Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1914-02-27
THE ASYLUM INVESTIGATION
Committee Filed Its Report on Wed.
nesday.

-
Wednesday. The full text Of 1t Is as
follows:
To the General Assembly Of the State
Of South Carolina:
The undersigned has in accordance
with your instructions contained in
concurrent resolution, house No. 7s3,
senate No. 571, thoroughly gone into
the actual and supposed troubles ex-
listing at the State Hospital for the In
sane.
The evidence, which is volumninous,
Is attached hereto-herewith reported
as the basis of our findings with the re-
quest that 1t be printed along with this
report in permanent form.
| Cause of Diseord.
| We find the cause Of much Of the
discord, trouble and friction leading
up to and resulting in this investiga-
tion to be fundamental
State constitution, 1895, article XII,
Par. @:
"The regents for the State Hospital
for the Insane and the superintendent
thereof, who shall be physician, shall
be appointed by the governor, by and
with the advice and consent Of the
senate. All other physicians, officers
and employees Of the hospital shall be
appointed by the regents, unless other
wise ordered by the general assembly"
Hence, the superintndent has no
voice in the selection or dismissal Of
any subordinate. He becomes purely
an advisory officer, only when advice
is sought, and has no effective control
or authority, resulting in such a con-
dition that effective work and labor Of
unified staff Is impossible.
In our opinion the staff should be
selected by the superintendent by and
with the consent of the board Of re-
gents, thereby insuring full harmony
between the superintendent and his
staff and all acceptable to the board Of
regents.
The superintendent to enforce duty
and discipline should also have the
power and authority to suspend any
member of his staff for cause, subject
to appeal to the board Of regents, where
such suspended staff officer should
have available all the rights Of trial
guaranteed to persons so accused in
the courts of this state.
The committee finds the administra-
ton of the colored wards (male and
female) inefficient. The physicians en-
ployed to look after these wards live,
and are resident physicians in the city
of Columbia and engage in general
practice On December 31st, 1913, there
were four hundred and thirteen colored
males in that ward, and there were
treated during the year 1913 five hun
dred and seventy-two. At the same
date, December 18th, 1913. there were
three hundred and fifteen colored fe-
males in the ward, and there were
treated during the year 1913, four hum
dred and sixty-thre
The staff officers in charge OF these
two wards live in the city Of Colum-
bia, and they spent from one hour to
four hours (more frequently one hour
than four hours) per day at the Hos
pital for the Insane, and this covers
the time spent in answering cores
pondence relative to their department
] and patients. hence, 1t is manifest that
such a supervision and inspection can
be only perfunctory, with the evident
result that the care Of these unfortu-
nate patients is largely left to ignorant
colored nurses in charge.
1t is our opinion that the stan off,
Ger in charge Of any ward department
in the State Hospital for the Insane
should live and reside within the en-
closure and be on duty and quickly
available at any time both day and
night and give his undivided time and
| attention to the helpless unfortunates
entrusted to his care and guardianship
It appears from the evidence OF the
physician Of the c6lored female ward
that no specific examination Is made
as to the character Of insanity and the
| stage II has reached and the physicai
condition Of the patient on her admis-
sion to the ward. The statement con-
tanned in the commitment papers or
| iginating in the court of probate and
| the general conclusions obtained from
| looking them over generally deter
mine the line of treatment adopted. This
policy ignores the fact that the design
Of the state Is to restore all patients
| not incurable and helpless, and that
the first step in reaching such con-
clusion is to determine by painstaxing
diagnosis: (a) the character OF insan-
ity; CD its stage Of development; (c)
violence Of attack; (d) can a cure be
effected? (e) and the means.
Practical and efficient treatment can
only follow knowledge Of all the causes
and facts and such knowledge cannot
be obtained through commitment pa
pers and looking over the patient"
The vast volume Of detail now de-
yolved on the superintendent in hav-
| ing oversight Of all the business OF this
| great and HETEROGENEOUS institution and
also in promoting and supervising the
great work at the State Park renders
| impossible in him to give such close
| inspection to the supervision OF the dif-
| ferent wards filled as they are with pa
| tients, as is desirable and necessary for
| the best interests Of the inmates and
the discipline of the institution. He
should be relieved by business man
ager, whose duties should be other than
| Oh a n6QlCdl dppOiheOo W shS
| superintendent, by and with the con-
sent Of the board Of regents, and sub
ject to suspension and removal as
| herein recommended. The superinten-
dent would then have the time with
a staff officer to make thorough inspec-
ton of each ward Of the institution at
least once a week, and daily advise
and consult with his staff and subor-
dinates, and these duties he should be
required to do in preference to all other
duties and labors that might be de-
| volved upon him.
The members of the staff should
each have the authority and right to
select all subordinates in their respec-
tive wards, subject to the approval of
the superintendent, and each staff Of
fcer should also have the privilege and
power to suspend or discharge subor-
dinates under them by and with the ap-
proval and consent Of the superinten-
dent.
We find as a matter Of fact that all
staff officers do not make reports In
writing to the superintendent or file
them as a record Of their departments.
Every member of the medical staff
should make full and complete report
in writing to the superintendent al
least once a week, and file the duph-