Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1910-05-29

two decades in the care of the insane
 to observe that those who are discus sing the matter today are complain
 ing of exactly the same abuses that
 were apparent twenty years ago. Speakers at the charities conference
 held in St. Louis have pointed out the ] failings in the present system, but,
 so far as we have been able to ob-
 serve, have neglected to prescribe an
 adequate remedy.
 The thing most complained Of by
 those who claim to have made more
 than a superficial study of the prob
 lem is the alleged abuses of patients
 at the hands of those to whose care
 they have been committed. There is
 no need to deny that these abuses do exist. But in considering them we should not forget that they are not always due, even if they are ever due, to the malicious or careless action of any individual The fact is that in nearly every state the number of in- sane persons exceeds the provision made for their proper care. In some of the states of the south, for instance there are more insane persons in the county jails than in the -asylums. A; sheriff, or a deputy sheriff, is not the ideal custodian of an insane man or woman. Even if he does the best he knows how he has done none too well.
 In the asylums, generally speaking, despite all that has been said to the contrary, fragrant abuses are not con- mon. Those who are forced, through unfortunate circumstances, to ask that the state care for their. relatives who have become mentally unbalanced should not forget that they are shift ing a burden which they have found themselves either unwilling to under take or incapable of bearing. It is not an easy task to properly care for one violently insane. This fact should not be lost sight of.
 But the discouraging feature about it all is the exceedingly small per- centage of cures effected. Perman- ent cures are in fact, so infrequent that those who find themselves oblig- ed to commit the mentally deficient to the care of the state usually feels that death itself would be preferable. It is impossible to get entirely away from the belief that the unsatisfac- tory results along this line are due largely to political abuses. The state asylums, as we'll as other state in- stitutions, have been made avenues which reward for party ser- vice is sought and gained. In a ma jority of states the superintendent and medical staff of the insane hos pital change with the administration. They never outlive the transfer of state government from one party to another. No one will contend for a moment that this system is benefi- cient. And the rule which applies to the staff applies equally to the corps of nurses and attendants. Profi- ciency is not the gauge by which these employees are measured.
 There is cause for complaint, and there is need for improvement. The first step should be to take the con- trol of the insane hospitals entirely out of politics. The staff and corps should be immediately under the con- trol of a civil service board which should be empowered to appoint and dismiss without political interference of any kind.
 When to competency can be added an intelligent familiarity, the ideal attendant for the insane has been found. Those who know the insane best fear them the least. When the 1 fear is destroyed, the supposed ne- cessity for undue restraint disappears
 To the abuse of the restraining pow
 CT is due most of the failures in ef-
 fecting permanent cures. Insanity 1 is disease which can not be cured
 by perpetuating the very influences 1 which create it.
 l -o$o-