The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-02-18
BETTER Care OF
INSANE BRINGS
GREATER NUMBER.
into HOSPITALS.
DIR. Hotchdss, Speaker in
Fargo Sunday Evening,
So Declares
HOPEFUL or FEWER
DETECTIVES SOON
Present Day Movements
May Bring Improved
Conditions, He Says


Grand theater, under the auspices
Of the Grand Free Lecture bureau
Dr.. w. M. Hotchkiss, superintendent
OF the North Dakota asylum for tn,
insane at jamestown, painted for hi
big audience a graphic picture Of thu
great problem-the insane and fesbl,
minded-and voiced the hope thai
the great movements now undel
way in the country tending toward
prohibition, morality, intelligent and
hygienic living, and the establish.
ment Of properly equipped and prop
erly financed institutions, would
tend toward a marked decrease in
the number Of detectives.
DR.. Hotchliss did not give credit
to the proposition that a number OF
writers have advanced within tbs
past few years, namely, that there
was any great increase in the num-
Der OF insane. Rather. he commended
that the records of asylums for the
insane today, showing q much great
natural result of the improved con-
recognition by the people Of the fact
that insanity IS not q disease, and
that il Is not a disgrace.
The speaker maintained that the
greatest preventative is that of
eliminating procreation, and he
would throw safeguard around the
defective girls and women to the
end that that object might be &C
compIished. When that object is
attained, DR.. HotchlSiss contended
that a tremendous forward step will
have been taken in dealing with the
problem.
Not Acquainted With Facts.
IF one were to take seriously the
statements of some Of the recent
writer's, it would be easy to become
convinced that the entire nation is
fast tending toward insanity and
feebIemindedness," said DR.. Hotch-
kiss.
They point to the great number
OF insane and feebleminded in public
charge and give statements to show
that where these unfortunates are
given adequate care the eX-
penditures for this purpose are
reaching tremendous figures and in
dicative of q great increase in this
class OF individual.
They, however are not well
acquainted with the reasons that are
signally responsible for this recent
condition, which is plain enough 10
those directly interested and in
closer touch with the subject, and
the causes for this condition are ad-
vanced by them as follows:
"First!-With improved con-
ditions in the hospitals for the
insane, and they now are hospt-
tails in fact, there is less obiee-
ton on the part Of relatives TO
the patients commitment and
many more are in institutions
than formerly.
patiants live longer than they did
under former provisions made
"Third:-With q better know
Isdoe of insanity on the part OF
ths physicians, early recognition
Of cases of this type is possible
and the victims of suicidal mania
ara committed before the stage
OF self destruction has been
aFourth:-Ths greater porpor-
tionate number of people residing
in cities makes il much more dit
fieuIt for families TO conceal
these cases in the home and con-
ssquently more commitment
NET&ns-N ne Fu0FE 1GW@E@A
esptance of insanity as a disease
and the certainty Of cure IN
snsoiFio cases, If they can be
rIscsd in proper care and receive
snnropriats treatment in the
ineipisncs of the disease, is also
Insanity Not a Disgrace.
UNFORTUNATELY a great many still
q IiumrAEn and 4
,annot he made TO understand that
many so afflicted are as susceptible
n treatment and care as are per-
,o,s afgliCted with other diseases,
he mental abnormahty disappear
Nc when remedial measures are
nDlia5 for remote troubles that
Iara NOT known to be at all asso-
lated with the individuals condl-
ion. .-..-.4l
= the insane in institutions has
,eens largely custodial, but at this
Iu7a every effort is made to employ
I'M tbe methods Of modern therapeu-
Ics Of a general hospital, and with
he recent introduction OF hydro
herapy. some wonderful results are
btained. -
@The general conception Of a state
Iospital is that of place which is
ot regarded as a medical hospital
MT an institution where certain
atients may be sent only when they
ease to be harmless, or cannot be
enefited by further treatment medl-
inaIly. and illustrates a medleVal
rend from which contemporary
bought must be purged. Where this
1edievaI attitude dominates the in
. bitanfa Of the state this will prob
bIv be the status of the institution,
nd II should be the imperative duty
2 the community to see that such
ospftals are brought up to the mod
rn level of efficiency and standard
start Must Be Early.
"vbe greatest step in the advance
,ent for the care OF the insane has
aan the establishment Of the psyche
afI1ic hospitals, for il we hope to !
,ake much progress in the reduc-
on Of the numbers OF this class, ,
1e start must be made with the
7rIiegt manifestations of the dis ,
ase. Psychology Is assuming in
-easing Importance in the study OF I
sanity as IL is now recognized that
u studies Of the normal mental !
rocesses should be applied to the /
Of morbid mental !
ate. Kraepelin was the first to !
M attention to this fact and the !
Importance Of these principles as !
oplied to insanity, F'arra says
at the live brain must be studied
scause the dead brain cannot show 5
7tdence of morbid thought which I
listed during life. 1t
-Four General Causes.
How to prevent further increase 1
mental effectiveness is a matter !
, vast. importance, both from a
and sociological point t
. view, and taking the stand that t
Iere must be a cause for every ef- c
ct. ii would be we'll to look for g
ia eliminate the causes for these t
which are. first. heredity5 /