The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1907-04-25
Board Of Charities Show
Conditions as Brutal,
Inhuman
STATE URGED TO ASSUME COM,
PLETE CONTROL IN NAME OF n
HUMANITY AND PROGRESS. Y
REVOLVING IN DETAILS
Is the Report Sent to Governor De-
nee.-unseievahI ccandals
Resulting from Lax Care
Are Revi swed.


Chicago Apr "a. Mediacval condi-
tions surrounding the insane IN the
county aims houses Of Illinois are dis
closed In a report submitted today py
the state board of charities TO Govern
or Deneen. Thg report was adopted
at d meeting held here this afternoon.
The conditions are made the basis fof
earnest recommendation that the state
assua complete care Of the insane, N
the name OF humanity and progress.
The report Is extremely bulky. The
text Of the introduction aud argument
Il 10000 words long. Following MS
are detailed reports Of inspections and
statistical pages.
Photographic Illustrations are pro-
yid d. One shows girl with chains
on her ankleg ADothef shows rude
box with stats across the top and
hasps and bolt used for the eonfine
ment cf nnruly persons. Another II
OF a box bed in which an insane Wo
man was KEEP for forty years. rms
sort of thing the board criticises Sc
rtly, as unnecessary, because IN
sane persons are sick and need hos
pital care, not mechanical restraint
Itsopposes steel cells, handc ifs, etc.
Many Horrors Are Revi.Wsd
For clear understanding Of the sit
nation the board scf charities gives .
history Of the care of the insane from
the earliest times to the present rs
viewing horrors and closes its repori
with an attack upon the Legislative
plan TO solve the problem of insanity
In Illinois by building up one ms. !
tuition the asylum for inenrable IN
SAN. al the expense Of the other SIX
The plans Of the board Of charities
for new buildings and curative treat
ment" at each of the seven institu
tons, it Is shown provides enough
addi .lonal room to empty all OF TN
aims houses. except Cook county, o
their insane and to house and trea
the normal increase Of new cases dur
ing the next two years. Cook county
because of its modern hospital 10
the insane at Dunning, is no discusses
in the report and is not figured in an.
of the computations,
The report is signed by DR. Fran
Billings, Emil G.. Hrseh, Julla I
Lathrop. DR. John T. McAnally, Clar
p. Bourland and William C. Graves.
Horrible Conditions Still Exist.
After referring 10 the memorial prs
sented to the Illinois general Assem-
blv sixty years ago by Miss Doroth
l.. Dix, which resulted in the cor
struction of the first state hospital 10
the insane at jacksonville in lSi
tho report asserts that some of tn
aims house conditions which Mis-
Dix reported so long ago exist toda'
In spite of the fact that the stat'
with magnificent ben Violence ha
erected eight institutions at toti
cost includ ng maintenance. of s36
54S. 600. to proyile care for the II
sane and feeble minded.
No blame is attached to any perso
or of officials because the aim
house conditions in many instance
still are unsatisfactory. II is show
thas insanity is too great and too din
cult a problem for sat sfactory sol
tion by so small governmental I'M
as a county. The problem. of nece
sitv requires in its solGtion II
greater resources of the state.
Reassns For Complete State Care.
Emphasizing hhe fact that th
board is attacking an obsolete sy
fem and not county governments
states the + flowing Is reasons WI
Illinois should provide complete sta
care for the insane at .he Garlic
practical date:
/ Because aims houses ma.ntsin'
by county governments, do not al
cannot provide continuous. expe
medical and nursing service. Th'
do not and cannot properly classi
the insane. Aims houses are mai
taiued t. provide the bare neces
ties OF life so as to discourage pa
peTism.
Because. while this general Z
sembly has been sitting. grl in
Illinois aims house has been hobbl
with chains pad-locked to her ba
ankles because her stomping d
turbed oiher inmates in the insa
department
>. Because. while this general
serpblv tas ben sitting. a rude h'
with woosen stats across the tc
supplied with iron hinges. haps a
hoit l. readr in q certain Hin,