The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-08

decrenit men and women afflicted with some mental and all sorts Of physical ailments, and classed as m digent insane"
 Many should Not Be There.
 These people are maintained at an enormous expense to the State. and the Commission is of the opinion that several hundred of these patients should be returned to the respective alm-houses of the State, there to be maintained and kept at the expense of the counties. The patients here referred to are harmless and inoffen- sive, but require some little help to care for themselves.
 eThey are classified at the hospital as harmless dement's. No medical nor systematic treatment is given to or needed by this class of patients and they would require no professional treat ment at the almshouses different from that given the indigent poor, other than the additional help and care on account of their helplessness and feeble -mindedness.
 If these patients were returned to the almshouses of the several counties of the State, this institution would pc much less crowded and better ana more efficent service could be rendered. the inmates that are of right entitled to be maintained at said institution:
 'srrhe Commission made care1ul study of the conditions relative to the food supply of the patients at the Bryce Insane Hospital, and at the tune of making the examination, lind that the patients are given sufficient sup ply of food, but would recommend greater variety than Is furnished by the authorities.
 .sThere was testimony adduced before the Commission to the effect that the State patients had not been sufficiently fed prior to the appointment of the ln- yestigating Committee by the Legisla- ture at it's recent session. The evidence offered in support of these charges was from patients themselves, as well As nurses and other witnesses whose sanity was not in question.
 There was some evidence before the Commission that the food supply mas been recently increased. a number of witnesses testifying to this fact. The officers and employees of the institu- tion have denied these charges of in- sufficient food supply, and that there has not been any increase in the quan- tity furnished the patients since this Investigation was commenced.
 stnte should Be Liberal.
 ssThe Commission Is of the opinion that the State, with all its vast re- sources, should be liberal in the sup port and maintenance of these helpless and unfortunate people. Life behind these dreary walls is pathetic enough at best, and no patient should ever have any cause to complain of hunger and to this end the Commission recon mends that a more careful supervision shall be Exercised to see that every patient shall receive a grater variety of food than is furnished by the management of this institution at the time of making this report.
 'eThe Commission recommends pet nf a inc dining rooms, so that the intelligent and cleanly shall not be forced to eat at the safne table with those who are obiectionable on account of their oad or unclean1y habits.
 'To remove the objection of flies, the Commission recommends that the din- ing room and kitchen be at once effec- lively screened. and that every pre- caution be taken to exterminate flies and reaches from the buildings.
 "The Commission made very care ful examination and study of the class of young men and women who are em- ployed as nurses in this institution. The lives, health, safety and comfort of the inmates lie largely in their hands. We find them to be selected wholly from the white citizenship or Alabama and largely from the rural districts.
 cation, but some are ignorant and at the time of their employment are neces sariily inexperienced and not wholly fitted for a trust of this importance. The competency and efficiency of these nurses necessarily depends upon the degree of intelligence and is of the opinion that the supervisors and nurses should have in expectancy A raise in salary adequate for the ln- stitution to retain their services after they shall have become efficient, de- pending upon the degree of skill and humanity with which they have taken care of the inmates of the institution.
 Complaints of Cruelty.
 "The Commission has exhaustively Inquired into the charges of cruelty eand mistreatment of the patients by the nurses. There has been much tes- timony adduced to show that several of the nurses, especially one Winter and one Holman, had been cruel and Inhuman in the discharge of their duty. A large majority of the criticisms directed against the management of this institution being based on the al- legged misconduct of the two nurses mentioned.
 NO complaints have been registered against the conduct of large number of nurses on the quiet wards ofN-the Rryce Hospital, but on what are called tho violent and rough wards, such as g and 14. a number of complaints have been made. Tho Commission has care- fully considered and weighed the testi- mony of a great number of witnesses. and has allowed a wide range of the testimony in order to get at the truth of these charges.
 "A large number of the patients, in- sane upon one or more subjects, but who have a considerable degree of in- telligence, were examined and cross examined with more than ordinary care, and their evidence carefully weighed in connection with physical facts and the testimony of present and former nurses and employees and per- sons whose competency or trustworthi~ ness was in no way attacked.
 '"The management of the institution, including the doctors, supervisors and nurses now in charge, as well as a number who were formerly employed there. but who now live elsewhere, deny these charges of cruelty with the exception of minor or petty offenses in isolated cases of mistreatment for which, when the report of such of fense was brought to the attention of the superintendent or supervisor. the offending nurses were immediately dis charged. 'ts-.
 After a careful consideration of all the evidence, the Commission is of the ouinion that there have been cases or maltreatment and unauthorized pun ishment on such wards as and 14, as well as a few offenses committed on some of the other wards, and some tso- lated cases on the farm connected with said institution. The two nurses above