The Devils Lake world. (Devils Lake, N.D.) 1911-1911, 1911-01-20
NO MARRIAGE FOR
THE WEAK MINDED
RECOMMENDATION MADE BY THE
BoARD-RAMsEY SENT FOUR
INMATES TO SCHOOL.

Bismarck, N. D., Jan. 17.-Report
of the board of trustees of the insti-
tute for the feeble minded at Grafton
for the biennial period contains num-
Der of recommendations, the most prom
inent probably being second appeal
for legislation preventing tho marriage
of mental detectives. The report says:
"Coming in monthly contact and at
our board meetings, with these people
and thus being afforded an opportunit,.
for observation and study, which are
not to be had by other members of So
ciety differently situated, the necessity
for legislation OF 5 character appeals
to us with peculiar force
Attention is also called to the fact
that during the period covered by the
report the number of inmates has
grown until it is impossible on account
of room to accommodate any more pa.
tients. The maximum has been placed
at 165 and applications for admission
are now being filed in the order Of their
receipt, and such applicants are placed
upon the waiting list" and they are
received only when room is made fer
them through death or withdrawal Of
inmates. Even with increased facilities
given by completion of the hospital
building the institution has not beer
able to care for all.
Application is again made this year
for an appropriation to be used for
the erection of silo, the board Of
trustees having ascertained through
experiments and investigation that tue
use of ensilage works for economy in
the production of milk.
Other requests are for the erection
of a fire proof custodial building large
enough to accommodate 100 inmates,
besides rooms for the matrons, attend
ants and help; the installation Of
new boiler and the extention of the
electric light and power light to tile
farm buildings; the enlargement of the
laundry so as to increase its size ol..-
half; doubling the size of the barn.
sinking Of a two inch artesian well:
the erection of new farm dwelling, and
improvements in the grounds in the
way Of grading, sidewalks, trees aud
shrubbery. An appropriation of abo"t
$4,000 is asked in the report for
maintenance and improvement, but it is
understood that the appropriation bill
will not carry that large request be-
cause of the existing financial cond'
ton of the state.
In the statistics included in the re.
port it is shown that during the per-
iod los new patients were admitted
the school and custodial places beins
about equally divided. Twenty three
cases have been discharged, three of
these eloped, one was transferred to the
hospital at Jamestown, and twenty-fcur
cases have been removed by relatives
There have been twenty-seven deaths,
the death rate fa4Alng off since tn
opening Of the institution from ei:h
teen percent to twelve percent. There
have been no contagious cases during
the period.
A few years ago the ratio of feeble
minded was estimated at to 500 and
it is now placed at l to between 3u!)
and 400. The report claims that the
increase is due to the fact that So
ciety in general has failed to realize
what the feeble minded population is
costing and has failed to take proper
steps toward checking it.
The following is statement of the
counties and the number Of inmates
from each:
Adams, l; Benson, 8; Billings, 3;
Bottineau, Z; Bur]cigh, 9; Cass, IL;
Cavalier, 8; Dickey, s; Eddy, 1; Eos
ter, 1; Grand Forks, 8; Griggs, 3;
Hettinger, 2; LaMoure, 2; McHenry
6; Mckenzie, 1; Morton, 5; Moua
trail, /; Nelson, S; Oliver, 1; Pembina
9; Pierce, 2; Ramsey, 4; Ransom, 4;
Richland, 6; Rolet:e, 1; Sargent, 81
Sheridan, 1; Stark. 4; Steele, 4
stutsman, Z; rowner, 4; Trail, s
Walsh, 8; aWrd, 8; Williams, S.
The counties not having any in
mates Of the institution are Kiddcr
Emmons, Mcintosh, Mclean, Dunn
Mercer, evils, Bowman and Logan
Burke and Renville counties are III
cluded in the Ward county report, a:
is Divide county included in the repor'
form Williams county.