The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1890-12-11

bic. 2. Patients who are insane anc
incurable. 3. Patients who ar
idiots. /. Patients who are epilep
; tics. 5. Patients who are imbeciles
Lastly into two general classes
patients who are dangerous and pa
tients who are harmless.
THE PAY PATIENTS AND THE PAUpERs
Society for its own protection anG
for the sake of humanity must pro.
vide for its unfortunates. There car
De no dispute about this. Pay pa.
tlents whose friends can watch after
their welfare and provide for it can
be left out Of the account. Paupe1
patients should under restraint when
needed receive kind treatment, plain,
substantial food, skilled medical at
tendance and comfortable clothing.
Every taxpayer wants this much
done. But poor taxpayers, of whom
we have plenty, ought not to be ex-
pected to support pauper lunatics in
better style than they themselves are
able to afford.
Under the law as it now is, the
power of committing patients to the
Asylum rests with the county COM
missioners, who have large latitude
in some things, and are under strict
regulations in others. The law is to
blame for some of the extravaganza
and abuses which are apparent.
Probably neglect of duty or conni-
vance on the part of these officers
must explain the others. Out of AS
white lunatics in the Asylum thirty
one are pay patients and twenty
three pay in part. The per centage
of paupers in this institution is so
large that we are forced to ask
whether only the poor people go
crazy?
The law provides that the lunatics
who have property shall be supported
out Of the income therefrom. I have
known of instances in which this has
been disregarded, and not only the
income, but the estate itself has been
used by relatives while the State was
called on to support the luuatic. It
IS probable that many of the patients
in the Asylum belong to this category
and the County Commissioners,
whose duty it is to prevent it have
either been imposed upon, or have
wniked at the wrong to please some
friend, and curry favor with some in
fuential voter. The law provides for
punishment, it is true, and what is
everybody's business is nobody's
business. Few people know any
thing about such law. The Asylum
is at distance, the patient enters it
and is soon forgotten. The neighbors
talk. awhile and there's an end.
PUTTING THEM IN THE POOR HOUSE.
Again, when time and treatment
have shown that pauper lunatic is
incurable, but harmless, needing
nothing but a little food and cloth
ing, why should the institution be
crowded to it's present overfowing
condition with such a class Of
patients when they can be as safely
and more cheaply cared for in the
county poor house? Many of the in
mates of the Asylum are of this class,
and in consequence all of the negro
men are in the cheap temporary
wooden building which cannot be
well heated in very cold weather
when there must necessarily be
suffering among them.
Now if each county was required
to support the patients it sends to
the Asylum, and the bill of costs SUBJ
mitted to public inspection through
the county press, and the whole
matter of commitment, support, etc.,
came under the eyes of the grand
jury, I feel sure immediate relief for
the existing plethora would follow,
and the cost to the people be greatly
lessened. All who ought to pay
would be made to pay, and instead
of bundling off every idiot and harm
less imbecile to Columbia there
would be careful calculation as to
whether they should not go to the
county poor house. The whole mat
ter of cost would resolve itself into
! the question which is cheapest and
best, to send them to the one place
or the other, for it should be left
optional, and when the matter is
brought squarely home to each COM
munity the enlightened self-interest
of its citizens will solve it to it's own
satisfaction, and each will pay for
what it gets.
Another thing: Many of the in
mates of the Asylum who are harm
less are placed there by their un-
natural relatives to get rid of the
burden of their care and support,
and those having no property in their
own name are classed as paupers.
Were each county made to support
its own lunatics the authorities would
refuse to send such to the Asylum.
Pride would prevent them from be
ing sent to the poor house, and So
ciety would be relieved of a burden
which it ought not to bear, and
these unfortunates be supported and
cared for at home as they should be.
+ Wedding OUT THE ASYLUM.
To relieve the existing pressure
and to restore the institution to its
proper uses as hospital for danger
Gus and durable lunatics I advise that
q commission of three physicians and