The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1906-06-15
THE TREATMENT
Of STATE
CONVICTS
State Prison Physician TeStifieS
to Humane Policy Adopted
Toward UnfOrtuneteS.

The following article relative to the
treatment of state convicts appeared
in a recent issue of The Ocala Banner:
State Prison Physician DIR. W. G.
Lamar, of Quincy, was in the city yes
terday and last night, on his regular
round of visits to the different con-
Yict camps and the prison hospital at
Ocala. Dr. Lamar, in company with
the hospital physician, DR.. S. H. Bitch
paid a visit to the prison hospital at
the Marion Farm, near this city. and
when seen last evening, after his re-
turn from that institution, he told the
Star reporter that he had found the
hospital in the best of condition, and
the patients all doing well. Or. Lamar
said he considered this one Of the best
equipped, best regulated and main
tanned hospitals for prisoners in the
south He said he found in the prison
ers, most of whom are only partly dis
abled and suffering from chronic trOu-
bles Of long standing. in good cOndi-
ton and cheerful spirits. A lot Of
new beds and mattresses had recently
been put in, and the sanitary condi-
tons of the hospital were well nigh
perfect, as, at great expense, the en-
tire premises had been recently sup
piled with the best of plumbing for
sanitary purposes and it's beneficial
effects to the hospital are beyond
measure.
DR.. Lamar talked very interestingly
for half an hour on the state prison
hn Etfa1- T1oo n q onO6
insight into it's workings. DR.. Lamar
was appointed to his present position
in February Of this year, and since
that time has been making the rounds
of the different camps Of the sub-les-
sees about every sixty days, and to
the Ocala hospital about once a month,
though he has no regular time for his
visits and no one connected with the
camps know when he is coming or
whittier he is going, so that he sees
the camps as they exist in their nor
NAL conditions, and not as they might
be prepared for him if his visits were
always timed, did any mischief exist
and the lessees desire to hide the fact
from his eyes.
DR.. Lamar's duties, as laid down to
him by the prison commission. are to
visit the camps and the hospital, make
a careful inspection of the physical
condition Of the prisoners, their food,
clothing and quarters, the sanitary
conditions Of the stockade and the en-
tire camp in general. If a man is
found ailing or sick, or says he is SICK
! the prison commission instructs Dr..
! Lamar. and he instructs the local ply
1 Il Df rr-hnva &c located a
| each camp, to give the man the bene-
| fit Of the doubt, and either treat him
| at the camp or send him at once 10
| the central hospital at Ocala, as the
state Of his case may justify. If there
| is a doubt Of the mans sickness, give
him the benefit of that doubt are the
| instructions from headquarters down.
The doctor was asked if he had
| found any sickness approaching an ep-
! idemic in the camps visited during the
! past few months. and he replied that
/ the health among the 1900 convicts
was remarkable. Zone can get pref
| tv good idea of the health of the pris-
| oners." said he, when he learns that
among these 1900 men there are now
only 60 in the hospital, and many, In
| fact the the majority Of these, are old,
! chronic cases, most Of them having
! been affected for many years, and
some even before conviction. There
| is not a. case of any Importance Of ma
laria or fever in the entire system that
1 know of. Most of the illness is Of a
mild nature and easily responds to a
course of medicine. A lay-off in the
local camp for a day or two and the
men are ready to return to their work.
This remarkable health Of the convicts
is due in no small degree to the out
door life they lead, and particularly
among the naval stores operators. it
would be difficult to find a more
healthful occupation to employ the
convicts in"
At this point in the conversation, DR..
! Bitch asked if he might say a word,
and receiving hearty invitation to do
! so. said: "You know my hobby is the
open method Of employing state con-
victs as against the closed penitentiary
system, and the theme of the paper l
shall read before the national con-
vention of prison physicians at AL
bany, N Y, September 16, will be ad-
vocating this open air method Of en-
ploying the prisoners"
! AT the different camps Of the sub
lessees, DR.. Lamar said that he found
the food, the clothing, the sleeping IA
cilities, and the sanitary conditions