Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/78

 62 THE AMERICAN JOURNAL OF SOCIOLOGY

granted only after an examination of the plan of the premises and of the number of patients to be received by the institution, etc., and may be revoked by the commission at any time. This commission consists of three men, one of whom (the chairman) must be a physician, with ten years' experience in the practice of medicine and five years' experience in the treatment of the insane, and another a lawyer, with ten years' experience in the practice of his profession. The chairman receives an annual salary of §5,000, the lawyer $3,000, and the third member of the commission gio per day for the time actually spent in the performance of his duties. The members are appointed by the governor and serve for a term of six years.' Private asylums are similarly licensed in New Jersey by the board of managers for the public hospitals, and are visited and inspected by it at least once each year.^

Maryland has a lunacy commission consisting of the attorney- general and four other members, two of whom must be physicians, appointed by the governor and serving for four 3'ears. The commission has supervision over all institutions caring for the insane, and all private asylums must be licensed by it. However, this does not apply to incorporated institutions and to county asylums not receiving "pay patients" from other counties.' In Pennsylvania all private asylums must be licensed by the lunacy commission and must report all cases admitted to it. The commission may fix the conditions of reception and discharge of patients, etc. All hospitals, private and public, are to be visited by it annually and a report made to the State Board of Public Charities. The commission consists of five members, appointed by the state board. ♦

Vermont has three supervisors of the insane, appointed by the governor and serving for six years. All private asylums must be licensed, and may be visited and inspected by them. They form a board of appeal in cases of commitment. 5 Simi- larly, in Illinois all private asylums are to be licensed by the State Board of Commissioners of Charities and Corrections.* In

■ 1-14, 47, ch. 545, Acts of 1896. 3 12-27, art. 59. 5 2898-2905 ; 3274-3279. 'Actof February 26, 1895. < 18-23, 26, 27, p. 1254. «33,ch. 85.