Mexico Missouri message., 1917-02-08
PLAN MORE AID
TO SICK MINDS
CHARITIES COMMISSION URGES
PsYcHoPATHic HOSPITAL AND
INSTITUTE AT CHICAGO.
CURB FOR predetermined
Would Place DeIinquents In Separate
colony-Thlnks Counties Should
Aid and Institutions Cooperate
In Management.

Springield.-The state charities
commission in it's seventh annual re-
port, just out, outlines briefly it's rec
concentrations for the handling of the
problem Of the feeble-minded during
the coming two years. The commission
urges the colonization, on the lands of
the Lincoln state school and colony of
the delinquent feeble-minded who can
not be handled at the parent school
and colony because of their "deter-
mination to ruin property, disrupt dis
cipllne and corrupt the morals and con-
/ duct Of Others"
"A separate colony" says the COM
mission, located at some distance
from the present farm buildings, could
easily be established for this type Of
the feeble-minded. This colony should
be in charge of an assistant superin-
tendent, who is familiar, both with the
problem Of feeble-mlndedness and the
problem of delinquency, in order that,
by q combination Of the best methods
now used In the handling of feeble
minded and delinQuents, the best re-
suits might be obtained.
"The delinquent Predetermined
should be kept entirely segregated from
the normal delinquent predetermined
and yet be under the same administra-
ton head.
"The present system of housing the
delinquent feebleminded with the nom
delinquent feeble-minded Is a very
hazardous one and should be dlscon-
tinued as soon as possible" says the
report. "Nondelinquent feeble-minded
are as a rule very tractable when sur
rounded by good influence, but, on the
other hand, are very easily corrupted
| by evil moral influence, and, unless this
segregation is soon accomplished the
problem of the care of the feeble-mlnd-
ed in our state institutions is going to
be made unnecessarily difficult for the
future.
"Such a plan as the one outlined
| would solve the problem fairly well,
for the immediate future without great
expense to the estate, and, If later it is
found desirable to establish q new
colony for the delinquent feeble-mind-
ed, the buildings thus made vacant on
the farm of the Lincoln state school
and colony could be used for nondelin,
quent feeble-minded.
I'VE are satisfied with the results of
the operation of the commission act of
1915 and recommend that no change be
made in it until it has further oppor.
tunities to develop weak points if there
be any,"
A state psychopathic hospital and ill
stitute to be located at Chicago, is one
of the main planks in the list of rec
concentrations contained in the report
The commission would take the pres
ent state psychopathic institute located
at Kankakee as a nucleus and favors
cooperation with the University of Hi
nois in it's proposed new medical school,
in Chicago.
The commission suggests That the
state buy land adjoining that which
the university will acquire and upon
this site erect the psychopathic hos
pital and institute.
"Inasmuch as a hospital and insti
tute would relieve Cook county of the
enormous burden now involved in the
detention hospital it should be willing
to bear a portion of the operating ex
penses," says the report.
In the same report the commission
urges the construction of new plan
for the Illinois Charitable Eye and Ea
infirmary. This institution likewise
would be co-ordinated with the pro
posed University of Illinois Medica
school.
The report points to the large mum
Der of patients in the state charitable
institutions who require special medi
cal and surgical treatment which tn
/ institutions are not equipped to give.
The commission therefore urges tina
, when the University Of Illinois Medlca
school and hospital is ready, the stat
charitable institutions cooperate witt
I it and send these special patients to i
for treatment.
3 A department for the surgical treat
3 ment Of crippled children should b
; created at the Charitable Eye and Ea
t infirmary, says the report
] ut is quite as important" says tn
: commission, "that the defective limb
: of children be corrected as their sigh
i and hearing be guaranteed by expeI
4 treatment"
: Suffrage Bill Is Approved.
[ Following a three-hour debate by a