Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-03-19
PLEADS FOR INSANE
DR.. William A. White Addresses
Monday Evening Club.
EVILS OF PRESENT SYSTEM
Government Hospital Head Deplores
Treatment They Receive.
MEMBERS DISCUSS QUESTION
Two-Hour Debate Is Not Followed
by Definite Action,
However.
EVILS OF PRESENT SYSTEM
MEMBERS DISCUSS QUESTION

Shall medical men be permitted to de-
eide a medical problem or shall the insane
be committed as the result of legal
proceeding?
Shall the recommendation of the lunacy
commission be embodied in law?
Is our present system of dealing with
people of unsound mind harsh and cruel!
While the Monday Evening Club, after
a two-hour discussion of these questions
last night. did not go on record with
respect to any of them, the debate con-
clusively indicated that, had a vote been
taken, the answers of the club to the
last two questions would have been in
the affirmative while the organization
undoubtedly would have decided that
insane persons should be committed as
the result of medical examinations rather
than by legal proceedings.
Discuss Care of Insane.
The meeting was devoted entirely to a
discussion of the problem of caring for
the insane the recommendations of the
lunacy commission coming in for the
principal consideration. No opposition de-
veloped to any of the recommendations,
Congress in the form of bill. On the
contrary. the suggestion was heartily
commended that two physicians shall be
appointed by the chief justice of the Dis
trict Supreme Court to examine the pa
tient in each insanity case and give their
determination of the cause will be made
by the justice and not by a jury, as un-
der the present system.
DR.. William a. White. superintendent
~ 4 trl hn In,
sane, pointed out the evils of the pres
ent method of commitment of insane
persons by legal proceedings. Under this
system. he said, an insane person is dealt
with like criminal. when he should be
treated as patient. DR. White declared
that New York has a system which Is
more satisfactory than that of Wash
ington, stating that in the metropolis jury
trials are abolished unless one is re-
quested the trial is heard in the cham
bers of a magistrate and is conducted
under the supervision of two experts on
mental diseases and the alleged insane
man need not be present unless it IS his
wish.
for the Insane asserted that there is need
in Washington for an institution for the
treatment of mental disorders. II per-
sons on the border of insanity could be
given early treatment. he said, they might
be saved from commitment to an insane
asylum later.
Bill Prepared for Congress.
DR.. White explained in detail the tenta
tive bill of the lunacy commission. This
commission was appointed by the Secre-
tary of the Interior, with the approval OF
the President. to make a general investi-
cation of the subject of insanity and lu-
macy proceedings. According to DR..
White, the bill will be transmitted to
Congress some time before the close of
the present session.
Attorney Frederick A. Fenning also in
dorsed the provisions of the bill pre-
pared by the lunacy commission, and he
pointed out a number of Improvements
in the methods of treatment of insane
persons that may be expected, il the
measure becomes a law.
The enactment of legislation which Will
provide for self-commitment of persons
suffering from mental disorders was adj
vocated by Mr.. Fenning. Such a law is
now i'm force in several states, he said.
Patients are permitted to enter insane
asylums upon their own application and
are allowed to leave upon three days
notice, provided the superintendent OF the
institution does not think. the safety of
the public would be endangered by their
release. in which event the regular COM
mitment proceedings are followed to keep
the patients in custody.
Charles II. Turner, who presided at the
meeting. relinquished the chair to the
Rev. DR.. Van Schaick, president of the
club. in order to participate in the dis
CUSTOM Others who spoke We're the
Rev. DR.. Van Schaick, Walter S. Ufford
of the Associated Charities, DIR. r. b.
Bryant and Robert Sroufe, sanitary Of
ficer of the District.