The Washington herald., 1914-02-27
CAUSE OF
FEEBLE.MINDED
Appeals Made Before Board
Of Trade for Voluntary
Commitment Laws.
MANY REPORTS ADOPTED
Free Books for Pupils of High
Schools Recommended by
F. A. Fenning.

Arguments fayoring the enactment Of
voluntary commitment laws In the Dis
trict under which the mentally defective
Of their own volition may obtain treat
uent at the Government Hospital for the
Insane were presented by Frederick A.
Fenning In his talk before the members
of the Board of Trade at their monthly
meeting last night. Mr.. Fenning spoke
on the legal aspect OF the mentally de-
fective. explaining the merits Of the bill
to be presented to Congress this week.
He characterized the legal proceedings
necessary at present for the mentally
detectives to secure treatment at the
hospital as an awful ordeal and a
.-crueI experience" He explained that
there are some mentally detectives who.
realizing their condition. seek treatment
by entaiiing action through the police
department He cited cases where denial
of voluntary admission had been attend
ed with serious results.
Treatment must be begun" declared
Mr.. Fenning, before the condition of
the mentally defective becomes SO far
advanced as to make him eligible for
enforced commitment"
nesuhtn In otncE Sthtcs-
Voluntary commitment laws are in
force in several OF the States, and have
been attended with marked success.
The patient under these laws Is grant,
ed discharge on his own application in
writing
DR.. william A. White, superintendent
OF the Government Hospital for the In.
sane, discussed the causes and preven-
ton OF mental disorders. showing statis-
tics on the increase Of insanity In the
United States. He said that to him this
increase was not unlocked for when the
various causes are taken into considera-
tion. Although he said the use Of alco-
hol was to a large degree responsible. he
did not believe that II alcohol were taken
out of the country mental diseases would
be eliminated. alcohol Is really much
less used now than II was some time
ago." said DIR. White.
Treatment for the mental defective was
discussed by DR.. ID. Percy Hickling. The
lectures by DR.. White and Dr. Hickling
were illustrated by lantern slides. 1--WE
are doing absolutely nothing for the
feeble minded adult" declared DR.. Hick-
ling, until he does something that brings
him within the law. Punishment should
not apply to the crime, but to the indi-
vidual Penitentiaries should be used
the way the Bastile was"
Free Text Book. Urged.
Free text books for pupils OF the high
schools was recommended = in a special
report by Mr.. Fenning, as chairman of
the public schools committee. The other
recommendations OF this committee in
cluded:
/. Approval OF ample appropriation by
Congress for the erection and mainte-
nance OF suitable buildings for the Gen.
tral and NJ Street high schools; and of
a further appropriation for the purchase
of proper site and for the erection of
a suitable building for the Eastern High
School
education and under restriction by it,
public school buildings should be avail
able for other than strictly public school
purposes.
Q 3. Disapproval at the present time OF
any proposition to change the general
authority or functions of the superin-
tendent Of public schools or the board
of education.
The report of the water supply commit
tee submitted by Appleton P. Clark,
chairman. recommended:
First-Approval of immediate provision
for increasing the water supply.
Second-Indorsement of the plan pro-
posed by the chief OF engineers. U. s. A.
as embodied in the report OF Lieut.-Co
W. C. Langfitt Doc. II. r. 400. ed Con-
gress, Sd session., so far as increase of
water supply Is concerned.
II. L. Rust, In his report for the streets
and avenues committee. recommended:
First-Approval Of the conversion Of
alleys into minor streets and OF Sc
curing legislation tending to effectively
eliminate existing alley conditions and
convert alleys into thoroughfares cred
liable to the nations Capital
Second-Recommendi that the
Commissioners be requested TO promul-
gate a building regulation that will in
sure in the erection of buildings a sub
stantial parallelism of their main "fa-
cade" or elevation with the line OF the
street. to the end that symmetry in the
elevation OF buildings in a square or
block may be preserved.
Public Order Report.
The report OF the public order COM
mittee made by Odell s. Smith 'ecom-
L Increasing the number Of priva.es of
the police department.
2. Enactment of a law providing for the
retirement of members Of the police and
fire departments, with provision for a
ne and adaOnata fund for nan