Among the most helpless and pitiable of the miserable in this world are the insane poor. Ordinary sickness requires only ordinary care. But insanity is a malady, which not only often requires more care than other sickness, but a care which is, as you have seen, of a peculiar character—such as the comfortless home, the want, and the ignorance of the poor are unfit to supply. It is the duty of society therefore to make systematic and ample provision for the proper care of this class of the insane. In many of the states some provision has been made for them, but it is very inadequate. The provision in Connecticut is an annual appropriation placed in the hands of the Governor to be dispensed by him to applicants till the whole sum is expended. In this way a large number of the insane poor have secured to them a residence for a suitable period in the Retreat at Hartford. This is well so far as it goes, but it is not sufficient. _All_ the insane poor in the State should be provided for. And the expense need not be very great if a proper plan be adopted. A portion of the expense, one third or one half, should be defrayed in each case by the town where the patient resides. In this way any improper use of the public benefaction would be guarded against, for the local authorities would, in behalf of the towns, secure a suitable examination of the pecuniary circumstances of the patients. Such a plan would be a truly economical one. For many, who, with the scanty and irregular provision which is now made, are left to become hopelessly insane, and to be therefore lasting burdens to the towns in which they reside, would under a better plan be restored and become able to support themselves. This chapter is already so long, that I must devote less space than I originally intended to the _legal relations_ of insanity. A few points only can be briefly noticed.