The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-05-17
DrunkardS Will Be Treated
as Sick Patients.
HOW 1T WORKS IN IOWA
What the Minnesota Law Proposes;
Two Per Cent of the License
Money Supports Farm.

st. Paul, May- l3.-"HthertO the
drunkard has been regarded as Grim
inal hereafter the state of Minnesota
will regard him as patient" says L.
A. Rosing of the state board of control
referring to the law providing Il hospital
farm for inebriates which was passed
by the last legislature. The establish
ment of a hospital for mebriates is a
distinct sociological step forward. The
method of supporting the Minnesota in
stitute is unique and peculiar in that it
levies tax directly on the municipali-
ties, based upon two per cent. of the
license money they collect. The new
hospital will take in not only those adj
dicted to the use of liquor, but those ad-
dicted to the use of drugs.
"Just what amount this will bring is
not known, but it is estimated that 1T
will be $4,000 annually. 1t is not de-
cided when or where the farm will be
located, but the when depends upon how
soon we get the funds. 1t is believed
that in most of the municipalities large
part of the license money has been paid
in since the law went into effect, and
in that case the fund will be of con-
siderable size within short time.
Whether the gold cure or any other
cure will be used remains to be decided
The institution will aim at building up
the system and keeping the patient
away from the use of liquor long enough
to break him of the habit. The special
aim will be to build up the system of
the patient, so that he will no longer
feel the need of sustaining himself with
narcotics.
The August meeting of the board Of
control with the superintendent will be
devoted entirely to the question OF me-
briety. DIR. Haldor, Sneve of st. Paul
will read a paper on the treatment of
inebriety and narcOtism, DR.. A. G. Rog-
ers of the school for feeble minded at
Faribault will discuss the influence of
inebriety in heredity of mental defect.
and DIR. A. W. Wilmarth of Chippewa
Falls, Wis, will discuss the classification
of detectives and delinquents. q. q.
Cowie. one of the board of controls staff.
has been looking up the experience of
other states and has prepared some data
for the meeting.
Only two other states have such in
situations, so Minnesota is among the
leaders in transferring the drunkard
from the criminal to the patient class
Iowa formerly had departments for its
inebriates at its hospitals for the in
sane. but in January, 1906, the state
established a separate hospital for inebri-
ates at Knoxville. Minnesota formerly
had department for inebriates at the
Rochester state hospital, but this was
abolished in 1897. Massachusetts, on
the other hand, is trying the very thing
which Minnesota discarded as failure.
The Massachusetts hospital for inebri-
ates at Peterborough, which has been es-
tablished about fourteen years, has late
ly been turned into a Joint hospital for
inebriates and insane. Massachusetts
fourteen years of experience, however,
makes that state practically the only
one from which much information may
be received that will be of value Ill es-
tablishing a new institution.
From the reports for different years of
the two states having inebriate hospitals,
Mr.. Cowie finds that the greatest diff
Guilty is found with class of patients
for whom there is little hope of reform
they are not wanted in the communities
whence they come.
Report shows that of 300 patients, fifty
were below thirty years of age when
committed. $50 were from thirty to fifty
and seventy nine were above fifty. In
the same number there were l24 single
men, 1873 married, seventeen widowed
and thirty five divorced or separated. In
another table he shows that of 4S3 com
mitted in year, eighty seven came
from rural occupations, thlrty-tWo from
commercial, 100 from manufacturing
and mechanical, thirty-eight from trans
portation, thirty-seven from profession
al. six from clerical, l40 from domestic
and personal occupations. In the same
time forty-six had a college education,
thirty eight high school OF equal, and
397 a common school education.
The Iowa institution has farm OF $50
acres and the land, buildings and per-
sonal property are worth about $l25OOO
The Massachusetts hospital has only Jog
acres, but the buildings and personal
property bring the value OF the proper
tv up to $234,OOO. If the Minnesota tax
brings $4,000 annually and part of this
is used for maintenance, 1t VIII take
three or four years to bring the lnstltu-
ton up to even the Iowa standard.
Under the new Minnesota law the pro-
ceedings for commitment to the hospital
are similar to those for the commitment
of the insane. A petition may be filed
with the probate court setting forth that
a person in the county is an inebriate
and in need of treatment or that 1t Is
dangerous for the person to remain at
large, and also stating the indications OF
inebriety. The court may then order an
examination and have the alleged me-
briate called into court. Two examiners
shall be appointed. at least one OF them
to be physician. If they, with the
Judge, shall determine that the person
is an inebriate, he shall be committed for
an undetermined term. The term shall
be longer than two years, however, I'M
less the patient is released on parole
ANY person may be admitted as a pa
tient on his own application if he will
sign voluntary commitment and pay
the amount fixed by board of control for
maintenance. A person committed by