The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1891-12-01
I%.unetic Asylum.
The STATE.


The siyty-cightb annual reL.st octhe BOARD of Re
gents and superintendent OF the State Luna,ic asy-
lum was made public yesterday. II Is one of the
most important OF all The annual reports, giving an
exhaustive resume of the treatment Of the States
insane.
The number of patients treated during the year
The cost per c ,pita has been 3Gt cents daily. In
compliance with the law 33 harmless insane icrsons
nave been returned to the various counties. Some
OF The counties have demonstrated, saying they have
no aims house. The suggestion is made 'that the
laws OF admission OF patients DO amended rs asked
by the superintendent and the counties be made to
pay into the State Treasury n part of the mainte-
nance Of their beneficiary patients"
An option has been obtained on q piece of land
near by, upon which to erect buildings for the coll
eide.
the asylum have been conducted, in q measure. to the
satisfaction Of the Regents"
COLUMBIA, S. c., Oct. 81, 1891.
To His E%Xcellency Il. r.. Tiilman, Governor Of South
SIR The Board of Regents of the South Carroll.
ma l.inntic Asylum have the honor TO submit TO your
ENcrllcncy the annual report with the accompanying
vouchers.
We would respectfully direct your attention to the
number Of patients treated during the year, which
WAS i.la2; The number now remaining in the Asy-
The cost per capita has been 3Gi cents per day, and
for the year Sl33i2
In compliance with the law we have returned to
The various Counties such harmless insane rs could he
cared for at home, or in Aims Houses, numbering In
MI 33. or these three have been returned. Some of
the Counties have demonstrated, saving they have no
Aims House, and can make no provision for them.
II wonln 9s wei. Fer Niritfii&aC Uitla;t;. vasit Co Organize xn,s
%Iiohscs, and make them scli.suslaining, which is en-.
tircly practicable.
We would respectfully suggest that the law of al
mission OF patients be amcGncd as asked by the SUI.
perintendrnt and the Counties be mode To pay into
the state Treasury a part of the inaintcn9ncc Of their
Beneficiary patients.
We call especial attention to that part of the Su.
pcrintcnlcnt's report relating to making provision for
| The cOIOrCI male lnnatlCS. The REGENTS have ALWAYS
advocated the erecting OF all buildings needed, ON OF
con'ignons to our present location as being the most
advantageous 10 the State in every particular.
In accordance with this view we have an option on
y piece of land near by, upon which to erect the build.
incs, II the Legislature should So decide.
Our Superintendent is now organizing q Training
School in the Asylum, which will add materially to
the welfare Of the patients and we trust will meet
with the approval Of the Legislature.
During the year there have been changes in the OIL
GERS Of the Asylum. DIR. p. l.. Griilin ceased to be
superiniendcnt in May, and his place has been flied
~ aud Treasurer. having died, his place has been III
ed by Mr.. j. W. Bunch.
The various departments Of the Asylum have been
conducted in q manner to the satisfaction of the Re
gcnts.
We feel assured that the Legislature will still
maintain this noble charity in u becoming manner
and make snch appropriations for it rs are needed
We have the honor to be yonr bedient:servant,
President of the Board of Regents OF $. &. Lunati,
Asylum.
urEEINrRSpHNr nABcocK's REPORT.
III his report to tho Regents Superintendent Bah.
cock says: AT the beginning Of the year there wcr,
present rs paticnts-3o9 male and $50 female. OF
these il5 were white. and 333 colorci. There were
absent on trial fOrty-thrcc. During tho year 3iI
were admitted, and the number under treatment I32
The highest number OF patients was Isl and the loy-
est $50. There were discharged 3Si Of whom 81 w.r,
classed ms recovered. 81 as improved. 6 mnimprovcd
~ were removed, . cloped. l59 died; 40 are absent
on trial. The result ut tho end of the gear is 1873 pa
i%icnts, 3GS male and $40 female, Of whom I23 nrc
white and 3l5 colorcd.
"Comparcd with last year, II less were admitted
81 more discharged, 81 more under trcatmcnt, 81
more discharged rs recovered, hnG3 more died. In
addition TO The 43 absent ON trial at the beginning Of
The year, 40 were released on probation. or these
OIL were discharged rs recovered, 50 as improved,
nnimproved, y returned, and CT are still out. Their,
has been no epidemic disease Of serious nature. Dur
ing The spring mllinps were prevalent.
q March 10th, q white female patient committed
suicide by hanging. sho had been here about tw,
The verdict of the coroner's jury eXoncrated the Off
GERS and nurses of the Asylum. Among so large an
insane population, strive as we may to prevent them
such unfortunate accidents seem Inevitable.
The following table shows the per capita cost fol
ne last fifteen years 30. $2O2.s3; '76-77
$lh5,7s; 'SO-sl, Sl68.2l 'sl-sl, sili. s2-S3
*iiiSSS$l; '$S-Sl' sl427s; .st-sS, sl4S.d; $50
Sl3l47 500. $l3l.O5 '50-0l. $l33. AZ.
According to the census of 1850, there were n
this State n total Of LIP insane and l,5SS idiotic
superintendent of census, writes me that the preson
number Of insane In South Carolina. rs shown by the
present census, Is 026, and tho number of iiiotic / sos
These are the only facts that have, as yet, been tabu.
lated relative to this class, and the same are liable TO
slight revision 1t is probable that revision will dem
Onstratc that this estimate is too low, since IL ia no
credible that the insane population of this State /,
now nearly 200 less than 1t was Ten years ago, If W,
accept lheeo figures, the interesting fact presents its
eli that according to the statistics there are 2 73l per.
sons-not including all epilcptics-to whom the asy
!nm Is open.
MANAGEMENT OF THE ASYLUM.
"FrOm time To time when the oycr-crnwl,d cnnai