84 PROCEEDINGS OF THE INDIANA ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



able history, and reflects not only the enlightened spirit of the times, but the 

 influence of extraordinary leadership. 



In our earlier history as a state, the chief problems involving mental hy- 

 giene, centered about the care and treatment of the insane, and to some 

 extent, of the delinquent. The history of mental hygiene in our state is 

 therefore chiefly institutional. WTiat is Indiana's record in this regard? 

 The last century opened ^\^th the minds of men yet enthralled by the de- 

 monological view of insanity. Insanity was a possession of the individual 

 by an alien and malignant spirit. This was accompanied by confinement in 

 dungeons, and horrible mistreatment of the unfortunates. Yet in France, 

 Pinel, and in England, Tuke, have long proclaimed the conception that 

 insanitj' is a disease of the brain and that right medical treatment is always 

 imperative, and in some cases curative. In the early twenties, European 

 alienists l)egan to make extravagant claims as to the proportion of the insane 

 who could be cured by humane and scientific methods. Responsive to this 

 new conception and with fine enthusiasm, the legislature of 1827 made pro- 

 vision for a hospital for the insane. The first hospital was a log cabin called 

 the crazy house, but it is important to note that the idea was to treat the 

 insane as sick, and not as criminal. Dorothea Dix in an address to the As- 

 sembly in 1844 aroused the legislators to renewed concern for the insane. 

 And as a result, the first real hospital for the insane was completed in 1848. 

 It provided for both eurables and incurables. Later, many incurables were 

 returned to counties where they languished in jail, a serious retrogression. 

 This practice was discontinued, howe\'er, in 188.3. 



In 1883, the legislature created three new hospitals to be located at Logan- 

 sport, Richmond, and Evansville. The construction of each was abreast 

 of the best thought of the times, including, in the case of Richmond a modi- 

 fied cottage plan of domicile, a plan which has met with high favor, and which 

 is more fully de\ eloped in the new hosjMtal at Madison. 



A few years ago the Central Hospital for the Insane, tlianks to the wisdom 

 of Superintendent (Jeorge F. Edenharter, erected a i)athological l)uilding to 

 provide for r(>search and teaching. This marks an important advance. 



But in spite of wise leadership and supervision, our state hospitals for the 

 insane are so over-crowded that they cannot fully realize their functions as 

 hospitals for the cure of the insane. It is to be hoped that larger resources 

 and more room may soon be available. 



2. As to the feeble-minded, our stale has j)roc('cded slowly but wisely. 

 The School for Feeble-AIinded at Fort Wayne opened in 1890, represented 

 the culmination of a long period of care of the feeble-minded in other in- 

 stitutions. Tha recognition that feeble-mindedness is incurable, now led to 

 a lower age of commitment from eighteen to sixteen years, and retention 

 indefinitely. The law of 1901, creating a department for adult females from 

 sixteen to forty-five j'ears, was an important protection to society, and was 

 designed to preA^ent mentally irresponsible women from transmitting a taint 

 to increasing posterity. 



