New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1915-09-29
DELEGATES VISIT INSANE HOS.
PITAL
CONTINUED from first page.)

mechanical restraint could be abolished
altogether. Supt. Phelps stated that
frequently after visitors have gone thru
the hospital they ask where the extremely
violent patients are. He stated that
all the patients are shown the visitors
with the exception of those who are
suffering at the time with the maniacal
tendency. These however, do not ex-
coed two day.
The percentage of foreign born patients
is from five to eight per cent greater
than from the United States as whole,
and of the foreign born those of Scan
dinavian extraction slightly predominant.
About II per cent Of all the patients are
sent in for Senility most of whom are
over 60 years old. Strange as it may
seem the middle aged are most apt to
recover. and those who enter the hospital
when they are quite young have as rule
very little opportunity to regain their
mental powers. The hospital authori-
ties do not believe in stress or overwork
as cause Of insanity and neither do
they believe that religion is strong
factor in producing mental alteration.
Supt. Phelps stated also that in his
opinion the accusation that patients
are railroaded into the insane asylum
is in general not true; and the question
as to whether everybody is not more or
less insane he answered by saying that
no one is absolutely perfect. He stated
further that the hospital authorities
never refuse the request of the members
of the family Of patient to take him
out of the hospital except in such cases
where it would be unsafe to allow the
patient to be at large.
About 10 per cent of insanity can be
directly traced to alcoholism and the
excessive use Of alcohol is very i'm
portant factor in Is per cent of the other
insanity cases and 10 per cent of the
insanity cases can be directly traced to
syphilis. In the neighborhood of as
per cent of the number admitted to the
hospital are returned to their respective
homes on probation and 20 per cent of
them are absolutely cured. He also
mentioned that the patients as rule
take very kindly to amusement and
entertainment. Picture shows seem to
have taken the fancy of most of them.
A dance is given once week, which
also proves quite an attraction. Altho
the majority of them do not dance they
seem to enjoy to be around and look on.
Cards and checkers are also provided
for their amusement and the hospital
has three billiard and pool tables and
several pianos; there is also library
and the patients are strongly urged to
read.
The question whether or not the state
should demand pay for the care Of
patients where the family is financially
able to do so the Superintendent con-
sidered a debatable one. He rather
opposes the idea on the ground that if
the families paid there would be de-
mand for special privileges which would
destroy the democratic air of the in
stitution.
DR.. F. Kuhlmann of Faribault sent a
paper on the distribution of the
Predetermined in Society," In his alb
sence the paper was read by Miss
Debit of Faribault. According to sta
tistics the number Of the feeble-minded
varies in different states. A fair estimate
would place the number at one to every
two hundred population. Twelve per
cent of the predetermined in Minnesota
are taken care of at the state school for
the predetermined and quite a number
are found in other state institutions;
but there are over 81 per cent that are
taken care of by the families themselves.
E. w. Allen, agent for the Paroled
Insane in St. Paul, read paper on the
"Aftercare of Those Discharged from
State Institutions. Mr.. Allen gave
the number of those that come under
the direct supervision of his department
and told how the work is being carried
on. He stated that it frequently be-
comes necessary to remove the patient
from his former environment to prevent
him from falling back into insanity.
Mr.. Galen A. Merrill, superintendent
of the school at Owatonna spoke upon
the Placement and Supervision of
Homeless Children" Mr.. Merrill stated
that since the opening of the school at
Owatonna ten years ago they had re-
ceived 5,316 children. AS rule they
are not kept in the institution longer than
Z IL months, after which time they are
usually sent to foster homes. While
they are under the supervision of the
School, inspectors are sent out to see
how they are being treated and taken
care of, sometimes as often as once a
month. AS soon as the inspectors are
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