Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-05-20
Among the important new laws

Among the important he" law
enacted at the late regular session
of the Legislature, and which will
90 into effect on the 2lst of May,
is chapter ffty-one of the Acts OF
1915. which revises the laws of this
state concerning the insane and the
three state hospitals devoted to their
care and maintenance. This act re-
nea1s chapter 59A as printed in
the Code of 1906 and of 1913, and
completely revises chapter % OF
the Code proper. The change IN
the law was very greatly needed,
as it was. to quote from high au-
thority, "antiquated and contradlc-
tory"
The new law changes the names
of our three hospitals for the IN
sane. and hereafter the institution
at Weston will be called the Weston
State Hospital instead of the West
Virginia Hospital for the Insane !;
and the institution at Spencer will
be hereafter known as the Spencer
State Hospital instead of the Sec
ond Hospital for the Insane; and
the West Virginia Asylum at Hunt
ington, which was formerly known
as the Home for lncurableS, VIII
he hereafter known as Huntington
State Hospital. Each of these IN
stitutions remains under the con-
troll and management Of the State
BOARD of Control; but many of the
old cast-iron features of the law
have been eradicated, and the gov
erning Board has been given lib
erty, by the enactment of rules and
regulations, to meet new develop
ments and keep up with the prog
ress of the age, and yet its power
has been properly restricted.
Among the powers given to the
governing board is that of dividing
patients into classes for admission,
so that if there should be a short
age of room in these institutions,
harmless and incurable patients
may be returned to their relatives
or to their counties, in order to
make room for acute and durable
cases. The Governor and the
State Board are each given author
ity to have any one of said hospitals
inspected by experts at any time
they may think necessary.
One of the greatest changes made
by the new law is that respecting
the manner Of holding inquisltions
on persons suspected of being in
sane. The present law leaves this
important matter to justices OF the
peace. and abuses have crept in.
Following the method in other
states, this new act creates in each
county a Commission of Lunacy.
This commission consists of the
President of the County Court, the
Clerk of the County Court, and the
Prosecuting Attorney of the county.
Anyone suspected of being insane
shall be brought before this COM
mission for examination, which
hears all pertinent evidence and is
to be assisted in each case by two
regular physicians, each of whom is
required to make a separate exam
nation of the person suspected of
insanity. The commission will
meet usually at the county seat,
but may meet at the residence of
the insane person or some other
place, as the condition of the sus-
pected person requires. The MEM
bers of the commission receive no
salary or wages, and are to be paid
merely the expenses incurred while
acting as members of the commits
sion. The President of the County
Court is the President of the COM
mission, and the Clerk of the
County Court is the Clerk of the
commission. and the Clerk will keep
a full record of the proceedings in
each case. The idea of the change
is to prevent the "railroading" OF
persons into Our insane asylums
who are not insane, and to break
uc the practice of sending persons
to these institutions to be supported
at the eyDense of the taXpayers of