Thirtieth annual report of the trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital, at Worcester. October, 1862.
- State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester
- Date:
- 1863
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Thirtieth annual report of the trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital, at Worcester. October, 1862. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![of limited means who are not paupers, nor ordinarily depend¬ ent, but to whom the cost of supporting a patient in the hospital would be inconvenient. Pennsylvania “ places the rate of board so much below the cost, as to prevent any reasonable objection being made by those in humble circumstances, who could pay for their friends, or by counties and townships which are responsible for their poor, to sending them to the institution.” The report says this “ has unquestionably enabled many families in moderate circum¬ stances to partake of the benefits of the hospital who could not otherwise have done so.” The same report adds: “ The promptness and liberality with which these appropriations to meet the deficiency have been made by successive legislatures is the most conclusive proof of their regarding the system as subserving the best interests of the whole community without being oppressive to any one.” The law of New York ordains, that a whenever a person in indigent circumstances, not a pauper, shall become insane,” “ and his estate is insufficient to support him, and his family, or himself if he has no family,” then “ the first judge of the county shall investigate the case,” “ and he [the patient] shall be supported in the hospital, at the expense of the county, until he shall be restored to soundness of mind if effected within two years, in order,” says this humane law, “ that he may be restored to his family and his estate unimpaired.” The law of New Jersey orders, u that when a person in indigent circumstances, not a pauper, becomes insane and his estate is insufficient to support himself and family, (or if he has no family, himself,) under the visitation of insanity,” “ he shall be admitted into the asylum and supported there at the expense of the county, until he shall be restored to soundness of mind, if effected within three years.” North Carolina pays the whole bills for the poor in the State hospital, and charges eighty per cent, of this cost to the counties, and assumes all the responsibility of collecting it. Michigan requires that all insane persons, who “ have insuffi¬ cient estate to support themselves and their families, under the visitation of insanity,” shall be admitted to the State hospital free of cost as to themselves, but their board is charged to the counties. The trustees, in their last report, propose “ the](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30318191_0020.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
