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 54 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

for the blind to earn and provide their own subsistence." They are taught a trade and then may, if they care to, remain and ply it in the institution. The statutes of Maryland (8, art. 30) authorize the directors of the institute for the blind youth to use a part of the endowment fund for the erection of workshops and a store, for the manufacture and salt of articles ; the indigent adult blind of the state being permitted to enjoy the opportuni- ties afforded by the institution. Finally, the statutes of New York provide that the directors of the institution for the blind at Batavia may, upon his graduation, set an indigent pupil up in business, the expense involved being charged to the county responsible for him as a dependent.

II. THE INSANE.

Every commonwealth, with the exception of Oklahoma Ter- ritory, has provided one or more hospitals for the custody and treatment of the " acute," " violently ," and " dangerously insane." ' With a few exceptions, the idiotic, the harmless insane, and cases of delirium tremens are explicitly excluded. The provi- sion for the violent cases of insanity is, however, in many states very inadequate, and many are confined in the almshouses and jails.'

Historically the insane have been treated first as possessed, then as vagrant, and finally as diseased. In 1744 all the insane

• For the acute insane New York has eleven hospitals ; Ohio (including the Long- view Asylum) six; Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Massachusetts, and Virginia, four; Cali- fornia, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Carolina, and Tennessee, three ; Maryland, Mississippi, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Nebraska, Texas, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia, and Wisconsin, two ; while each of the remain- ing states and the District of Columbia have one. Oklahoma sends her insane to the hospitals of the adjoining states.

'By an act of June 29, 1895, Connecticut prohibits the retention of the insane in the county jails. In Michigan (1902) they are not to be kept in the jail longer than ten days. In a number of states it is provided that the insane are not to be retained in the almshouses when there is sufficient room for them at the hospital. In Massa- chusetts (ch. 319, Supplement) cases of insanity of less than twelve months' duration must be treated when retained in the almshouse. In most of the states the hospital facilities are inadequate, and many of them expressly provide that the dangerously and the indigent insane shall be confined in the almshouse or the county jail until room may be had for them in the hospitals.