The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1898-08-13
CARROLL COUNTY ALMSHOUSE.
DR.. Fulton'S Report on Its Condition and
the Opinion of Local Physicians.


the Opinion of Local Physicians.
Upon the request of some person or persons
of Westminster DIR. Fulton, secretary of The
Board of Health, visited the Carroll County
Almshouse on July 81 and made an irvestiga
ton of the condition of the inmates. He was
| accompanied by DIR. Preston of the Lunacy
Commission. Upon returning home Dr.
Fulton unbosomed himself to reporter of the
Baltimore American, and OH Saturday, July
80, this report of the interview appeared in
the American.
DIR. John s. Fulton secretary of the State Board
of Health, who visited the Carroll county aims
house. on Thursday, with Dr. Preston secretary OF
pose of having the condition and surroundings of
some of the inmates improved. The insane in the
Commission and that body, it is stated, will also
give the matter consideration. DIR: Fulton states
that some of the insane, of whom there are about
ten, were found i'll filthy condition, with
roundings, i'll some cases, not hit Tor animals.
There indications of neglect of the welfare OF
the insane inmates, lack OF cleanliness, sickenlng
odors and other Objectionable features in that line
which, he contended, should not be tolerated for
moment among human beings. When the keeper
spoken TO- the secretary stated that he did not
to think that things were different from what
they should be. Staples for chairs were found III
of the rooms, but the keeper OF the almShouSe
said that they were no longer used. \ man who
should have received some medical attention
also found in neglected condition Complaint
had been made to the state authorities i'll connec-
ton with the institution.
The ADVOCATE did not observe the report i'll
the American, and did not know OF it until it
| appeared simultaneously last Saturday in the
three Republican journals of the county, two
of which had severe comments upon the
County Commissioners.
On Monday last, eight days after DR.. Full
toms interview appeared in the American, the
County Commissioners received the following
communication from DR.. Fulton:
STATE BOARD OF HEALTH,
BALTIMORE. MD, AUGUST q, 1898.
To the Honorable Board of Commissioners for Car
roll County, Westminster. Md.
GENTLEMEN Complaint has again been made TO
the State Board of Health concerning the condition
of the Carroll County Almshouse 1t will be re-
membered that similar complaint was MADE III
| 1S97-see our letter of May 18th, 1897.
At "a visit made July q in company with Dr. Geo.
| J. Preston Secretary of the Lunacy Commission, we
| found the lunatic Hampshire in the same room
which he occupied yearago, and his surroundings
! were even more unsanitary. The walls were sur,
rounded by dado of tobacco stain about three and
| half feet high, and he must have designed TINS
| ornamentation as he could not have produced the
| uniform deep brown color by careless splitting
| The condition of the floor beneath this dado may
| be imagined, though there was no great contrast
| visible between the edges and the centre OF the
| floor In the southwest corner of the room were
! several loose planks, covering hole in the floor
! These plauks and the floor about them were com
! pletely coated with filth, and it was obvions that
this portion of the room was used for the relief OF
| bowels and bladder.
! If only one man commits habitual nuisance in
| this little room about it. by g. then we may estl
mate that it has taken him about year to bring
! the room to its present disgusting condition GER
| tainly the room cannot have been cleaned Wlthln
six months.
! In the third story in IA much larger room is..an
| imbecile colOred woman who has not hole IN the
floor for this 1t quite evident that she has
impartially in all parts of the room, The filth IN
| this room was of less amount than that III the
smaller room, and it was perhaps not over a week
! old.
1t seems scarcely necessary to speak Of the SAM
tary bearings of these conditions in the main Dud-
| ing 1t must be presumed that your honorable
! body will remedy these nuisances as soon us you
are informed of them.
| In the mems building the ground floor is one,
Kelly, suffering with tuberculosis of the leg There
was not particle of dressing applied to catch or
clean the discharges and the odGT was as very dSn
towards this unfortunate, it should be remembered
that his discharges contain the tubercle bacillus,
and expose those who go into his room 10 q Dan,
gerous infection. This infectious material should
| be received in some proper dressing, which should
medateiy burned The cost of this necessary atten-
ton will be very slight and if it were far greater 1t
| against tuberculous infection.
! We trust that you will so ehectualy remedy these
| abuses to make their recurrence impossible Inc
question is of management. You are entitled
TO as good management as you pay for. The inyes-
| tigaton has been made at the suggestion OF your
own citizens, and it is presumed that your cltZens
| are willing to pay for good management as you
need. Most respectfully, JOHN S. FULTON, Sec.
| 1t will be observed that there is a vast diff
! ference between the interview and DR.. Fulton s
official report to the County Commissioners.
The interview indicated that the whole estab-
lishment was a pest house, with bad Odors and
uncleanliness. The official letter specifies but
three cases, and of these he speaks without
knowledge of facts, and thereby does the
management injustice.
The interview caused considerable COM
! ntnti off n
thought if such things existed they ought to be
remedied at once. No such condition should
be tolerated, and the inmates of the institution
should be made as comfortable possible.
The County Commissioners, too, resolved to
have a full examination of the premises, and
accordingly they invited the editors of the
local papers and a number of physicians to
accompany them to the Aims House last Mon
day afternoon. The superintendent was not
apprised of the proposed visit and consequently
had no opportunity 10 do any cleaning up.
The party consisted of the County Commits
sioners and their Clerk, Elk Health Officer
Billingslea, Health Officer Matthias, DR.. NJ. l..
Bott, DIR. ID. F. Shipley, DR.. j. Rinehart and
representatives of the Sentinel and ADVOCATE.
The whole premises were inspected, bed
rooms, bath rooms and water closets and par
ticularly the inmates mentioned by Dr. Fulton.
Hampshire room was found to be in about
the condition that DR.. Fulton described it, but
the systematic "ornamentation' of the wall
with tobacco juice was pure piece of imagl-
nation, and the Doctor could have learned OF
the superintendent that the room is cleaned
up every week and that the walls were white
washed twice the past spring. Hampshire is
not lunatic by any means. lie is more
villain than insane, and he cursed the physi-
clans, and said the room was for his accom-
mediation, not theirs. The physicians, how
ever, were of the unanimous opinion that he
should be sent to some asylum, as 1t was I'M
possible to keep his quarters decent. He lies
upon his cot and expectorateS at random any
where and everywhere.
The imbecile colored womans room was
in good condition, but it was learned that it is
not always that way. She tears up her bed
and clothes, and when the physicians called
she had on rev dress of heavy blue drilling.
She has not sense enough to use commodes
and broke up those that were first furnished
her. Her room is cleaned every day. AS tC
her the physicians were unanimous that she
should be sent to some asylum also.
AS to the man Kelly, the doctors were
unanimous that he should he sent to a hospi
tai.
The physicians examined the rooms of al
the inmates. The rooms of the women were
neat and clean, the women were neatly
clothed, and there were no bad OdOrS. Iheil
. quarters were very home-like, and number
of the women were sewing, mending, &c
, Among the inmates is Granny Little. 81 year!
, of age.
In the mems quarters the rooms and bed
, were just as the inmates would have them
Some had neat, clean rooms, with clean beds
and others had their beds infested with yer
min. Some of the men are neat, others filth,
! in their habits Some are lazy and Indifferent
some are diseased and some are neat and tidy
,, The we'll said they had good food and wer,
> satisfied. The sick said they received reguIa
! attention from the physician.
= Dir. Fulton did Carroll county an injustice
,, in advertising abroad, through interview ii
= the American, condition at its Aims Hous,
that did not exist. The matter of its condition
=, | SOLELY affected the citizens of Carroll and h