The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-03-05
VICTORY FOR DR.. SAUNDERS
WOMAN PHYSICIAN AT STATE
HOSPITAL EXONERATED.
Report of Investigating Committee
Submitted to the House and
Senate.

IsIatiye committee Investigating the
charges against DR.. Eleanora B.
Saunders of personal and professional
misconduct in her official connection
as second assistant physician in
charge of the women's ward at the
State Hospital for the Insane made
its report to the legislative body to-
day, entirely vindicating DR.. Saun'
ders of all the insinuations and In
nuendoes, as we'll as the more direct
charges made against her.
The following is the report of the
committee:
Committees Report.
To the General Assembly of the
State of South Carolina:
The undersigned committee has
in accordance with your instructions
contained in concurrent resolution
House No. 1913, Senate No. 571, thor
oughly gone into the actual and sup
posed troubles existing at the State
Hospital for the Insane.
The evidence, which is voluminous.
is attached hereto herewith report.
ed as the basis of our findings with
the request that it be printed along
with this report in permanent form.
We find the cause of much of the
discord, trouble and friction leading
up to and resulting in this investiga-
tion to be fundamental.
The State Constitution, 1895, Artl-
Gle 12, Paragraph 2:
''The regents for the State Hospi-
tai for the Insane and the superin-
tendent thereof, who shall be ply
sician, shall be appointed by the gov
ernor by and with the advice and con-
sent of the senate. All other ply
sicians, officers, and employees OF
the hospital shall be appointed by
the regents, unless otherwise ordered
by the general assembly"
Superintendent Powerless.
Hence the superintendent has no
voice in the selection or dismissal of
any subordinate He becomes pure
ly an advisory officer, only when ad-
vice is sought, and has no effective
control or authority, resulting Ill
such a condition that effective work
and labor of unified staff is impos
sible.
In our opinion the staff should be
selected by the supe intendent 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 stah
officer should have available all the
rights of trial guaranteed to pei
sons accused in the courts Of this
State.
Conditions in Colored Wards.
The committee finds the admins
tration of the colored wards (male
and female) inefficient. The phy'si-
clans employed to look after these
wards live, and are resident physi-
clans, in the city of Columbia, and
are engaged in general practice. On
December 81 there were four hum
dred and thirteen colored males n
that ward, and there were treated
during the year 1912 five hundred
and seventy-twc At the same date.
December 81, 1913, there were three
hundred and fifteen colored females
in the ward. and there were treated
during the year 1918, four hundred
and sixty-three.
The staff officers in charge OF these
two wards live in the city OF Column
bia, and they spend from one 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. corre-
spondence relative to their depart
ment and patients; hence it is mani
fest that such a supervision and in
spection can only be perfunctory
with he evident resn,t that the care
of these unfortunate patients is large
ly left to ignorant colored nurses in
charge.
Should Live at Asylum.
1t is our opinion that the stan
officer in charge of any ward or de-
partn ent in the State Hospital for the
Insane should live and reside within
the enclosure and be on duly anc
quickly available at any time bott
day and night, and give his undivid'
TINA OFT n tho holnlG sc