Evening star., 1939-07-09
Action Is Asked
To End Ga||inger
0vercrowding
Change in Lunocy Law
Is Proposed by
Commissioners


conditions in the psychiatric wards
of Gallinger Hospital by amending
the 1888 lunacy law to allow more
leeway in permitting temporary
treatment of mental patients at
other institutions pending final
adjudication of their cases.
They submitted to Chairman King
of the Senate District Committee
the draft of new bill to accomplish
this by permitting st. Elizabeth's
Hospital and the Veterans Admin
lstration to make temporary pro-
vision for some of the patients who
must now remain at Gallinger while
awaiting hearing by the Mental
Health Commission, and for ten
days thereafter
Referring to the 1888 law, and the
proposed changes, the commissioners
wrote Senator King as follows:
This act provided complete new
procedure for the handling of
insanity cases in the District of
Columbia, including the creation of
commission on mental health
which functions as an arm of the
Equity Court, and whose duty it
is to examine persons of alleged
unsound mind, to hold hearings and
to make recommendations to the
court AS to the commitment or other
dispositions of such cases, for the
best interests of the insane persons
and Of the public.
IN n,y U,;t;nr Do,;oJ
THE act provides that in any
case where the Commission on
Mental Health. after hearing, finds
a person to be of unsound mind
there shall be waiting period of
10 days, during which such person
may demand a trial by the court,
or by a court and jury. and. if
such demand be made, that such
person be tried and found to be
OF unsound mind, before the entry
OF an order by the court for the
commitment of such person to st.
Elizabeth's Hospital
Under the statutes in force prior
to the passage of this act the Com
mlssloners of the District of Colum-
bla were authorized to order, pend
Ing adjudication, the temporary
commitment in ST. Elizabeths Hos
pltal OF alleged insane persons. This
authority was exercised by the Com
mlssloners principally in those cases
where the physical or mental con-
dltlon of the alleged insane person
necessitated immediate treatment
or restraint of type not provided
by the facilities of Gallinger NUM-
clpal Hospital. The act approved
June 8, 1888, does not authorize
such temporary commitments. AS
result of the discontinuance OF
temporary commitments, plus the
requirement that the patient be
detained at Gallinger Hospital for
a period of 10 days following his
hearing by the Commission on Men
tai Health. the psychiatric depart
ment OF Galllnger is now required
to furnish accommodations. care
and treatment for number of
mental patients greatly in excess OF
the facilities of that institution. The
situation is rendered acute by rea-
son OF the fact that considerable
number of insane persons so re-
CURED to be detained at the hos
pltal exhibit violent tendencies and
the safety of such patients, other
patients and the staff of the hos
pital requires that they be re-
strained.
Adequately Equipped.
Ihe Commissioners have been
informed by the Superintendent of
st. Elizabeth's Hospital that that in
stltutlon is equipped with facilities
to provide properly for patients of
the type referred to pending their
final adjudication and commitment
to st. Elizabeth's Hospital.
"A very considerable snumber of
patients, by reason of former serv-
Ice connections, are entitled to hos
pitalization in Veterans Admins
tratlon Facilities, and the Commits
sloners understand that the Admin
lstrator of Veterans Affairs, if au-
thorized to do so, could place those
insane persons who are entitled to
such treatment in Veterans Facili-
ties pending final determination of
THE Commissioners have the
honor to submit herewith with the
request that it be introduced and
passed at this session of Congress
If at all possible, draft of an act to
amend the Act of June 8, 1888, by
authorizing the transfer before
hearing by the Commission on
Mental Health of alleged insane per-
sons who exhibit violent tendencies
and alleged insane persons whose
condition requires treatment of a
type not available at Gallinger Hos
pital to st. Elizabeths s Hospital on
the certificate of the Chief Psychia-
trist of Gallinger Hospital; the tenn
porary commitment by the Commits
sion after hearing of violent insane
persons to st. Elizabeth's Hospital
of insane persons whose condition
Is such that they are harmless, to
the custody of relatives or friends
and of insane veterans to the care
and custody of the Veterans Ad-
mlnistration for placement in a
Veterans Administration Facility.
No Objection Received.
"The proposed amendments emu
merated above have been submitted
to the Bureau of the Budget, and
the Director of the Budget, with
=. the concurrence of the Attorney
General, the Secretary of the
Treasury, the Secretary of the In
terror, and the Administrator OF
Veterans Affairs. as indicated by
their attached letters, advises that
there is no objection on the part Of
that Office to the position taken by
the Commissioners in connection
with this matter.
The Commissioners are of the
opinion that passage of this bill
would be distinctly for the best IN
terests of the patients and of the
public"