The San Francisco call., 1908-09-30
INSANE PATIENTS
CARE IS DISCUSSED
Judge Melvin Tells Charities
Conference Beard of Experts
Should Examine Suspects
Physicians Favor Rational
Treatment and Occupation
for Mental Balance

al Lf-e state conference OF charlueS ana
corrections at the afternoon session in
Chabot hau today. There was a large
attendance. The members OF the con-
ference were treated by the chamber
Of commerce 10 a trolley ride 10 Berke-
isY snd Piedmont park this morning
Speaking on Proceedings in Commit
ment Of the Insane" Judge Henry
A Melvin Of Oakland said. IN part:
Under the present law patients are examined
by a commission consisting of judge ana tNo
physicians As q rule the judge knows very
3irtle sbeat insane people and has rant loeA
u the case compared 70 WHIST he should know
before sending patient 70 the asylum. he
physicians compelled 10 have nFe years
experience In view u rn-s TACT Wolla rec
oumenc that an examining tribunal he composed
q experts who have given close attention 10
TIE causes andy care OF insane patients
I Go not believe IN having receiving nos
pirEi for insane patients where they axe kept
over night until they examined They sho1ld
be left home IN guard Of the proper agents
unless they are Or show indications q becernlng
Viois1L believe there should b less ma
used IN dealing with the insane.
The present nREner OF Commitment Is Sreatiy
dreaded b pEtsents who are aware of thetr
Ef6icrOn and who Eoald be wtliing 70 under
kinds q cases into one department aronses &
dread and causes tAs patient 10 become Eo-se.
oolng HIN sct1sI injury instead OF CONNIE ncing
cure a. the early stages
METHODS OF TREATMENT
DR.. Elmer z. Stone Of the Napa state
hospital spoke on Modern Methods Of
the Treatment Of the Insane He
favored the segregation OF insane pa
tients. but not by putting them behind
thick walls and shutting them out from
the sunlight unless they proved danger
ously violent He said:
PstIentE would have a far better cEzuce FOR
recorery in natural surroundings with plenty
q outside existence sDc enough work 70 keep
them IN good physical condition In my opinion:
good plan would be % have number OF
small cottages instead q huge building
VITA a little gardening 70 DO and al existence
not far removed from the life q the average
citizen the patient would have better chance
10 resume hts normal mind II would certainly
improve his health. which Is threatened By the
present system Of hemming patients II buildings
where tuberculosis germs are implanted by some
q the occupants Great ruMbers OF the pa
IS fostereo by cOngesred conditions.
DR.. F. w Hatch. superintendent of
Agnew state hospital, refuted the as
sertion that patients We're dying from
tuberculosis more rapidly than people
in general He had a pile Of statistics
ready 70 support his declaration. He
said:
PROPORTIONAL DEATH RATE
fhe percentage OF deaths IN The insane hos
ptais FOR the last TWO years was 10 per cent
Tor al causes. Deaths among the general public
ID California from tuberculosis alone averaged
> per cent of the population Ia the stats
prisons the death rate is as high as y ana 5C
per cent In the hospital system 16 per cent
haFe died IA Two years In the insane hospitals
50 per cent Of the patients have been discharged
having recovered.
DR.. Leonard Stocking OF Agnew state
hospital made a short address on The
New Plan at Agnew," and illustrated
his talk with a huge blue print show
ing rhe various Improvements In the
institution for the help and comforts
II oil = 1r- q
dress ne asserted that the improve
ments in progress at the state institu-
tiOns were fast placing California IN
the front RANK Of the states in the care
Of the insane
After a short discussion, conducted
by Judge Curtis y. Wilbur, the presid-
ing officer. the conference adjourned
until the evening session.
PRISON PROBLEMS
At the evening session DR.. Samuel J
BarroWs Of New York, speaking or
The Prison Problems said:
We are coping with ancient methods in our
bsttle against crime Our prison methods are
relic u the early days and ought 10 be exhibited
sn a Museum, The great body Of youthful
FOUNDERS" Is made BY neglect Of the youth
ful prisoner who is made chronic offender by
society's mistake in dealing with him as at pres
ent We should not stop looking AFTER the delin
Quent youth at 1s = he does not improve We
need reformatories where be may be taught I,
suit would certainly be worth the effort.
We need our prisons enlarged and
improved" said United States District
Attorney Robert T. Devlin Of San Fran
cisco. al the close Of a speech on do
We Need a STATE Reformatory2" The
dimculty with young men who get intC
prison is that they lack the industry
and thrift Of good citizens. The reform
school would teach them an occupation
and provide means of sustenance fol
them when they are set free. We neec
a reformatogy for men from the age.
OF Is 10 90 In order 10 avoid the as.
ISOLATION Of prison criminals.
PAROLE SYSTEM
Devlin gave a brief history Of tn,
parole system in this state saying tha
25O prisoners are on parole at present
and on an average not more than pc
cent are returned 10 jail for breaking
parole.
Oscar Cushing of San Francisco spok,
Of the need for reform institutions say
ing that the state had three times a.
many criminals as many other states
OF the same population. and that 4
was high time something should b.
done for a remedy. He was followed
by Probation officer Christopher Reus
Of Alameda county. who said that al
institution was needed to take care o
delinquents lowering between the re
form school and prison ages. DR.. Hast
ings H Hart of Chicago said that 4
anything was done for an institution il
California II should not be created OF
2 political plan. This evoked much ap
plause.
A resolution was presented by Judg,
Hughes OF Sacramento asking the con
ference TO recommend the selection O.
a committee OF three for the collectio,
OF facts on criminology in the state il
ordef TO help out the future plans o
government
The committee appointed on resoiu
tions consists Of w. A. Lamb, O. X
Cushing. W. T. Randall, Mrs c. s
Chamberlain and DR.. Walter LindIey
time and place committee Dr. Hatcl
fchafrman), C. S. Greene and G. T Tur
ner5 conference and organization com
mittee. 3. II. Pendleton. Mrs E. L. Bald
win, Mrs. j. A. Mckee, Herbert w
Lewis and Miss K. c. FELTON,
BANDIT R0Bs MINERS
SEATTLE. Wash. Sept PA spe
ciai cable TO the Times says that a Ion.
bandit appeared on the trail betwee1