LUNATICS AND INSANE. 187

It shall also be the duty of said Commission, and it is hereby
given full powers for the purpose, to make investigations and
examinations into and respecting and concerning all institu-
tions, public or private, or whether the same be incorporated
or be conducted or controlled by Individuals, which may be
authorized by law to receive and care for insane persons, and
to inquire into the nature and methods of detention, treatment,
government and management of all persons therein confined,
detained or treated. Said Commission shall also investigate
and examine into the condition of all buildings, grounds and
other properly connected with any such institution or institu-
tions, and into all matters relating to their maintenance, con-
duct and management, for such purpose or purposes any mem-
bers of said Commission, or the secretary thereof, shall have
free access to the grounds, buildings, equipment and appurte-
nances and all books and papers relating to patients confined
in any such institution, or institutions, and to said patients
themselves. All persons connected with any such institution
shall give such information and afford such facilities for any
such examination or inquiry as the Commission or its secre-
tary may require. The Commission shall encourage scientific
investigations by the medical staffs of the various institutions
under its supervision, and to this end may, in its discretion,
publish from time to time bulletins and reports of the scien-
tific and business work done therein, and may prescribe to the
superintendent and managers of the several institutions under
its supervision the forms of and periods covered by the statisti-
cal returns to be made by them in their annual report to the
Commission. The secretary, or at least one member of the Lu-
nacy Commission appointed for the purpose by the Commission,
shall visit all public, corporate and private institutions, alms-
houses or county asylums where the insane or feeble-minded
are kept, at least once in every six months. The Lunacy Com-
mission shall ascertain by actual examination or inquiry
through its secretary whether the laws relating to the persons
in custody in said institution and to those in control thereof
are properly observed, shall give such directions as will insure
correctness in the returns required relative to them, and may
use such means as may be necessary to collect all desired in-
formation. Such visits shall be made on such days and such
hours of the day or night, ond for such length of time as the
visitor may choose. The official visitor shall carefully inspect
every part of the institution visited in reference to its cleanli-
ness and sanitary conditions, the number of patients in seclu-
sion or restraint, the dietary and treatment of the patients,
and any other matters the Commission may consider necessary.
The Commission, or its secretary, shall from time to time make