The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-29
NEW BUILDINGS NEEDED
THE COLONY SYSTEM WILL BE
ADOPTED.
INSPECTION BY STATE BOARD OF HEALTH
Reasons Why Patients Should be at Once Put
Under Treatment. The Water Supply
is Now Sufficient for the
Institution.

On request of the board of directors
of the State Hospital for the Insane
at Morganton thorough inspection of
that institution has just been made by
representatives of the State Board of
Health. They were DIR. George Thorn
as, of Wilmington, president, and DIR.
Richard III. Lewis, of Raleigh, secre-
tary.
The inspection lasted two days, said
DIR. Lewis yesterday on his return, and
was painstaking, thorough and COM
plete.
eve found the conduct of the asylum
and surroundings as nearly ideal from
sanitary point Of view as could be
expected anywhere.
Ever visited this institution he
asked parenthetically.
Never
sWell yon ought to do so. It's the
most magnificent public institution |
was ever in in my life
.Why did you make this inspection
at this timer
of Health, under the law, to make a
sanitary inspection of the public insti-
buttons of the State as often as our
appropriation will permit. This is usn-
ally every other year. One year we
inspect the public institutions and the
next we examine the water supply Of
the cities and towns. This is the year
for inspection of public Institutions. =
''And so you began at Morganton?"
Eyes. we were requested by the board
of directors of that institution to make
this inspection with three ends in view:
a.. To examine the water supply and
distribution for the present and future
needs of the institution: (2) to investi-
gate the crowded condition of the in
stitution and recommend some way by
which the congestion may be relieved. and
CD we were asked by the board of di-
rectors to especially consider the prob
fever.
1.-TWO of these typhoid patients We're
at liberty to go wherever they pleased,
and consequently they may have con-
tracted the disease outside of the in
stitution-from water drunk elsewhere.
for instance. But there was one case
strictly confined to the institution and
its water supply. 1t was, however,
of an anomalous character and may
not have been typhoid; we think it was
though, from the result of the post
mOrtem. The fact that this patient
was only one of the several hundred
confined, all using the same water, ex-
cluded the water as cause.
1--WE, however, examined into the
question of water supply, with a view
to ascertaining its suffciency for the
present and future needs of the institu-
ton. We inspected the source of the
water supply, going up South Noun
tains FIVE miles to the source of the
intake on the Black Forks creek. We
there found a beautiful mountain
stream with an entirely wooded and I'M
inhabited water shed-an ideal water
supply.
1.-THE pipe originally laid was inches
in diameter but has in the course of
years become very greatly narrowed in
calibre by the accumulation of rust. Tn
consequence Of this and the friction of
so long pipe the delivery at the hos
pital is only about IS gallons a minute.
This, however, is supplemented by a
system of gang wells installed few
years ago, and with these the water
supply is sufficient for all needs of the
institution as it now stands. But if
the number Of patients be increased the
water supply will have to be made
proportionately enlarged Looking into
the probability of need of more water
we inspected Long creek, which crosses
the pipe line from the Black Forks
creek about a quarter Of mile below
the intake This is a beautiful bold
stream on whose water shed there are
only two settlements, and these could
be so controlled as to prevent any con-
tamination of water. The engineer OF
the hospital land by the way he's very
talented fellow, a son OF COL Cilley, OF
Hickory thinks that by forcing the
water of Long creek into the present
pipe by a steam pump, thereby adding
to the force of gravity, now the only
force, the delivery of water would be
increased about three times, especially
if the pipe be cleaned out.
$50 we think the question OF water
for the State Hospital at Morganton
is settled so far as supply Is concerned
I'VE recommend, however, a change
in delivery of water, SO as TO have more
abundant supply on the top story than
at present"
The real problem of the institution
DIR. Lewis says, is its crowded condition
Its inability to take care Of those who
really ought to be in it, but who are
denied that privilege ON account of the
lack of room.
There are" continued Dr. Lewis
1900 patients in the room originally in
tended for 500. We found 60 in one
ward originally intended for %. Durina
the past year 108 persons have applied
for admission and been refused because
of lack of room. The number refused
within the past five years has been $40
Besides this the over-crowded condition
is detrimental to the patients already il
the hospital and something must b.
done, and that very soon. The cryint
need is for more room. The welfare O
the patients demand it and the unfor
tunate ones who are outside plead 70