New Britain herald., 1923-02-20
OVERSEAS VETERAN
 SENT ID ASYLUM
6c0nunued from preceding page,,

] NNohhhNeu ifoM pfctthdlhs paEel'
 charity department Of the city, thus | appearing 10 nut the stigma Of char ! ity upon the men who gave their all 1 for the United States" said Dr, Dalr ! ton today lie went on 10 explain { that the method Of taking care of
 the insane patients was the only ex- i pedient one because il makes for
 prompt and ready relief for the pa-
 tient and insures the safety Of those
 about him, whom he might other
 wise harm,
 The government should. and does.
 take care of the insane veterans. but
 the process involved in getting q
 commitment through government eir-
 eles is necessarily length one.
 First. the doctor has to eommuni.
 district manager of the Veterans
 Bureau. in. Hartford. In turn the authorities in New York are consult ed. They consult the records and is- sue the order 10 remove the patient 10 an asylum In either New York or
 Boston. again through the route of the sub district managers office.
 AZ of this takes time and mean while the man who Is usually in need ot attention must be held in the po- lice station. against legal procedure, or allowed 10 go at large where he might kill himself or someone con- nected with him. An emergency commitment may be procured through William cowlishaw of the charity department and the probate court almost immediately and 1t isl necessary to make but short trip to place the sufferer in Middletown.
 All of the criticism is doubtlessly considered just" said the doctor. but the public and the veterans must realize the need for prompt action and recognize the fact that the pro- cedure as at present is the only way to get that result" Should relatives of the patient so desire they might get the insane person removed 10 a federal institution by application later on.
 The problem of insanity among | veterans is much greater than the public imagines. The newspapers have said little about the commit ments from this city; they have gone through the charity department quietly but with a regularity that is disheartening. Some 30 men have been sent to institutions from New Britain within the last 12 months. Most of these saw duty on the other side. There will be more commit ments, the docto" predicts.
 The psychology of this insanity is not hard to understand. First, the man went through mental strain which, to say the least, was unbal- incing, whether he ever got into the trenches or not. His whole manner # life was changed. He returned lome to be mustered out aha put orth into world which he felt wed him at least a good living for he sacrifice of one or two of the f ,est years of his life. Often he was , he recipient of a government all | owance for disability. He had been I egarded as hero, was hailed as , uch upon his return from the other ( idle, he felt that the future was to. e one of adulation and glory. He i. tarted to readjust himself to new ! onditions, out of the army or navy. obs were hard to get; the manufac- l, urers were not treating him fairly, i. e thought; his allowance did not :. ome through as it should, therefore he government was also unfair. 'erhaps he married and assumed dditional obligations. Came time ' .hen his funds were exceedingly 1w, or run out altogether. Where ras his post of glory and aduation? : : tone. Where was the wherewithal Q support himself and his family? tone. Where was any justice? It ,as not. Whereupon the old strain