OF THE

SUPERINTENDENT

OF THE

IOWA HOSPITAL FOR INSANE,

ΤΟ

THE SENATE

OF THE

TWELFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

DES MOINES:

F. W. PALMER, STATE PRINTER.

REPORT.

To the Honorable Senate of the State of Iowa:

GENTLEMEN: In obedience to the resolution of the Senate I have the honor to present the following Report:

The operation of the act of the Eleventh General Assembly, chapter 132, for the relief and benefit of idiot and imbecile persons has not been attended with all the results its friends had hoped for. Soon after the act took effect successful application was made for admission of a few cases into the Illinois Institution for Idiots and Imbeciles, but the great expense attending their removal and maintenance abroad has had the effect to keep all but two of thirty seven applications, within the State, Two idiot children, one from Cedar and one from Johnson counties, have been sent to the Institution above named, and two cases deemed peculiarly deserving of some special care and attention have been received into the Hospital. One of the two sent to the Illinois Institution, I have been informed by the superintendent is making good progress and is a promising pupil.

The two cases received into the Hospital were refused admission into institutions out of the State. Their condition is apparently hopeless and is rendered more pitiable if possible, by being complicated with epilepsy. The crowded state of the Hospital as well as the obvious impropriety of associating the insane with idiots in the same institution, led me to resist strong appeals and refuse the admission of others not much less deserving. And beside, as we are not prepared to put in operation and carry out the modern system of treatment and instruction of idiots, their presence here would be for custodial purposes only and would have prevented the admission of curable cases of insanity, or rendered necessary the discharge

cases of chronic insanity, who would be more or less dangerous and troublesome to the public if at large. This in brief comprises all that has been done pursuant to the law of the last General Assembly.

Under the advice and direction of a Committee of the Board of Trustees of the Hospital for the Insane, an effort was made last year to obtain some information touching the number and condition of the idiots in the State. Returns from twenty-nine counties revealed the names and some facts relative to fifty-three idiots and imbeciles, none of whom it was reported, could be taught in the common schools. Of those embraced in the returns, 24 were said to be cases of congenital idiocy, while in the remaining cases, the information was indefinite, or it was stated that convulsive, or some other disease in infancy prevented the development of the mind. The returns show that 39 are under 20 years of age; 29 seem capable of improvement, or are proper cases for attempts at instruction, or the forma tionof cleanly and industrious habits; 5 cases appeared to the reporters "doubtful;" in 6 no answer is given, while in only 13 is it stated that there seems little or no prospect of mental improvement.

Every case reported appears to be in a state of deep, hopeless degradation in which they must remain unless some efficient State aid is extended to them. It is painful to know that in some instances, it is reported, female idiots have become mothers. No stronger argu ment exists, perhaps, to show that a suitable institution should be provided not only for their instruction and improvement, but for their custody and protection.

The information obtained through the inquiries made seem to show that here as elsewhere, idiocy is most commonly associated with poverty, and it is often to be traced to intemperance, or a disregard of some physical laws. Perhaps from these facts in some degree this most wretched and helpless of our population is generally, and has been so far in this State, less cared for than any other.

The number of idiots included in the foregoing statistics is probably but a portion of all there are in the State. But little interest seems to be manifested for this class by the public. Although twelve hundred circulars requesting information were issued, returns