The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-11-01
Health Problems.

Health Proplems.
 In bringing about better financial re- turns from the ccnyicts it was also neces- saiy to increase the healthfulness of these wards of the state To this task Dr. Shirley Bragg, who had been appointed by Governor Sanford to the position of physician inspector, set himself with char acteristic Vigor. The death rate among the convicts had in tine years past run as high as 20 per cesit. Before half of the administration of Governor JellIs had been finished tEis had been reduced t3 less thal. per cent. With a system of hygienic care and sanitary watchful- I ess. combined with open air treatment in all its forms. pr. Bragg succeeded in bringing many convict back from the doors of death to usefulness and to life. It is said that under his administration of the health department of the convict system improvements were made and policies adopted that have gone down into the text books of the best sanitary scientists of the country.
 Fight on Dirty Jails.
 One of the first things that Dr. Bragg had to combat was the entire nadequacy of the county iails Not p per cent of them. according to his estimation, were fit habitation for beasts of the field. let alone human beings. From time to time in public interviews he treated the sub ject without gloves, frequently going so far as to say that the state committed more murders with it's unsantary prisons than the prisoners did who were called to account In some instances the doctor would insist that prisoners be transferred to other jails in order that they might be relieved of the menace and almost certain death that surrounded them.
 As a result of his campaign the Ala bama jails were made very much more habitable and when the legislature act ing under the pressure that had been aroused as a result of the fight he had made. decided to provide for a jail in spector Dr. Bragg naturally fell into the position.
 However, his great service to the state lies in the development of the care of those who were helpless to take care of themselves along health and scientific lines. There is not a state in the south and possibly in the union that does not owe some of the good conditions which now surround the care of it's conVcts and prisoners generally to the good sense and intellectual activity of pr. Shirley Bragg The health of the Alabama con vict department has passed into history as a model for all the other states.
 Judge Carmichaels Part.
 With the development of the new ideas in the management of the convicts Judge J. M. Carmichael was at the forefront be- cause of his position as president of the convict board. Without fear or favor he proceeded to carry out the wishes of the governor and to enforce the law with re- gard to the management and care of those whom the state was working.
 In addition to largely increasing the revenues and with the assistance of pr. Bragg decreasing the death rate, he in sisted on humane treatment to the great est extent. Four legal holidays were provided for each year, Christmas, Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and New Year No contractor was allowed to work a convict on either one of these days except he paid him, and if he was paid the wages must be as large as those paid a free man for the same service.
 In addition to this Judge Carmichael and his associates encouraged the con- tractors to show every attention and care to the prisoners. As a result, it has be- come the practice for these wards of the state to be provided with good dinners on Christmas and Thanksgiving and all along through the year. Every effort is made to arouse manhood and to encourage an in- spiration to better life so far as possible. The good influence that had been sug- gested and set in motion just prior to the administration of Judge Carmichael was carried out in far more extensive way than even their best friends had hoped for.
 Thus it is that during the week two men have been confined to the grave ill Alabama whose services will long bear the stamp of the highest and the best, given without stint and without hope of reward that those who could not help themselves might by others who were ill position to do so receive that humane attention that an all-wise Creator intended should be supplied to everyone of earths inhabi- tants, no matter how menial or how low.