The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1917-03-17


getting our patients TO the hospital
from their homes. II each hospital
had field man whose duty II should
be TO go TO the home locality OF the
patient who develops abnormal mental
conditions, look into the environ
ments, take charge OF the patient, at
tend the legal procedure and conduct
that patient TO the hospital in place
OF the unskilled deputy sheriff whose
only interest is the trip or the money
he may get out OF the work. one inn
portant step forward would be taken
in this work and taken without add
ing one cent OF expense to what the
operation now costs. But, II takes
concentrated, systematic effort to
break into the prerogative OF the So
sheriffs and innumerable deputies of
this state. Here Is work for cen
tralized board; work in which yeo-
man service may be performed.
The second half OF my theme is the
aims OF this Joint Board organization.
What are they? Generally speaking
the aims are the attainment OF the
needs or ends but in this discussion
| have limited II 10 the specific rea-
sons for the amendments suggested
by your recently discharged commit
tee.
The first recommendation was an
amendment to that section OF the law
which specifies in whom the care and
management OF the insane shall be
vested. AS the law now stands such
care is vested In the individual boards
and nothing short of change in the
( law can deprive the individual boards
OF this power Nor, does this Joint
Board wish TO divest these boards OF
one iota Of their power. What we want
is 70 provide so that these boards
I may, II they think ii wise, delegate to
this Joint Board powers which be
long TO them but which they believe
can be exercised to greater advantage
by the central board In short this
amendment proposes a government by
consent in opposition TO one by force
There are three methods of manag-
ing and caring for the insane in vogue
in this country. One is by central
board, another is by individual boards
and third is by sort OF a combina
ton of both
The central board method contem-
plates the placing of the entire work
OF caring for the insane IN the hands
OF one board composed OF compare
lively small number Of members who
are paid for their work II Is the
business OF this body to provide the
means, hire the help and in short
run the job for under this plan the
care and management OF the insane
becomes a job pure and simple. This
method has its advantages, also It's
disadvantages. Both are so well
known 70 the members OF this body
that II is unnecessary for me to cum
Der up the record with recital oil
them. II one were TO apply one word
which would sum up the principal
objection to this system II is "com.
mercialism." The system is an of.
shoot Of our commercial enterprises
and is based upon the principal OF
getting the most for the money. II
il the system that looks, upon its
face, to be the most logical and con
sequently is the one most IN vogue
The second method, that OF individ.
ual boards, like the first, is one that
has its faults as well as it's virtues
and both are fully as well known as
are the good and bad points OF the
/ first mentioned. Unfamiliarity with
/ the commercial and profes 5ional end
OF the work on the part OF the major
portion OF the board members Is per-
haps the source Of the greatest OBJ
I lection and failure OF this system as
business men cannot be expected to
give Of their time without compensa-
ton IN a way that will place them In
a. close contact with conditions and
needs as where men are salaried and
deyoting all of their time and atten.
tion to the work.
The third method. that OF combi-
nation Of these two methods, Is in
vogue in a limited number OF places
but Il is not strongly recommended
for the reason that the central board
which Invariably handles the finances.
50 oyershadows the other boards as
% make their influence NIL Strong
men on both boards leads 10 conten.
tions while weak men on either board