Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-08-27
ASYLUM SCANDLE
PR0BEO At ONCE
Governor Brown Will Suggest to
Legislative Committee That
There Be No Delay in In
vestigating Charges

next few days and the charges sifted to
their source.
While he has no authority 10 interfere
one way or another, it Is possible that
Governor Brown will suggest 10 Inem bers
of the committee the Importance of an
early meeting in view of the state or
mind of the public. He is in receipt of
several letters bearing on the subject.
One of them, from John T. Brantley.
chairman of the executive committe of
the sanitarium, stresses the Importance OF
the legislative committee meeting before
the term of office of the poard of truss
tees expires in December.
PUBLIC SENTIMENT DIVIDED.
Public sentiment in regard to the truth
of the charges contained in the report Of
the special committee is divided. One ele-
ment vigorously defends this institution
and its management and other condemns
the officials in strong terms. 1t Is the
uniformed general public which Is ex-
pressing the greatest concern. Thousands
of persons in Georgia have relatives or
friends in the sanitarium and the thought
that they may possibly be suffering ILL
treatment is causing untold anguish of
mind.
WHAT GEORGE BROWN SAYS.
According to Dr. George prown, repre-
sentative from Fulton county, and a
member of the legislative committee, the
fact that no meeting has been called Is
due to no lack of interest on the part
of its members.
IT infer that other members OF the
committee are situated very much as
am. After so days spent in the legisla-
ture / have been rushed to the limit to
catch UP with my practice. appreci-
ate fully the Importance OF the matter
and am ready and willing to go to NIL
ledgeville at any time and remain as long
as possible The investigation should not
he a perfunctory one. The committee
should form a court and both sides should
be heard from. The resolution authorizes
the committee to remain in session ten
days and / think fully that much time
shcCld &c consumed"
WANTS AN EARLY MEETING.
John T. Brantley. of Blac.Ssnear, Ca.
chairman of the executive committee OF
the ASYLUM, has written Governor Brown
a letter suggesting the Importance or an
early meeting of the legislative commit
tee. An excerpt from this letter follows;
"Please allow me to thank you for the
courteous consideration shown by you TO
the trustees of the state sanitarlum I'D
connection with DR.. Westmoreland re-
port. The direction finally given the mat
ter by the general assembly is entirely
satisfactory to us and we are quite con-
tsnt to commit our cause into the hanos
Of an impartial committee. A request mas
been preferred of the chairman OF the
ioint committee that such Investigation De
held during the tenure of office OF the
present trustees If you have opportunity
I trust YOU will suggest the propriety OF
this being done.
s'In the meantime I trust you will let
the matter give you no concern. My ten
4. ~ tvR1f fNTffr0
its uanaGement enables me to speak with
some authority as to both. The manage
nent Is both sound and sane; the officers
fully alive to their duties, intelligent, hu-
name and skiIlful. They assure me the
present male attendants, no CRITICISM Is
made of the females, are the best the In
stitution has had since their connection
with it,"
Governor Brown is also in receipt of let
ters from several former inmates OF the
sanitarium who make charges or varl-
Gus kinds. These letters will not be made
public until they are first submitted 10
the committee
DEFENSE OF THE ASYLUM.
DR. Fl. d. Allen, proprietor of Aliens
sanitarium in Milledgeville is emphatic
in his defense Of the institution Follow
ing is a letter from him to DR.. George
Aug. 1s. 1909.
DR.. George Brown, Atlanta, Ga.
NV Dear Doctor: want to write you
personal letter, to say that indorse every
word you say in regard to the state san
itarilIm. I have for Is years been right
here. almost under the shadow Of this
institution I know the officials there, ana
the good work that they are doing better
than almost any one else. l know now
hard they make IL for me to care Tor
and give my patients more indlVloual at
tention than they do there.
have only 50 or 60 patients, and an
assistant to help me, while each physician
there has nearly 400 to look after.
have visited a great many public and
private institutions, in different parts OF
the United States. and l have never yet
been ashamed of the Georgia state sani-
tarium. Take the Illinois State hospital
at Kankakee, built absolutely new, AMI
with an entirely new plant, within the
last 20 years. The construction was SUI
nervised by one of the ablest alienist. 1t
is a splendid institution, but when you
compare the cost per bed. and the annual
appropriation to support 1t. you will find
that the Georgia State sanitarlum does
not suffer in comparison.
COMPARED WITH OTHERS.
Take the government hospital at Wash
ington city, and the per cent OF recoveries
are not superior to those in the state
sanitarium Take Bloomingdale, the rich
est private institution in the United
States. If not in the world. Endowed with
large sums of money, with every modern
Improvement to treat psychoses and neu-
roses. Their report shows that the mini
mum cost per patient is $11 per week.
Their per cent of recoveries was just q
Der cent the year that the Georgia state
sanitarium was 80 81. Their minimum
cost per patient was greater per week
than the Georgia state sanitarium is per
month, and yet there are a great many
improvements that could be done here.
do not mean to say that the institution
is perfect by any means II they had
more money, they cold improve the insti-
tuition. but the watch dogs of the treasury
will not only bark. but howl when an ad-
ditional dollar is asked for.
NEEDS NO DEFENSE"
One distinguished legislator said that
ell the powers on earth and in hell could
not beat this crowd down here, clearly
inferring that there was something rotten
here. This institution needs no defense
from me. and is amply able to take care
of itself. and l am In no way interested
in them. except my sense Of justice and
fair play. He did not seem to realize
that truth and right was mighty, and
would prevail"
l was a little bit surprised that he did
a..