St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1949-02-18
THE WEEK
Under Capitol
DOVE
By Clifford Rncker

corridors is the perplexing prob
lem of mental health. The writer
of this column recently talked
with the Secretary of the Govern
or's Citizens Mental Health Com
mittee and learned a number of
amazing facts which he thought
might be of interest to readers of
this column.
A few simple statements bring
into focus the extent of this heart
breaking story: one out of every
twenty babies born in the United
States is destined to grow up to
spend part of his life in a mental
hospital. Almost as many people
are admitted to mental institutions
each year as are graduated from
our colleges. Every four hours an
other patient is admitted to one
of the seven state hospitals for
the mentally i'll located at Anoka,
Fergus Falls, Hastings, Moose
Lake, Rochester, St. Peter and
Willmar.
There are 100000 patients now
in these tax supported institu-
lions and unless a cOmprehen-
sive and community program is
instituted, one out of every five
families in Minnesota will send
member to a mental hospital.
During the war, one out of every
eight was rejected for mental dis
ability. If we find one out Of eight
with mental or emotional problem
in supposedly the healthiest group
in the country, what then must
be the ratio among the rest of the
population? If these sick human
beings had appendicitis, pneumOn-
ia, a broken arm, or swollen ton
sils we could understand their
problems better, for each of us
at some time has had such an ILL
ness and, as a result, we can APP
preciate it in others. But when
mental illness strikes, it is much
more difficult for us to understand
the patients pain, anguish and
diCCprnfprt
Today, there is no state mental
hospital in Minnesota which meets
even the minimum standards of
the American PsyChiatric Asso-
citation. The average operating cost
allowed for our mental hospitals
is only onc-fifth of the amount re-
quircd. According to a report by
the Minnesota Unitarian Mental
Health Committee, the minimum
personal and sanitary requirements
Of the patents are neglected. An
epidemic Of tuberculosis exists.
Patients food is inferior and wholly
inadequate. Strait jackets and
shaCklrs arc substituted for treat
mcnt measures in most hospitals.
One observer summed it up
behind barred windows and locked
doors sick men and women
live without adequate care. with
out many necessities, without the
barcst comforts.
During the day the patients
sit in daNhaIlS until it is time for
them to return to their sleeping
quarters at night. Men, women,
and even children sit on hard
benches, with little to relieve
the mOnOtOny or to cause down
cast eyes TO focus upward with
out even a clock or calendar TO
mark the passing Of time.
In this state overCrowding is
due not because we have too few
buildings, but because we have
failed to cure all possible cases.
The discovery rate of patients
in Minnesota hospitals is one out
of five. In addition. one out of
every five admissions represents
a patient previously discharged
from the hospital, who must seek
treatment again.
The mental health program
was the number one goal stressed
In the Governors inaugural mes
sage. 1t should be pointed out
that mental disorders defy all
boundary lines, Ocur among all
races, ages and levels of our
society.
The test Of hospital administra-
ton is not how cheaply we main
tain a sick bed, but how often we
can use that same bed for sue
ccssIve number Of patients .. not
how Chcaply we can Coinfine a
sick human being, but how quick