The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-03-16
LOOK To ASYLUMS
People Can't Be Restrained in
Private Asylums.
Must Be Examined by Author
lied Physicians.
THREE ARE NAMED.
Board Of Control Takes Steps
to Enforce Law.
Will Try to Stop Private Asylum
Scandals.
THREE ARE NAMED.

The state board of control has ap-
pointed the following physicians as
competent to examine and pass upon
the need of treatment or restraint of
! patients for whom admission is sought
at private institutions for the treat
ment of insane disease: DIR. C. D.
Lidika of Kansas City, DR.. ]. T. Ak
| tell of Newton and DR.. E. T. Shelly of
Aschison.
Harry c. Bowman, chairman of the
board, stated today that the board
| would seek to strictly enforce the law
hicted with nervous diseases in private
institutions or sanitariums. 1t is a
very complex question and one that
requires careful and intelligent hand
ling by the board. The law provides:
THAT no person who shall not have
ben legally adjudged insane shall by
reason of his insanity, or supposed in
sanity, be restrained Of his liberty.
That commitments to private hos
pitals, asylums or institutions shall be
made in the same manner as insane
persons are committed to state hos
pital for the insane"
Now there are many persons who
have friends and relatives suffering
from nervous diseases who do not want
to have them formally adjudged insane
and committed to an asylum with that
terrible suggestion or story hanging
over them the rest of their lives. In
order to make private treatment pos
Sible for these persons and at the same
time comply with the law, the board
had an amendment passed to the law
which is explained in Mr.. Bowman's
letter to a superintendent of a private
sanitarium as follows:
Some persons on the borderland of
insanity realize it and wish to go to All
institution for treatment without any
publicity and without legal proceedings
and relatives and friends of insane per-
sons, imbeciles, habitual drunkards and
cess by which they can get such per-
sons to an institution without court
proceedings or publicity. At the re-
quest of the medical director of one of
the private sanitariums, we prepared
Chapter 1892 Laws of 1907, which pro-
vides that in addition to the legal pro-
ceedingS set out in the statutes for the
commitment of such persons to such
shall appoint a sufficient number OF
qualified physicians, located in differ
ent parts of the state, to examine and
pass upon the need of treatment or re-
straint of patients for whom admission
into said private institutions is sought.
Said physician to make a. written re-
port of his examination upon the form
prescribed by this board and forward
the same to the institution into which
the patient is to be admitted, for which
service the physician receives a fee of
IS, to be paid by the party making ap-
plication for said examination. This
act took effect March z, 1907, and the
forms which we prescribed are set out
in our biennial report of 1908, pages 20
and 81. But one private institution OF
this character asked for the appoint
ment of a physician at the place where
the institution is located and also for
blanks"
Others to Be Named.
Other examining doctors besides
those mentioned above will be appoint
ed by the board where occasion re-
examine patients for any private insti-
tuition in the state The idea is to pro-
vide for the protection of the volun-
tarv patient and to safeguard him
relatives, etc. There is a distinct diff
ference between treatment of a patient
for nervous disease and restraint of
that PERSONS liberty while under treat |
ment. Heretofore private institutions
had not been obeying the law in regard |
to the admission of patients, but from |
now on they will have to toe the mark. |
and there is no excuse for not doing so |
under the amendments to the law pro- |
vided for by the board.
Supt. H. c. Hayes was today granted |
a license by the board for his private (
sanitarium at Bonner Springs
DR.. Biddle. superintendent of the
Topeka hospital, who was sent east by |
the board some time ago to study con-
ditionS and care of patients In the Dig
institutions of the east. has made the |
interesting report and rec
to the board:
zone subject, however, that would
seem worthy of special mention. was
that of 'Borderland Cases of Insanity
and the Voluntary Patient by Albert
Warren Ferris. president of the New
York state lunacy commission.
New York. with a few other east
ern states, has a statute providing for
the voluntary admission to the state
hospitals of the insane. The objects of
this provision is to, in a way, over
come the popular objection to statu-
tory commitment of insane persons to
the state hospitals.
at is claimed that by reason of the
voluntary admissions. the cases reach
the institutions at an earlier date than
Is common where they are committed
by probate order, and that in this way
the cases receive the benefit of treat
ment at an earlier stage of the disease,
with resulting increased success in the
treatment, it being a well known fact
that the earlier cases are brought un-
der treatment the more favorable are
the chances of recovery.
''I am impressed that the plan is a
good one and is well worth the consid-
Grafton of our state
LANGFORD is THE FAVORITE.