The Washington herald., 1907-09-10
SEEK INSANITY DATA
Commissioners Get Report
from DR.. Robin.
ASYLUM STATISTICS MEAGER
Gradual Falling on I'm Gases Adj
mitted in Pest Three Years-Es-
tHbIiShment Of PsychOpnthic HOS-
pitaI in District Is Jrged-COmmis-
sIoner Indorses Recommendation.


led TO the Commissioners the preliminary
report Of a committee appointed upon
suggestion Of Commissioner West to In
Quire into the causes Of insanity in the
District Of Columbia and the reason for
the increase in the disease in the last
ten years.
The doctor announces at the outset that
under the present system Of committing
patients to the Government Asylum for
the Insane IL is well-nigh impossible to
obtain reliable data concerning the causes
Of insanity in the District Of Columbia
He recommends the establishment Of a
psychopaJhic or observation hospital. to
which may be sent all suspected insane,
there TO be carefully studied and classi-
fed, and those actually in need of pro-
longed treatment 20 be sent to the asylum
upon the certificate Of the physicians con-
nected with the hospital.
Three Problems Submitted.
The committee. consisting OF DR.. Robin.
DR.. J. c. Simpson. and DIT. w. P. Comp
ton. was requested TO inquire, first, into
the causes Of the increased Insanity in
the District. the remedy. if any, secured,
the expense of maintenance Of the insane
In the District, as compared with insane
asyluns elsewhere, and. third. the modern
methods Of care and treatment of the
insane. especially Of acute cases.
DIT. Robin has undertaken to answer the
first and third Of these questions. and Dr.
Simpson. who assumed the duty of fur
nishing the information in regard TO the
second. viii. II Is stated, submit his re-
port within a few weeks. DIT. Compton
has been in Europe for several months.
With regard 10 the causes for insanity,
Dr.. Robin communicated with DR.. White,
superintendent Of ST. Ehzabeth's. by
whom he was Informed that he would be
able 10 find In that institution little Of
value for this investigation.
Records Throw Little Light.
Our cases. said DIT. White. come to
Us with very little history. We. Of course.
eudeavor to supplement the defects in
tbs original papers by getting q history
Of our own. but Il would be almost an
endless procedure 70 60 over the records
for the purpose OF culIing out the facts
that would be valuable to you, and I am
sorry to say jhst the matter Of keeping
the records has rot yet reached that de-
gree Of perfection that VIII enable you
70 get the facts in any other way In
regard 10 this Dr. Robin says:
But what would seem to me especial
~ important IS the fact that a large per-
.centage OF the medical certificates &C
companying patients 10 St El,zabeths
would appear to convey the meagerest
sort OF information. Indeed. however
much I may regret TO report g. many
Of these certificates would appear upon
their faces TO show absolute Indifference
on the part OF the persons signing them"
This state Of affairs Is probably due IN
large part 70 the fact that many OF those
who sign such certificates fail to realize
the Importance OF giving n detail the
data requested by the institution. On the
other hand ] am fully cognizant Of the
fact that in this city many nonresidents
are every year arrested and sent by tn
police department 20 ST. Elizabeth's
Decrease in Recent Years.
''Thus It wfH be seen that up 70 the
year 1905. with the exception Of one
year, there was a steady Increase in the /
number OF commitments TO the Govern /
ment Hospital for the Insane. But your
attention IS especially called 10 the fact
that during the past three years-1sC5. 1896, /
and 1907-the number Of commitments has
gradually decreased To ascertain the
true cause Of such a condition would ap-
pear TO be well nigh impossible. in view
OF the present state OF the records OF the /
Government Hospital II is only Just TO
the superintendent, however. to state that
ne is bending every effort TO make his
recent records complete"
The consensus Of opinion with regard
10 the modern method OF the care Of the /
insane, DR.. Robins says, IS by means Of /
the psychopathic, OF observation. pavilion. /
In proof Of this he recites the success |
attained In these institutions IN Germany, /
Scotland. and in the cities Of New York. /
Albany, Ann Arbor, Mich; Boston, Mass, /
and Baltimore Nd. DR.. Robin ends his
report with the recommendation that a
psychopathic hospital be established in |
Washington
West Endorses Recommendations.
"The fact that I an called upon as
Commissioner to sign what seems TO be a |
very large number Of commitments to the /
insane asylum" said Commissioner West |
yesterday. Ted me 20 suggest that a CON- |
mittee be appointed TO look into the causes /
Of insanity IN the District Of Columbia |
and the increase Of the disease in the last
ten years.
"The interesting and valuable advance |
report submitted TO the Commissioners by !
Dr.. Robins makes Il very clear that IN !
der the present methods 1t is almost i'm
possible 10 secure adequate information /
as 20 the causes Of insanity here. II |
would seem as If the certificates upon /
which persons are committed 70 the IN |
sane asylum should give ample lnforTna- |
ton instead Of being confined 20 e mere /
skeleton Of facts. which seems TO be the 1
case at the present time.
Or Robins suggestion as to the estab- /
lishment Of a psychopathic or observation |
hospital 10 which persons in the incipient /
stages Of insanity could. be committed for 1
treatment, is one that ought TO attract /
general commentator. Or. Robins pre- |
sents some important data as to what is |
being done in this country and elsewhere, j
showing the modern treatment of insane /
cases. I sincerely hope that the work OF /
this committee, which has been purely l
labor of love, viii result IN definite i'm /
provement of the methods and condi- /
tons"