been
formed because the patient had not had
sufficient nourishment Of the proper kind in
the old life. Placing her in a position where
she Is able 10 have an abundance OF good
food has 40 far proved sufficient to guard
against a relapse.
care committee has been called upon to aid
are thoes whose trouble has been exhaustive
psychosis-often considerably called nerv-
Gus prostration where the patient belongs
TO the upper social strata. Such was the
| case of a poor Jewish tailor Of the lower
East Side who, with a wife and six children
TO support, could make only IS a week.
Confinement in a close room, bad air
and insufficient food brought about a mental
as well asa physical collapse, and II took
ak months Of proper care or Wards leland
to restore him to health. In the meantime
the agent for the after care COMMITTEES had
visited his home and brought the case
TO the attention Of a Jewish benevolent
society, which paid the rent Of the rooms
for the family and procured work for the
mother. This aid and the wite's in
come still continue to help out. now that
the man has returned to the struggle FOR
existence.
Violent insanity resulting from a sudden
shock or grief In also often entirely cured.
One poor woman, a. she slowly recuperated