Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1925-09-18
"May you live all the days Of your
life.'-Swift.
A PROBLEM PRESSING FOR
SOLUTION

when a public institution is taxed
to its capacity. when conditions Oh
sanitation become unfit by reason OF
crowding in that institution, the pub
lie that is responsible faces a PROB
lem. 1t may not dodge the response
bility. Furthermore il there be
amcnS those placed in a public IN
stitution for restraint as well as 1or
treatment some who might be placed
elsewhere without menacing society,
while there is need of admitting
those, who at large would be men
ace, then the public is confronted oS
the necessity of making choice be-
tween two evils. hoping to choose
the lesser.
Such situation now appears 70
confront the public of this State. IL
is declared that the States two hos
pitals for the insane are overcrowd-
ed: that among some of the inmates
are those who could with safety TO
the public be cared for outside; that
until this be done there is no room
for those who may not properly De
cared for elsewhere. 1t. is understood
that the trustees are to appeal TO
the selectmen of the towns not to
send patients that may be cared 1or
In those towns, also to take BACK
patients Of that class.
DR.. Forest C. Tyson, superintend-
ent of the Augusta State Hospital IS
quoted in a public interview as say
ing:
Our present capacity Is 1045 pa
tents; we now have 1888, last month
the number was II more than that.
I'VE are getting many old people
and feeble minded persons who DO
not belong here at all. The present
law allows towns and cities to turn
AL insane cases over to the state IN
situations and the consequence Is
that the institutions are overcrowd-
ed. Cases. of mildly insane people
who could just as well be cared for
in their own communities may soon
dating violently insane people who
would be a menace to their commun-
ities.
'Up to 1910, towns had to pay a
Ger capita cost for citizens sent to
the hospitals for the insane but since
then the State has taken over the
obligation. The law is all right-the
state should be responsible for really
insane people-but too many cases
which had better be cared for In the
community in which the unfortunate
people live are sent to the hospitals
at Augusta and Bangor"
Isn't 1t possible, the inference
seems possible, that some of our peo-
pie are DESTROYS Of Sinking what
once was regarded as a family obli-
cation to care for its members, who
by reason of old age or other infirm-
tiles have become a care On some
body, but who are not menace to
society, rather an annoyance to those
on whom dependence falls?
1t is possible If not probable that
such comparatively harmless depend
ents would be better cared for in a
State institution, especially where
that is conducted properly as we are
pleased to believe our hospitals for
the insane are conducted, than to be
left to, the mercy of unwilling care
takers. But for that reason should
this be assumed as public burden?
Far-looking minds, that compre-
bend the factors entering into such
matters, are convinced that what we
now recognize as a public duty to
care for the dangerously insane is
not applied with the Wilderness of
scope which the situation demands.
They recognize the need Of proven
ton, the advantages Of prevention,
its superiority as compared with
cure, something perceived many,
many years ago by the mal.ers Of
proverbs but not yet applied as it
should be, as it must be II the deeds
of degenerates and mentally wrong
people continue to multiply. Society
cannot. afford to turn back. it must
press forward, it must accept further
burdens.