The sun., 1910-05-15
STATE CARE or INEBRIATES.
A BrIof Ter q BiIi Creating amIn1ustFial
COlony for DgwIAsprds.
FVoa an sriels by d. FrsAsrek Ppisrssa ia ~
New Vera MsaIcai J0uFnai.

NAANAN ~ ANASA-AAANs
FgoA an Srsiois by d. FrsAsriek Ppisyssa n ~
NsB Vera Msaicul Journai.
There b a prescott pending bstoEo che
Legislature nf New York the orady-Lee
hlll. which aims 10 provide fog New lork
city a special hospital As well as an indus-
trial colony for the treatment Of insorlatea
somewhat liks tho scheme Of tho Craig
Colony for Epilsptlcs.
The plan proposed In the 0rady-iee bll
was prepared By the STATE Charities Aid
Association after q careful INVESTIGATION
Of the sxperiencs and laws Of Othar States
IN the Union. and IN particular the ezperi-
enCo Of England, which has had special
Institutions for the treatment Of lnehriAtes
for TIM last thirty years. The plan reoog-
nlaaa that TIE question h not exclusively
q penal one a. a has heretofore been treated
In this state. ON the other hand h does
not 90 70 the extreme and say that the
problem of public inloKicaaiOn and inebrtsey
is purely a medical one. but acknoWledges
frankly that the problem u at once medi-
cal and social one. and it therefore aims 70
,uubutltute medical aud remedial measures
70 far a. possible for punitive Measures
In dealing with the problem 0f public m
toxication and lnebriety
The special hospital aud colony build
inRs which the plan includes would Dc
located on a large tlIlabls farm where an
abundance Of healihful out Of door work
can Be given 20 patients. The institution
would BE- under the supervision Of q medi-
cal ofiosr. and h b believed that In add
ton 10 the possibility Of restoring many
cases the institution would also be Of very
lHrfN1UwfnfmiNW
20 medical men to observe thess Gases for
an extended period In an Isolated institn.
tion and that much valuable clinical and
pathological material could thus BE- acenmu-
lated which might serve - . basis for q
more adequate study on the part OF the medl-
cal profession Of the problem Of successful
treatment Of alcoholism.
One feature which n novel 70 the law OF
the State OF New York, but which has been
adopted In Massachusetts,, COnnsoticut.
Pennsylvania, Iowa. Minnesota and Ne
braaka, II a provision which will make h
possible for ihebriates 10 be committed 20
the institution. Az present there is In this
State no general provision BY which habitual
drunkards can be cOnfned for treatment
and reformation in any institution against
their will, no matter how seriously they are
In need OF such protectiOa and treatment
nor how great a menace they may be 20
their friends and relatives. unless such per
sons are arrested for diaorderly conduct
or public intoxicatlon and are then CON-
mitted 70 a penal institution which affords
no possibility whatever for any remedial
treatment and which leaves the person
worse on than before his commitment.
The Law II passed would provide that an
lnebriats who Il incapable Of properly
conducting himself or his Affairs or b dan
gerous TO himself or others by reason OF
habits Of periodical or constant drunken
ne~a induced either by the Use Of alcoholic
or other liquors or OF opium. morphine OF
other narcotic or Intoxicating or stupsfy-
ing substance, may on hs own Initiative
apply 10 q civil court for his commitment
TO such an institution. n he h not inclined
20 apply voluntarily the Law provides that
his relatives or tho trustees Of Bellevue
and Allied Hospitals OF the Commissioner
Of Public Charities may 90 apply. and II
their application shall be accompanied BY
the oertidcats Of two medical examiners
In lunary such a person can be committed
by the Judge 20 the Institution for q period
Of not less than one year nor more than
three years.
The measure also provides that persons
may be committed to the institution by the
police courts Of the city on an indeiermi-
nate sentence II. hOyever. provides thai
before such commitment shall be made
every aid shall be made by special officers
of the institution. whO are called field ON
GERS, TO make u unnecessary TO commit
such q person ~ the institution. The neld
o6loer acts a. an Investigation Ofiicer for
the court and also a. probation Ofiicer.
and the Law provides that persons arrested
for public iVtoxicatiOn may be put on
probation under the supervision Of one Of
the field officers and Il necessary q fine
may be added which can be paid In install
Inenta 10 the field Oficpr. provided. however.
hat II the person does not respond TO either
Of these he shall he committed 10 the institu-
{ ion on an indeterminate sentence.