The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-11-11
Authoritative.
Harry C. Bowman Gives Exact
Kansas Situation.
Why High Percentage Insane in
State Hospitals.
STATE is MISREPRESENTED
Writer Is Member State Board
of Control
And Other Organizations and
Student of Subject.
STATE is MISREPRESENTED

To the Editor of the State Journal:
1 herewith enclose you the clipping
YOU sent me recently, which is being
widely circulated to prove that pro
hibition has defenders, but absolutely
no defense"
AS county attorney of Harvey coun-
ty, Kansas, from 1901 to 1905, found
that the prohibition liquor law was
the easiest law on the statutes to en-
force, but that it took more moral
courage to enforce it than other Grim
inal laws. I also found that it's strict
enforcement materially lessened the
increase of crime. Criminals of kinds,
who use the saloon as rendezvous,
gave the county wide berth, and we
had practically no crime in which
liquor had any connection.
What Kansas Has Proven.
Kansas has proven that the manu-
facture and sale of intoxicating liquors
in a state can be prevented by law
and that prohibition is, in every way,
a decided moral and financial benefit
The consumption of intoxicating
liquors, shipped from other states
to consumers in Kansas, is only
a small factor in causing poverty in
the state.
The percentage of insanity caused
by alcohol, in Kansas, is very low
while the total number of insane in
atively high. The first is due to pro-
hibition, and the last is due to the
fact that state care for the insane IS
carried to an extreme IN Kansas Inc
laws of Kansas require the state IN
sane hospitals to take care of all per-
sons adjudged insane, and also re
quire the state to pay each county SO
much per week, for the cara of every
insane person refused admission for
want of room. This causes the county
to send to the state insane hospitals
detectives who are dependent upon tne
county and who are properly only aims
house charges. The result is, that KAN
sas has the greatest number OF IN
sane in state insane hospitals per
100000 population of any OF the pro-
hibition states and more than rev
of the liquor states. Kansas, a pro-
hibition state, has 172 insane per 1OO,-
/ 600 population in state hospitals, wnlle
! Oklahoma. also a prohibition state,
( has but 81. Nebraska is usually classl-
/ fled as a near-prohibition state, and 1t
has a few less insane per 100000 in
the Nebraska state hospitals than mas
Kansas. but II times as many insane
per 100, 900 as Oklahoma
Low Percentage Alcoholic Insane.
The number of persons committed
to state insane hospitals in the pro
hfbition states and the near-prohib1-
ton states is very much less than the
number committed in the license
states. According to the tables of the
Kansas State Temperance union, based
upon the federal census of 1910, the
number of persons committed to state
insane hospitals averaged lis per 10O,-
900 population in the prohibition
states. $50 in the near-prohibition
states, PAP in the partially license
states and PTS in the license states.
Notwithstanding the extent of stare
aI1fa n n
sanity caused by alcohol is lower than
in the near-prohibition, partially Ii
cense and license states In Kansas,
for the six years ending June 80, 1872,
only 81 per cent of the male admit
tances were due to alcoholic psyche
sis. For the next two fiscal years,
ending June 80, 1914, the per cent was
figured on both the male and female
admittances. and it was 81 per cent
The per cent for the biennial period
ending June 80, 1915, on both male
and female admittances is FL The
summary issued in 1914 by the bureau
of the census based on the census OF
insane institutions taken in 1910, or
: page SO says: "Of the 60,76 insane
admitted to hospitals in 1910, 6,122 OF
1O.1 per cent of the total number
were suffering from alcoholic psy-
/ Ghosts
There are more idiots, imbeciles
and feeble minded persons than there
are insane, but suitable lnStltuIlOnd
care has not been provided for these
mental detectives. A handbook, is
sued by the National Committee for
Mental Hygiene. states that only about
10 per cent of all mentally defective
in the United States are under suit
able institutional care, and that the
British Royal commission has estimat-
ed that but 10 per cent of the men,
tally defective in England are under
suitable institutional care. DR.. KEEL
logg of the Battle Creek sanitoriun
says: Zone per cent of our popula-
ton is feeble minded, lunatic or idi-
otto. Just think of it-one person ir
a hundred. No savage tribe has sucf
a record as this. These ailments are
almost unknown among the primitive
races. If our civilization were lift
ing us up, as many believe, this would
not be the case"