Page:American Journal of Sociology Volume 4.djvu/81

 THE RELIEF AND CARE OF DEPENDENTS 65

Special provision has been made for the adult feeble-minded in New York, New Jersey, and Iowa. New York has a custodial asylum at Rome for adult unteachable idiots. New York and New Jersey have state homes for the detention and care of feeble-minded women. In 1892 Iowa provided for the erection of cottages for feeble-minded adults in connection with its school for feeble-minded youths.

IV. THE EPILEPTIC.

Little has been done to remove the epileptic from contact with the insane and the feeble-minded. In a few instances, as in Virginia, they are placed in a separate ward of the insane asy- lum. Only three states, Ohio, New York, and Massachusetts, have established institutions designed solely for their care and treatment."

A measure providing for a hospital for the epileptic was passed by the Ohio legislature in 1890. Patients are committed by the probate judge upon the certificate of a practicing physi- cian. The patients are apportioned among the several counties of the state in proportion to population, and are a state expense. New York established Craig Colony, a similar institution, in 1894. In the following year Massachusetts also established a hospital for epileptics. It is designed for the care of those adult epileptics who are not idiotic, inebriate, or violently insane. The laws relating to the commitment and support of the insane apply to the commitment and support of the epileptic.

V. THE INEBRIATE.

With the recognition of inebriety as a disease and not as a crime, a few states have made public provision for its treatment. In a few states the law provides that the inebriate may be com-

county(or town) bearing the expenses of clothing and transporting the indigent : Illi- nois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Ohio, and Washing- ton. In the other states only the indigent pupils are a public expense.

' For an account of the work done by the Ohio Hospital for Epileptics, see a paper by H. C. Rutter, "Colony Care of the Epileptic," Report of N. C. C. C, 1897, p. 63. Something in regard to Craig Colony may also be found in the same report, p. 69, in a paper by William P. Spratling on " Industrial Education for Epileptics."