The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-08-07

e8E Ha8 AS1aN4 49, A4s>~
II 10 understood that proposition
IL being cousiesrsd to make import
ant changes In the laws governing
the management Of the state Hospital
for the fnsane. There are said to be
. number Of changes contemplated 10
the present conduct Of that institution.
One OF these. particularly. 10 said to
be transfer to the various counties
OF those insans persons who are com
parativeiy harmless. not violent or diff
fieuit to control. The argument IL
offered that the cost Of the hospital 10
too heavy for the state to bear In the
present strained condition OF the treas
ury. and that the expense OF It can be
iessened BY transferring the class OF
patients mentioned to the counties
from which they came. How great a
differences could be made In the num-
her OF patients now cared for at Tus-
caioosa and Mt Vernon, we have NOT
heard estimated.
The State 10 now caring for about g.
900 insane patients at Tuscaloosa and
Mt. Vernon. 1t 10 paying $a.se week
for each patients maintenance and
care. This includes all expenses. hous-
Ing. feeding. nursing. medical attend
ance. medicines. ETC. The State il new
sr called on for an extra appropriation
for building or any purpose. The ad-
ministration Of the institution from an
economical and financial standpoint
has been most admirable.
The proposed change would make six
ty-seven smaller insane hospitals. one
for each county. Either In the jails or
poorhouses. or IL necessary. In separate
quarters. the counties would have to
arrange to care for their quota of
harmless patients. These patients.
while not violent. or In sense din
cult to handle. are said to be much like
infants and to require q great deal
Of personal attention BY nurses. with
out II. the jaiis or poorhouses. would
soon DO made unsanitary. It can be
readily seen that this change would
not only be . source OF expense to the
counties. but also great source Of
annoyance. It would be dif1cult to get
the competent help under such condi-
lions to handle the unfortunates prop
eriy.
Unquestionably, It would be more
economical to handle all these unfor-
tunates In . mass together. Their
care would also be more efficient and
advantageous with the attention Of
trained nurses and competent super
vision. In the end all the expense for
the maintenance Of the insane. by the
State as a whole, or by the State and
counties separately. must come from
the people through the taxes they pay.
Why then divide It up. increase the
expense and lessen the efficiency Of the
work?
Our information is that this county
piaa of handling the harmless insane
has been abandoned in every state
ia the Union save one: The present
method in Alabama is the up-to-dats
way; In fact. the Alabama Hospital has
always been SO progressive ana EN-
cient IN ITS work as I'd be a model for
many other States. Why then 60 back
to old ideas?
The Advertiser is informed that the
management OF the Hospital for the
Insane. from DIR. ssarcy down. and in
GLIDING the trustees. are opposed to
this change and strongly advise against
It. 1t il to be hoped that their ex-
pert Judgment will be respected. A
change would help the state Treasury
very little. would burden the counties
with a nuisance as we'll as expe-s Sc.
and 1t would increase ultimately the
cost of maintenance to the people az q
whole.