The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-03-28
Wednesday, March %. 1900
A Nursery Of Disease.


Governor McSweeney, as reported from 20. 20.
lntnhiu YESTERDAY, "haS m0de p'iHpn"i
"spactiOu of the cousumplISc cohE"'S at ''''
"Penitentiary, and he finds ina! theIt i;,'7 n,e "
"uumner OF them IN a HIurh worse cnlu''" WI
"thun he had imagined Some VI 'f',' a. = =
.tn ihe iasf stages oi the disease, and yet nave
..to be confined IN the same iootL WIN @ con,
"victs who are suffering from only Ordinary
"ailmenls. He will doubtless paroo'i '''e
worst sufferers In n few days. J.,
This report OF affairs in the prison Is 10 ue
added TO the previous accounts oi tne ua, .at
Darous" and courageous" conditions eNlsI.
ing there, which were given by members OF
the Legislature during It's recent session.
How many OF the prisoners are "in the last
stages Of consum ana nov pao ~ aonnd md
"a number of them" Is not stated, but u is
made plainly evident again by the results OF
personal Inspection that the institution ls a
yeritable pest house and death trap lor tue
convicts who are consigned to IT.
1t would be instructive TO learn now inanS
of the prisoners who are now dying OF tuoel,
culosis or are suffering from H. conIaa0teo .e -
the disease In the prison itself. Ihose Wno 40
are now in the last stages OF the disease, ~ 10
noted "have TO be confined IN tne satpe
room" with other prisoners who are lree irolu Toll,
It. What this means IN sucn piaoT Snroiv the the
spread OF the infection 10 DINER PrlsoneIs'
and their death also in few months more.
Pardoning the worst sufferers VIII noC o SUI
the process Of injection. The disease ls Ieaoi,
ly commun lea Bile in Its early stages as wen as
in lis last stages. No better conditions. prob
ably. could be devised for spreading II than
those which exist IN In tas Most of the ex
cessive mortality in the INSTITUTION, we oe,
leve, is due TO tuberculous affections, apo
kindred affections induced py crNwaeas sceIs Ine
and the rate will not be reduced until tne sul l.
ferers from such diseases are isolated ana tne
cells are made fit for occupation oy human
il Is publicly declared in the Senate last
month that common humanity demanded
that the conditions Of the prison should pe
reformed at once Strange bgd sdaI suc civiized I
State. The public conscience was snocKeo d
few years ago by the revelations mace as W
the ill.treatment Of the cOnVicts VINO were
the way places, and the sentiment SO aroused
was so strong as to lead to the aoolltloh o! lne
contract system. II all the reports De true,
however, the conditions IN the prisoh a. ,o1e ere
State Capital, and In plain view OF the State
House, are worse than those Whicn ootaLneo
in the remote convict camps. AND notnlng
has been done, or is proposed 10 De gone, 81
far as reported, for their correctlon: IL ID cei
tainly high time for humane pubic senti-
menti in the State to make tselfheard again.
News and Courier.
The reported confinement OF consumptives
"in the same room with convicts who are sur
fering from only ordinary ailments" Is scarce
ly less than criminal. The State authorities
who would consign those who are suffering
from ordinary ailments TO the same room, or
to the same house, with consumptives show
q disregard for human life which can only be
excused on the ground of inexcusable ignor'
ance of the gravity of the situation. The
physician who would consent to such an
arrangement, 1t occurs to us, might very well
sfford 10 ex plain upon what scientific princi.
pie he expects TO save those who are suffering
with ordinary ailments from contamination
by contact with the most fatal disease known
to the practice of medicine.
The day Is past when any man claiming the
least degree OF intelligence will deny that
consumption is communicable. 1t is as dead
ly In its work as bubonic plague. The
authorities use every known means Of pre-
venting the spread Of the plague, while the
Governor is asked 10 release prisoners in the
last stages Of consumption in order that they
may 60 out and spread the disease.
nthe conditions are such as we understand
them, the Governor and other State officers
should give the matter their immediate at
tention. In the name Of common Justice, and
in the name of humanity, we protest against
any act of the Governor which will voluntali-
ly send out from the prisons such convicts as
are In the last stages Of consumption, or as
for that matter in any other stage OF tn
disease.
Consumption is as bad as the leprosy
Every possible care is taken TO prevent the
spread OF the latter disease, while 1t seems
that every known means Is adopted for
spreading consumption.
One fifth of the human family die OF con.
sumption. No place on earth is exempt from
the disease, and its victims are found in
. every locality which is exposed to 1t.
Ifit should seem that one place is less liable
to It's ravages than another, then consump-
tives go there in unnumbered legions, seek.
ing relief. They do not find 1t, but they
spread 1t wherever they 90. Note the result
wherever consumptives congregate. Colorado
and Florida were once thought TO be exempt
from the disease, but now it's deadly work is
as much In evidence in these States as else
where. Florida is full of the graves of con-
sumptives. The health resorts Of places
much nearer to us are now suffering with the
disease and It's victims are not now less
numerous than In other places.
Until the State authorities and the gentle
men OF the medical fraternity unite in the
effort to stamp out the disease, we may ex-
pect the spread of the incurable ailment
which always carries its victim to the grave
We exert every known means to prevent
the spread of leprosy. Why should the
medical and executive officers OF the State
adopt the best known methods of spreading