Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-14
CARE OF THE INSANE
Report of Board of Charities
to Commissioners.
NEW HOSPITAL SUGGESTED
Appropriation of 100000 Desired
for Its Construction.
PREVALENCE OF THE MALADY
Statistics Presented Showing the
Average Annual Admissions to st.
Elizabeth Hospital.
NEW HOSPITAL SUGGESTED
PREVALENCE OF THE MALAD'

In a special report to the Commission
ers today with reference to the question
OF the insane in the District Of Columbia
the board of charities made a number OF
important recommendations with the
view of lettering the local conditions,
the most important being for an appro-
priation Of 100000 for the erection of a
|psychopathic hospital for the care and
treatment Of the INDECENT insane and
persons suffering from stipulated dis
eases Of the brain and nerves. 1t Is the
desire of the board of charities to have
this institution erected on a site already
owned by the District between Bright
wood avenue and 14th street.
This report upon the District insane
was ordered by the Commissioners in
1906. The board waited before making
this report for a statement from a spe-
cial committee composed of Drs. w. l..
Robins. w. P. Compton and ]. c. Simp-
son. who were asked by the Commission
ers to furnish information and advice
of charities is the result of exhaustive
inquiry covering every phase OF the sub
ject, including the treatment and cost
and care Of the insane.
Some Suggestions.
Most prominent among the other rec
Concentrations made by the board in j."
report are:
That an appropriation of $4,000 be
made for the erection of buildings for
an Institution for the care and treatment
and education. SO far as possible. OF all
INDECENT. fmbecile and feeble-minded
children in the District Of Columbia, said
buildings to be located on the tract of
land now owned by the District of Co
lumbia in the southeastern portion or
said District and known as Blue Plains.
That law be enacted authorizing the
confinement for treatment OF victims OF
the alcohol and drug habits.
That the laws regulating the method
Of admission to the Government Hospital
for the Insane be simplified as far as
guarding of individuals against the dan
ger of improper confinement.
These recommendations have been ap-
proved by Commissioner mcfarland, who
has supervision Of the charity depart
ment Of the District. and he will move
their adoption by the board.
Prevalence Of Insanity.
In speaking Of the prevalence of insan-
ity in the District in its report. the board
said that it has been very generally sup
posed that there has been a great In
crease in the rate Of insanity throughout
the country In the past twenty years. put
that this increase has been more apparent
than real, particularly in the District OF
Columbia. Regarding the number or In
sane in the District the board reported:
The figures Of the census bulletin COM
piled for the year 1903 estimated the pop
ulation of the District at 1866 The
daily average number OF District Insane
in the Government Hospital that year
was 11O7. This makes a ratio OF Si5.s
per 100 600 population. a ratio larger than
that given for any of the states In the
census bulletin. except the state of Neva'
da, which has a ratio of 4II.4. Calilornia
is given a ratio Of 361.3. and New York
40. This would seem to indicate tnal
the District had a much larger insane
population than most of the states. III
| must be borne in mind, however. that the
census figures cover only the insane In
institutions. and 1t is fair to assume that
in the District of Columbia, which In area
is little more than a city and which has
very high-grade institution readily ac-
cessibie, that there are very few insane
persons who are not sent to the asylum
This is not the case in the states gen
orally. Take the state of New YORK. FOR
instance. The state commission OF lunacy
of that state estimates the number of In
sane not in institutions at 5000. II this
number were added to the number In In
situations. 26,l!6. We have total OF 81.
176, which, taking the population as given
in the census bulletin for that year. gives
a ratio Of 1854 per 100000 population. in
excess in ratio Of that which obtains IN
the District of Columbia. 1t Is probable,
however. that the rate of insanity Is
greater in New York state than i'm most
Of the states. and it is probably also true
that the rate in the District Is somewhat
greater than in most Of the states, al
though 1t is not alarmingly so.
Admissions to Hospital.
The following table is furnished to show
the number of admissions of all classes
and the daily average number of insane
chargeable to the District at St. Eliza
betL from 1901 to 1907:
Year Resident. Non-res. Total. Daily av.
1901 263 30 Dos 1.O35
1902 ... 1903 IS $50 1094
1903 . 327 So 1888 1,1OI
1904 217 80 461 1.13S
1905 349 81 4O6 1,2O5
19O6 Sl3 "a 377 12Sf