The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-10
Thr WessengGr.
AN URGENT PLEA TO THE PUBLIC.

AN PLEA TO THE PUBLIC.
The board of public charities of
North Carolina has issued an i~nstruc-
tive appeal TO the people of North
Carolina in behalf of the insane that
are now without hospital care in this
state" 1t is an appeal that must stir
the emotions and rouse the sympa-
thies of the better part of our people.
The capacity of the asylums now so
greatly overtaxed is utterly unable
to provide for the many hundreds with
out proper care and treatment. All
along the provisions made have been
insufficient. In 1892. there were So in
sane unprovided for. The tails and
poor houses are not fl for such great
Iy afflicted people. Again there are
many more insane women than men
who ask for room in the asylums. In
1894, the official report stated: 1t is
plain, however. that these females
who's minds are weakened by disease,
or who are congenitally defective, must
have custodia1 care, to protect them
from vicious men," These considera-
tons were urged by the friends of GER
tain applicants. How far the state is
called on to protect society, and pre-
vent the birth of illegitimate defec-
tives, is for the Legislature to decide"
The able superintendent at Morgan
ton said in his report of LIST March
1899 that there were in the asylum
~ - $500 @-,aIn1
He stated this.
The result of this crowding does not
stop with the positive inability to ad-
NIT those whom We reasonably nope 10
restore, but even after their reception
the opportunity for recovery is greatly
lessened. Nor is that all, for the worst
effect of overcrowding, the danger of
loss of life is vastly n
superintendent quotes from a report
of the board of health in 1898: There
is, unfortunately, an OyercrOwding in
the hospital which must appeal as well
to you as to us. In some of the wards,
where provision was made in the orig
inal plans for q patients, several more
than twice that number are now ac-
-CommOdated."
In the Goldsboro hospital there are
AS patients. The address says that
"aII the conditions referred to at Nor
canton are here intensified, with the
addition of the well known inability to
resist phthisis in the negro. as COM
pared with the white man. Insanity,
once so rare among members of that
race when all their care and response
bilfty was cast upon the white owner,
runs riot among them now" $780,
600 are needed, DR.. Miller says
to extend and improve the acoomoda-
tons. AT the Raleigh hospital there is
an average of ALP patients. Another
instructive extract is this:
The Western Hospital district con-
t&ned, in 1890, a population OF 633,412
white persons while the eastern had
422. 633 ;or about three-fifthS ito two
fifths. The hospital at Raleigh has 800
from the eastern and s from the west
ern district. That at Morganton has
72e from the western district and Sc
from the eastern"
The question presents itself what will
the people do about this? Will they
unite in urging h legislature to make
ample and speedy provisions for the
smitten and afflicted, the most unfor-
tunate of our race? In the county
promise there are 766 insane. OF these
527 are whites and .239 blacks. DR..
Murphey thinks there are 500 insane in
h western district who are ncared
for. 1t is important for all to remem-
Der tina insanity is the only thing
that the private citizen can not posi-
bly, provide for, with every means at
hand, be h ever so wealthy. To secure
the best advantages for recovery re-
quires medical care in a hospital. 1t
resolves itself, then, into county charge
or thai of the state, we repeat"
The people of good hearts and much
human sympathy must move in this
matter. The insane should be careful
ly and generously provided for. All
philanthropists, and all who love Christ
and their fellow men must act and see
to it that the unfortunate insane shall
not be longer neglected but protected
and helped.