ASSOCIATED SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS 433

STATE TOXICOLOGICAL LABORATORY

R. P. HERWICK, ACTING STATE TOXICOLOGIST

The office of state toxicologist was established in 1923 by act of the
Legislature. In many instances prior to the establishment of this office,
cases of apparent criminal poisoning were not investigated because of the
inability of the county to employ trained and competent experts. The high
cost of such assistance was sufficient to make it almost prohibitive for some
of the less densely populated counties. To prevent miscarriage of justice in
such instances, and to render expert assistance ee to all district
attorneys, the legislature created this office.

The chief function of the State Toxicologist is to assist the district
attorneys in the detection of criminal poisoning. There are also other ways
in which this office assists in protecting the people of Wisconsin.

This office has been of aid to various state departments, such as the
State Department of Agriculture in connection with the poisoning of stock
and other domestic animals; the State Industrial Commission in connection
with cases of suspected industrial poisoning; the State Conservation Com-
mission in the detection of poisoning of wild game; and the State Board of
Health in cases of food poisoning. In general, it is the duty of the State
Toxicologist to protect the people of the state from criminal or accidental
poisoning, so far as he is able. The State Toxicologist also assists the staff
of the Wisconsin General Hospital in the diagnosis and treatment of cases
of poisoning.

The laboratory of the State Toxicologist is located in the Service Memo-
rial Institutes Building in conjunction with the laboratories of the Depart-
ment of Pharmacology of the Medical School.

WISCONSIN PSYCHIATRIC INSTITUTE
W. F. LORENZ, DIRECTOR, PROFESSOR OF NEUROPSYCHIATRY

The Wisconsin Psychiatric Institute was originally developed under the
Board of Control of the state of Wisconsin. It was started in 1915 at
Mendota, but on July 1, 1925, was transferred by legislative act to the
University. Its principal purpose is to investigate causes of insanity and
allied conditions which directly or indirectly result in state care and, in
addition, to initiate and promote measures of relief and prevention when
practically possible.

As the result of an investigation started in 1915, syphilis was Vcae to
be a large single factor in causing both insanity and mental enfeeblement in
the state of Wisconsin. In an effort to meet this situation in a practical
way, an attempt was made to assist the physicians throughout the state to
recognize and thoroughly treat syphilis with the hope of preventing the late
consequences of this disease. A blood-examining service was instituted and
made available, without cost, to physicians of Wisconsin. Since 1915, over
365,500 individual tests have been made for practicing physicians of Wis-
consin. This number does not include the service that has been rendered to
state institutions; with this number added the total exceeds 600,000. The
result of this effort accounts, in great measure, for the reduction of paresis
in Wisconsin. This is shown by the admission rate to state hospitals, for

_while in 1915, and previously, the admission rate for this form of insanity
was over 12%, since 1924 it has continued at less than 6%.