Diabolism at the Imbecile Asylum
Posted: Thu Jan 09, 2014 4:42 pm
An editorial in the Kansas Medical Journal (Topeka, Kansas), volume 6, number 35 (September 1, 1894), pages 455-456 (the first page of that issue).
Topeka, Kansas, Saturday, Sept. 1, 1894
"Diabolism at the Imbecile Asylum."
The above heading is the subject of a diatribe in last Sunday's Topeka Capital, the food being furnished by the Winfield Courier as it masticates Dr. Pilcher, of the imbecile asylum at Winfield. The Captial says that the Courier proves that the facts are ten-fold worse than the suspicions, and that the Courier publishes eight columns of its investigations in its Friday morning issues, and the following facts may be summed up from its report:
"Eleven boys were subjected to the knife; helpless fellows placed by their parents in the charge of the State for tender care and support were thown [sic] on a table and treated by the reform superintendent as the farmer treats his hogs in the Spring of the year."
It further appears that during the four years of Dr. Wiles' superintendency of the asylum, just preceding Dr. Pilcher. the death-rate at the asylum averaged annually 2 per cent. of the inmates; but during the one year of Pilcher's incumbency, the death-rate has been 16 per cent., or eight times as heavy. A letter has been received from Dr. C. T. Wilber, for eighteen years superintendent of the Illinois asylum for idiotic and imbecile youth, which says:
"As to the practice of castrating either feebleminded boys or the insane for masturbation, it is unlawful in most States and unjustifiable, and the individuals practicing it should be placed in the penitentiary just as quick as possible for such atrocious practice. It was never practiced in institutions in this or other countries. Respectfully yours.
C. T. Wilber"
We are not acquainted with Dr. Pilcher, hence know only his newspaper reputation as given by his friends (?). We know nothing about his management of the asylum or his qualifications as a practitioner of medicine. We have no axe to grind, no friends to punish, or enemies to reward (?) but from a disinterested standpoint will make a few remarks.
To a thoughtless public these newspaper reports are appalling. They sound harsh and cruel. The mention of the knife and the dissecting table makes the average mortal shudder. The mind associates with them blood, gaping wounds, mutilated human bodies and hades. What are the facts? The knife and dissecting table have done more to relieve human suffering than all other human agencies combined. Viewed from a humanitarian standpoint, what do these newspaper accounts tell us? That a number of imbecile youth were castrated. They were confirmed masturbators unless the attendant was with them, and even if his back was turned to them while in his presence they would commit the act. This abuse weakened the already imbecile mind, and destroyed the body. The practice is loathesome, disgusting, humiliating and destructive of all self-respect and decency, and had a bad moral effect on the whole [p.455/456] school. It is not desirable, but positively dangerous and injurious, to society for any of this class of persons to propagate their species. It should be positively prohibited by law. Society has some rights, and particularly are we imposed upon in this country in permitting the reproduction of such beings for society to maintain. All confirmed criminals should be castrated. All imbecile and idiotic youth. Every rapist. This is a duty society owes itself. This would be self-protection and a means of improving the human race.
There is no more danger in the operation when properly done than in the pig, lamb, or calf.
There is a maudlin, sickly sentimentality prevailing in our country that encourages crime and makes law-abiding citizens lawbreakers. Take, for example, the rapist. Public sentiment says lynch him, cut him in pieces, skin him alive, burn him at the stake. It is done, and what is the result? Are rapes less frequent? Has the State or community gained anything by the double crime? Do two wrongs make a right? Is moral effect of the killing elevating to the community? The answer is invariably: No. But castrate such an one in addition to imprisonment for a time and the State is the gainer. The crime of murder is not charged to the community. There is a chance of reforming the criminal. He may yet make a good and useful citizen. The cause of his crime is removed. There will be no children of his to repeat the misdeed, and the holy terror to such an one is worse than death, and the restraining influence greater.
We are desperately sentimental as a people, when it suits us. We foster and encourage the begetting of children that we know will be a burden to the world as long as they live, and when they commit the very deed for which they are fitted, for which they have been trained, our hands we hold up in holy horror, and vengeance is meted out on the victim. Instead of destroying, let us prevent them. Instead of increasing crime and our burdens let us look to wholesome sensible means of prevention, by castrating all imbecile and idiotic children early, from the fifth to the tenth year. Confirmed criminals and epileptics also. By so doing crime will be lessened, life saved, the race benefited, our burdens lightened, and the greatest good will result to the greatest number and no harm to the subject but good only.
But to our subject. the death rate in the asylum as reported is misleading on general principles. Every physician of experience knows that there are seasons of mortality in his practice. For months, or a series of three or four years, he may lose but 1 or 2 per cent. of his cases, and then for a few months or a year or two fate is against him. It seems that every case he touches dies, and this may be so in the asylum cases.
C.T. Wilber's letter has but little force. He is in the business. He gets his bread and butter in that way. "Unlawful," then make it lawful if we do not wish to increase such a population for some people to spend their lives in caring for. A sane man should have some rights. The imbecile and idiotic youth should be properly cared for and when subject to self-abuse they should be castrated. No harm can result to the subject, and the sane are protected from a repetition of the charge.
The political wail sent up by the Courier is amusing when the facts in the case as it sets them forth are seen through plain glasses. Dr. Pilcher may be incompetent and unfited for the position, but nothing is gained by arousing the prejudice of the people against their own good, and perverting the right into the appearance of a wrong.
Topeka, Kansas, Saturday, Sept. 1, 1894
"Diabolism at the Imbecile Asylum."
The above heading is the subject of a diatribe in last Sunday's Topeka Capital, the food being furnished by the Winfield Courier as it masticates Dr. Pilcher, of the imbecile asylum at Winfield. The Captial says that the Courier proves that the facts are ten-fold worse than the suspicions, and that the Courier publishes eight columns of its investigations in its Friday morning issues, and the following facts may be summed up from its report:
"Eleven boys were subjected to the knife; helpless fellows placed by their parents in the charge of the State for tender care and support were thown [sic] on a table and treated by the reform superintendent as the farmer treats his hogs in the Spring of the year."
It further appears that during the four years of Dr. Wiles' superintendency of the asylum, just preceding Dr. Pilcher. the death-rate at the asylum averaged annually 2 per cent. of the inmates; but during the one year of Pilcher's incumbency, the death-rate has been 16 per cent., or eight times as heavy. A letter has been received from Dr. C. T. Wilber, for eighteen years superintendent of the Illinois asylum for idiotic and imbecile youth, which says:
"As to the practice of castrating either feebleminded boys or the insane for masturbation, it is unlawful in most States and unjustifiable, and the individuals practicing it should be placed in the penitentiary just as quick as possible for such atrocious practice. It was never practiced in institutions in this or other countries. Respectfully yours.
C. T. Wilber"
We are not acquainted with Dr. Pilcher, hence know only his newspaper reputation as given by his friends (?). We know nothing about his management of the asylum or his qualifications as a practitioner of medicine. We have no axe to grind, no friends to punish, or enemies to reward (?) but from a disinterested standpoint will make a few remarks.
To a thoughtless public these newspaper reports are appalling. They sound harsh and cruel. The mention of the knife and the dissecting table makes the average mortal shudder. The mind associates with them blood, gaping wounds, mutilated human bodies and hades. What are the facts? The knife and dissecting table have done more to relieve human suffering than all other human agencies combined. Viewed from a humanitarian standpoint, what do these newspaper accounts tell us? That a number of imbecile youth were castrated. They were confirmed masturbators unless the attendant was with them, and even if his back was turned to them while in his presence they would commit the act. This abuse weakened the already imbecile mind, and destroyed the body. The practice is loathesome, disgusting, humiliating and destructive of all self-respect and decency, and had a bad moral effect on the whole [p.455/456] school. It is not desirable, but positively dangerous and injurious, to society for any of this class of persons to propagate their species. It should be positively prohibited by law. Society has some rights, and particularly are we imposed upon in this country in permitting the reproduction of such beings for society to maintain. All confirmed criminals should be castrated. All imbecile and idiotic youth. Every rapist. This is a duty society owes itself. This would be self-protection and a means of improving the human race.
There is no more danger in the operation when properly done than in the pig, lamb, or calf.
There is a maudlin, sickly sentimentality prevailing in our country that encourages crime and makes law-abiding citizens lawbreakers. Take, for example, the rapist. Public sentiment says lynch him, cut him in pieces, skin him alive, burn him at the stake. It is done, and what is the result? Are rapes less frequent? Has the State or community gained anything by the double crime? Do two wrongs make a right? Is moral effect of the killing elevating to the community? The answer is invariably: No. But castrate such an one in addition to imprisonment for a time and the State is the gainer. The crime of murder is not charged to the community. There is a chance of reforming the criminal. He may yet make a good and useful citizen. The cause of his crime is removed. There will be no children of his to repeat the misdeed, and the holy terror to such an one is worse than death, and the restraining influence greater.
We are desperately sentimental as a people, when it suits us. We foster and encourage the begetting of children that we know will be a burden to the world as long as they live, and when they commit the very deed for which they are fitted, for which they have been trained, our hands we hold up in holy horror, and vengeance is meted out on the victim. Instead of destroying, let us prevent them. Instead of increasing crime and our burdens let us look to wholesome sensible means of prevention, by castrating all imbecile and idiotic children early, from the fifth to the tenth year. Confirmed criminals and epileptics also. By so doing crime will be lessened, life saved, the race benefited, our burdens lightened, and the greatest good will result to the greatest number and no harm to the subject but good only.
But to our subject. the death rate in the asylum as reported is misleading on general principles. Every physician of experience knows that there are seasons of mortality in his practice. For months, or a series of three or four years, he may lose but 1 or 2 per cent. of his cases, and then for a few months or a year or two fate is against him. It seems that every case he touches dies, and this may be so in the asylum cases.
C.T. Wilber's letter has but little force. He is in the business. He gets his bread and butter in that way. "Unlawful," then make it lawful if we do not wish to increase such a population for some people to spend their lives in caring for. A sane man should have some rights. The imbecile and idiotic youth should be properly cared for and when subject to self-abuse they should be castrated. No harm can result to the subject, and the sane are protected from a repetition of the charge.
The political wail sent up by the Courier is amusing when the facts in the case as it sets them forth are seen through plain glasses. Dr. Pilcher may be incompetent and unfited for the position, but nothing is gained by arousing the prejudice of the people against their own good, and perverting the right into the appearance of a wrong.