The morning journal-courier., 1908-05-07
MENTAL HYGIENE
 SOCIETY FOUNDED
lcontInuod rom TIrst Pagel

Continued from First PageO press, pulpit and innumerable other channels, a sentiment against existing evils fuhlIc sentiment thus aroused will eventually express itself through state legislatures in the form of ade- quate appropriations, ana these in- tnlllgently expended will raise stand ards Of treatment As universal con ndoneo in our common dread of -om- mltmcnt and appreclahly diminish the dread of insanity, the raising of standards of efficiency shall be controlling factor in the policy of the society
 1.-The society shall cooperate with hospital otIcias-especially with tho physicians In charge of the patients, These, it K assumed, will take an ac- tive part in tho work of the organlza- ton. This is most important. for the success of the planned campaign de- pends in large measure, upon tho hearty cooperation of those in author fly in our institutions
 ., X most important function of the society will he the waging of an edu- catiyo war against the prevailing ig- norance regarding conditions and modes of living which tend to produce mental disorders, This common-sense, lprophyluxls-or work of prevention will, in time, bring. under control the now increasing population of our hos pitals and asylums
 6. The society shall publish and dis tribute information which will warn land help rescue those threatened with nervous or mental collapse. and indl- | cate the help at hand Popular articles i on mental disorders and the provisions for their management written espe- cially for the general public. will go fan toward correcting mlstdKen conceptions now commonly held by laymen; and such knowledge, widely spread, will overcome many terrors now lgnorantly associitcd with disturbed states of mlnd and the institutions provided for their treatment.
 [, IL shall be an aim of the society Co devise a substitute for the usually ineffective and always disturbing leg Ilslatlye Investigation In the opinion of those able to judge, this result can be best reached by commission of ex- perts who would prepare and report a plan which would serve as n basis fol permanent improvement
 s. The society shall appoint com mittee to study the question of making the legal protection of patients, both before and after commitment, less o burden for all concerned. A commit tee composed of physicians. lawyers hospital officials and well-informeC laymen. should be able 10 frame a SC Iof model statutes, applicable, witt slight notifications. to the situation il all states of the Union. Such a set O statutes would do away with practice under which the afflicted now suffe needless annoyance and hardship. Pa
 tlents should be given every deserve, privilege and their rights should b' protected by law Except where effec tive supervision ls assured, hospita rules, so easily made. set aside or brok
 on. should not he accepted as adequat protection for inmates of our publi, and private hospitals where the men tally afflicted are confined
 9 Viewed as a whole the problem O
 insanity may seem staggering. perhap
 hopeless. but divided into It's manage able clements the problem becomes sus
 coptible of solution It shall therefor he an aim of the society to formulat plan in the carrying out of whc
 these controllable units may b
 reached
 10. The society shall endeavor {
 spread a knowledge of the principle c
 non restraint, with a view 10 bringn about the universal adoption of thi
 ndvldualizing principle in tho treat | ment of insanity
 II. The society shall appoint "after care committees" for the purpose ( , assisting those who. without help (
 some kind at the time of their dis e charge and the struggle for existene go severe as to cause a relapse, ofte i, necessitating commitment This pla . has long been in successful operatio , in Germany, Switzerland, France an | Great Britain In this country tr
 state of New York has taken to lea' . several after-care committees havn y already been brought to a working pei
 lection under the auspices of the Stat . Charities Aid association of New Tor 2 city
 e 12. It shall he the business of tho SC a ciety to appoint a local committee s represent it in each city and towl ]" Such a committee shall act as first al |. to the Inslne--and to the relatives an ,- friends of those suddenly stricken N g. only shall 1t give instructions regard ,- ing the commitment and transfer ( 10 patient it shall help bring undt
 prompt control cases of threatened co
 lapse The committee shall also send
 the hospital authorities information rt !. garding the early history of commit if ted persons, and upon the discharge ia the patient, provided help be needed, :, shall cooperate with the after-cal
 committee and prepare the ground f'