The Washington times., 1907-02-18

--a'eo DE the secretary OF War, one to
ne a surgeon In the navy. 10 be desig-
mated By the Secretary Of the Navy and
one 70 De citizen OF the District OF
Columbia, 20 be- designated by the Com
missioners Of the District.
Board of Visitors Inspections.
The hospital has grown TO such an
extent that IL has become impossible
for the board TO inspect il, and. as a
matter Of fact. there are many wards
into which the boards OF visitors do not
20 once a year
In this age. inspection has become
one Of the most important agencies in
the government of all institutions.
There is. 50 far as ne know not a
state whose hospitals are not subject
20 inspection by competent boards ap-
pointed Tor the purpose And this in
specuoH is not performed by those d.
recuy connected with the hospital but
by disinterested and Impartial men.
whose duty IL IS to report upon every
phase OF The management, and with
out fear or favor
To this the majority say.
THE committee is Of the opinion that,
I'm case there were seversl Govern
ment hospitals for the insane, il would
be the part Ct wisdom for Congress to
make legislation for the creation OF =
lunacy commission. so that these sew
eIal institutions could be conducted
along the same lines: but. in the case
Of the Government Hospital for the In
sane, there would seem 10 be no need
for such a commission.
The board OF visitors. whose duties
are prescribed by statute SO far as the
question of inspection is concerned, per-
forms the work Of a lunacy commission.
and the committee believes that that
was the object of the statute. The su-
perintendent is. OF course. under the
control of the Secretary Of the Interior"
Methods of Commitment
Much space is devoted by the major
ity to the methods Of committing the in
sane TO the asylum, and on this they
say
"A great zeal Of time has been given
10 the question Of the authority for and
method Of commitment Of INDECENT pa
Uents from the District Of Columbia 20
the hospital and after a careful exam
inaticn Of the law in connection there
with. the committee has no hesitanCv
in ying Jtat the law as il now stands
on tEaU subject is misleading conflict
Ing md ambiguous
The whole law. as TO the question OF
com nitmeut OF patients and the methods
OF procedure in connection Herewith.
should be changed, and a statute should
be enacted in leu thereof which would
be clear and explicit defining the lunacy
proceedings IN as simple a manner as
possible"
Without touching on the District side
OF the case Of commitments. the min
Gritty thus report on the aspects OF the
case affecting soldiers and sailors
IT has seemed TO US that the manner
Of commitment Of soldiers and sailors
10 the hospital is not in accord with
those principles of law and Justice
which should be applied in cases involv-
zenS o. this country. The law seems 10
provide that in the case OF an enlisted
soldier or sailor, or Of a retired soldier
or sailor, he can be committed to the
hospital upon an order Of the Secretary
OF War or OF the Navy. as the case may
be.
''It seems TO US clear that these people
should be entitled 10 jury trial before
they are deprived Of their liberty.
But the case Of soldiers sent 20 this
hospital from the different soldiers
homes is even worse They are COM
mitted TO the hospital upon the order
Of the president Of the board Of man
ayers Of the National Homes for =. V
:. No process of any kind is invoked.
And from the evidence il appears that
the President of the board acts upon
ipse diXit of the surgeons of the diff
ferent homes Surely jury trial
should be had in these cases. es-
pecially when it appears that men have
been committed to the hospital when
they were not insane
Financial Management.
Without critcising in any way DR..
Whites financial management of the in
the majority say:
THE statute should be amended
so that the superintendent should be re-
lieved of performing the duties of a
officer of the hospital and
should be given authority 10 appoint a
officer 10 act under his d.
rection.'
After recommending that Congress. in
stead of the superintendent, fix the sal
aries OF physicians and employees at the
asylum, the minority report concludes:
"Your committee would also call at
tention TO the loose management Of the
finances Of the Institution. The super
intendent seems TO think that he can
take care OF in detail all the affairs Of
the hospital. and from this have arisen
a good many abuses. notably the farm