The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-29
AID FOR TIKI CURED INSANE
AFTER CARE WORK, BEGUN here,
IS RAPIDLY SPREADING.
Other states lAkeay 60 FaalOw the Plaza
Ad0p1cd IN New NOrk Tor Helplng Dls-
charged Patients 60 Find Empl0yment
America Behind Eurape IN the wDFk.

EtARFROO FgNhtNhtA - EMtu EUtNAuyANHANu
America Behlnd Eurape IN the wBSk.
A feature Of the annual meeting Of the
STATE Charities Aid Association held In
che United Charities Building recently was
tho report Of the associations committee
on The after care OF the insane. which was
organized two years ago to assist patients
discharged as recovered from the State
smsane hospitals. The report showed that
interest in the subject has been widespread.
with the result that organizations in other
states may take up the work along the
lines followed in New York.
b report shOws also that the work OF the
COMMITTEES has been greatly extended in
bhis STATE. with the result that now nearly
svsry hospital for the insane has lie COM
mittee working among the discharged
patients. The second years supervision
OF former patients Of the Manhattan State
Hospital and other institutions, where the
work was started partly as an experiment.
gives evidence that the assistance will be
permanent.
Ae the sixty-third annual meeting Of the
American Medico-P Psychological Associa-
don held in Washington this summer DR.
William Mabon. superintendent Of the
Manhattan State Hospital. read a paper
giving q comprehensive account Of the
work done for the recovered insane in this
country. he drew attention To the fact
shat although an association for providing
assistance 20 INDECENT persons who found
n dificult to obtain employment because
they had been in insane ssylums was organ
ised in France as early at 1871, and similar
associations were organized a few years
later in England and Switzerland. nothing
- 1AnA H. Ait. a,..N- s.-NsN l.. N0OE Mt.
Louisa Ice Schuyler secured the coopera-
ton OF the State Charities Aid Association
in originating the work here.
A feature OF DR.. Mabon's paper was an
account Of the interest taken in after care
Of the insane in Japan. where according
% the report Of the psychiatric clinic OF
Toxic University the wives Of the alienists
and physicians OF the city organized in
loO3 the Toxic Ladies' Aid Society for the
insane. This organization furnishes the
Insane patients with materials for doing
work, such as making artificial flowers.
n sells the articles made, paying the
patients for them.
The money earned by the patients 10
saved for them by the superintendent OF
the hospital until they are discharged.
when Il Is turned over to them to start life
with anew. While they are in the hospital
they are allowed to spend a certain pro- ,
portion OF the money for newspapers. maya
xines and deliCscies.
Homer Folks. secretary OF the State
Charities Aid Association. in a paper read
at the national conference of charities
and correction In Minneapolis. told OF the
Hrst years work of the New York State
after caro- committee. Many OF the dele
gates to the conference were SO much i'm
pressed that they expressed themselves
~ hopeful that they would be able to re-
pom the beginning Of work in their own
Staes before next years conference meets.
At Yah the meeting in Minneapolis and
the one In Washington Miss T.. Fl. Horton,
agent OF the New York after care COM
mlttse. was present add took part in the
discussion Of the papers.
The report OF the after care committee
showed that the Manhattan and Central
Isip state hospitals. whose patients come
mainly from New York county. had been
merged during the year under one COM
nitteo and that a similar COMMITTEES is
being organized for the Long Island and
Kings Park hospitals.
The number OF casea under the super
vision Of the various State hospital COM
mittses during the year was summarized
as follows: Manhattan and Central Islip,
III; willard, 20; Hudson River. =. and Bing-
hsmton, 8. The report Of the Manhattan
and Central Islip committee says:
There are often cases of extreme desti-
tuition, of unusual worries Of various kinds
and Of q lack OF harmony and good feeling
between the different members OF the fam
lily. These conditions all tend to react on
the patient. and IL has been the aim Of the
agent TO help. relieve and remove these con-
ditions wherever possible. first by bringing
special cases to the attention of other socie-
ties: secondly by helping 10 procure situa-
ti0ns for the unemployed. and again by
her wise counsel establishing more har-
monious relations.
SOf the thirty-two patients for whom en-
ployment was secured this year, twelve
we're provided with situations through the
special employment agency of the Charity
Organization Society. five by the Alliance
Employment Bureau and fifteen directly
by the after care agent. These cooperating
agencies assist not only in securing employ
ment. but also in sending patients and their
relatives TO the country and in other ways"
A summary OF typical cases assisted
during the year by the Manhattan and
Central Islip committee included the fol-
loving:
Young man, % years old, Who had been
IN the hospital for fifteen years, had shown
steady Improvement for the last five or
Rix years. 10 was strong, able to suppOTe
himself and was perfectly honest. His
only defect was his inability TO read and
write English. Aplace was found for him as
handy man 40 q small place in the country.
His employer writes that his memory is
not good, but she would not part with
hiEn, as he In faithful, works well and Ia
very neat.
sYonng woman. whose two little children
had bsom placed in a home and whose
husband took TO drinking after she went
70 the hospital. A situation was secured
for her in q private family, where abe In
highly thought Of. The agent got the
husband relnstated and he Is doing well.
As soon rs the couple can lay by a little
money they will set up housekeeping and
viii have their children with them.
Young woman, whose husband and three
>eDe children were cared for by her mother
while she was In the hospital. When she
returned home a situation was found for