The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1910-02-15
Tuesday, February Is, 1910.
THE ASYLUM AND DIR. BABCoCK

The legislature at the session OF
1909, appointed special committee
to investigate the State Hospital for
the Insane. This committee occu-
pied several weeks in taking testl-
,mony and sent subcommittee to dlf-
ferent institutions Of similar kind IN
other sections Of the United States.
The committee cost the State some
three to four thousand dollars.
In their report, and in the testl-
.nony which was taken nothing new
was brought out, and as The Herald
and News has said heretofore, all
these matters have been reported to
the legislature by the superintendent
annually for the past ten years to the
certain knowledge of this editor.
We have in our possession the re-
Bort of the State Board of Health
which was sent to the legislature at
the session Of 1910. giving a resume
Of the annual reports Of the State
Board of Health pertaining especial
ly to the State Hospital for the In
sane, as submitted to the legislature
for the past thirty years. This re-
sumo shows clearly and succinctly
that the conditions, which the special
legislative committee claims exist at
the Institution have been brought to
fhe attention Of the legislature . an
Rually.
Starting with 1900, we find that DR..
4. A. Moore, chairman Of the board
Of health, in his annual report to the
legislature for the year 1900, in re-
gard to the separation Of the races
and the isolation Of tuberculosis ne
groes says:
''On this point DR.. Babeoek en-
phatically' remarked: 'Such provis-
ion is imperative, not only for this,
but all public institutions. It is
perhaps the burning question to-day
for hospital management in the
United States. tuberculosis con-
tinues exceedingly prevalent, and is
endemic in all departments. It is the
chief cause Of illness and death. It
Is the duty Of the State to make es-
2ecial provision for the isolation and
care Of this class Of patients, both
within this hospital and outside It
may be remarked that this language
is in accord with portion of the
report Of your. committee Of last
year, in which it was advocated that
special sanatoria for the treatment
Of the consumptive poor should be
under State or municipal control"
In this same report we find the
following extract from DR.. Babcock 5
report: 49,.
"On the subject Of the necessity
for the relief of the overcrowded
Hospital,Dr. Babcock truly and for
ebly remarked: ..:.'This. Hospital is
practically the dumping ground of
all the undesirable citizens Of the
State, who are not criminals and
even criminals who show any men
tai symptoms are committed to the
Hospital. It is obligatory upon the
General Assembly to take steps look
ing towards the better development
of the poor house system. Most Of
the new counties have as yet no aims
houses. The State should also make
separate provision for inebriates,
epilept cs and idiots, who are at
present committed to the State Hos
pi+a7. These are some methods by
which It's overcrowded condition
might be relieved and opportunity
given for better provision for the
Insane proper for whom the institu-
t:on was established and ought to be
uainta;ned.' This matter was al
luded to and briefly discussed in our
last annual reDort and the necessity