The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1882-09-07
THE LUNATIC ASYLUM.
What the state Is Doing for tho Insane
Enlargement and Improvement OF the
Asylum.
From he Columbia Rfgistcr.

In company with one of the Regents
OF the Asylum We paid visit last week
TO that noble institution and had the Oh.
porlunity for close inspection OF tho
arrangements for the management and
comfort Of its unfortunate inmates. No
class of suffering humanity have deserved
ly attracted so much OF the sympathy of the
humane in our day, or called forth more
earnest and intelligent efforts for their
relief. Certainly no nobler testimonial
existed in our State to the Christian phi
!anthrophy Of her people than is present.
ed in the early establishment and con,in.
ued maintenance of the Lunatic ASYLUM.
On entering the grounds Of tho old
Asylum. which was built in 1929, one is
Impressed with the excellent order and
taste displayed i'll the arrangement of the
garden aud tho absolute quiet which pro.
walls gives to the place the appearance of
some religious retreat.
The grounds about the old Asylum are
Kept scrupulously clean and the shrub.
berry carefully trimmed and everything
about the premises arranged with view
TO the comfort and convenience Of the
unfortunate inmates. Entering tho spa.
clous corridors of the building one e
perlences sense of refreshing repose
pervading :he place, and not u jarring
sound disturbing the quiet which reigns
throughout the entire building.
| On the first or ground floor we were
shown into the sewing room, where a
number of the inmates, under the direc.
tion of lady attendant, were industri.
ousIy engaged in making or repairing
the garments used by themselves and
others, with as much apparent interest
liz :te work Es j: j: vas 6 gathering of
sewing bee Of some village church socie-
! ty. On this floor are the store room.
laundry, bake room, &c, for the supply
OF the institution. In these places every.
thing is in order, and, although the wants
OF nearly thousand persons are supplied
through them, there are no accumulations
OF litter or refuse to offend in the slight.
eat degree the sense Of sight or smell.
On the second and third floor we pass
through the wards occupied by the female
inmates. Each ward has It's spacious
sitting room neatly furnished, and hav-
ing its piano or organ and other acccsso.
rles OF refining character. aGording a
source of pleasant recreation to many
of the unfortunates who avail themselves
Of them, with evidently good results in
calming and soothing the troubled spirits
curing Tue or recurring periods OF dis
turbance. Many Of the patients were
seated in the corridors and sitting rooms,
scme imploycd in needle work, some
reading' but most of them listless and
quiet and subdued. Nearly every one
gave some recognition to the lady atten-
dant and officer who accompanied Us,
some of them making some commonplace
remark or inquiry, and but few of them
exhibiting any special evidence of the
fearful malady which had thus excluded
them from society. a dining hall il con.
nected with each ward, aud into which
we were shown, and as the preparations
Tor dinner were nearly completed we were
afforded the opportunity of examining
the provisions made for the meals and
the diet furnished
The dinning room were fresh and airy,
tho tables were neatly spread with the
usual appliances of a comfortable family
dinner, and upon some Of them were
being placed the meat, which was ample
and we'll prepared. AS dessert, we
found liberal distribution Of peaches
on each table and were informed that
the patients, without exception, enjoyed
them. AS the demand upon the accom-
modations has increased 20 greatly with.
"a! :lis past few years, two large pav!ions
light franc Duildings-fave been built,
each having connection respectively
with the East and West wings of the
main building. These pavilions accom-.
modate about fifty patients, and thus re.
lieves the main Asylum from the crowd
ing which would become necessary with
out this accommodation, and which
would be seriously prejudical 10 the com
fort and health of all the patients. This
group of buildings, constituting what is
known rs the old Asylum, and is at pres.
ent devoted to the use of the white ie.
male patients, of whom there are about
ITO, and to the quarters of the several
resident officers, and the various depart
mcnts, store rooms, &C., connected with
the Asylum.
What strikes the observant visitors in
all departments Of the Asylum is the
absolute cleanliness which is maintained,
and the evidence of a scrupulous atten.
tion to the comfort and care of the un-
fortunate beings who are th;:s thrown in
their helnlcssness upon the philanthrophy
of the State.
In our observation of these kind pro.
visions and the evident loving relations
existing between the patients and the
officers and attendants, could not forbid
the contrast which rose unbidden to my
mind with the condition OF things from
which they have been rescued by the res.
toration of the Asylum to the control Of
the Asylum to the control of humane,
Christian men in 1876. remembered
the sad story Of the systematic plumber
of the appropriations literally made only
that they might furnish the means to
crafty the greed of the robbers, even
though it brought actual suffering for,
and want of. the common necessaries Of
life to these helpless imbeciles. re-
membered how the wall Of these poor
people for bread rung out through the
bars of the cells upon the ears Of the op-
pressed and maligned citizens of Colum.
bia, and how nobly some Of them respon-
ded and sacrificed themselves to save
these helpless ones from starvation.
turned from the sickening memory of
this period, scarcely credible, yet too sad.
ly true, as the record will show, and could
not repress the feeling of gratitude to
God for tho change which has passed
upon the condition OF the Asylum.
Passing across Elmwcod avenue we
enter the grounds Of the now Asylum,
which is group of buildings fronting
on Pickons street and Elmwood avenue.
The South wing was partly built before
the war and since completed and is now
occupied by white males. The North
wing is nearing completion and will be
ready for occupancy by the lst October,
at which time it is proposed to transfer
the white female patients to one of these
and use tie old Asylum for tho colored
l Sns,fa 1I,