The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1915-02-05
Institution Does Not in Any
Way Conform to Stan
dards of Modern Hospital
for sane, Declares
Investigator = Buildings
Veritable Fire Traps.

That the State Hospital for the
Insane, at Columbia, "does not in any
way conform to the standards exist
ing in modern hospital for the in
sane," that the buildings are mot
only veritable firetraps in their pre-
sent condition, but the lack of fire
extinguishers and the condition of
some of the hose, as found in some of
the wards, makes the danger from
fire real and terrible disaster to
complicate," that the sanitary con-
ditions of the hospital "are in bad
repair and entirely inadequate" and
that. "the present superintendent has
certainly not had sufficient executive
experience or psychiotric training to
be held responsible for the prope,
management of the institution of
nearly 1,700 PATIENTS" were findings
in the report of the Investigations
by DR.. Arthur P. Herring to Cover
nor Manning, transmitted Tuesday
to the General Assembly.
DIR. Herring, secretary of the lu-
macy commission of Maryland, con.
pleted in about a week a complete
personal inquiry into conditions at
the asylum, as the personal repre-
sentative of Governor Manning. Ac,
companied with a special message,
Governor Manning transmitted this
report, containing about 6,00O words,
to both branches of the legislature
when they convened early Tuesday
afternoon.
The alienist's report was divided
into four "heads" and dealt with gen
eral requirements for treatment of in
sane patients, included an exhaustive
survey on the present conditions at
the asylum, gave numerous sugges-
tions for improvement of the insti-
tuition, and recommended amendments
to the state lunacy laws.
This report as a whole, suggested
radical departure from the present
conditions and customs at this insti-
tuition.
Governor Manning pointed out that
the report was prepared, -by-a- die
interested person, and he described
it as ga calm, dispassionate and non
partisan exposition of the actual con-
ditions."
Regarding DR.. T. J. Strait, formerly
Of Lancaster, superintendent of the
asylum, the Investigator said: "The
present superintendent is gentle
man who was in private practice in
the rural districts before his appoint
ment to his present position. He is
kind and courteous in his manner to-
ward his patients, and l am firmly
convinced that he is doing everything
in his power for the comfort and we'll
being of those under his care, but he
has certainly not had sufficient execu-
tive experience or psychiotric train
ing to be held responsible for the
proper management of an institution
of nearly LOO patients"
The Investigator reported the fol-
lowing relative to the present staff
1t consists, he said, "of four physi-
clans in direct charge of the patients
The first assistant is in charge of 400
white male patients and has no as
SiStant. The second assistant is a
woman physician who has had no pre-
vious hospital experience with the in
sane. She is responsible for the
treatment of over 600 white female
patients and has no assistant. These
two physicians and the superinten-
dent live on the hospital grounds.
"The physician in charge of over
400 negro male patients does not live
at the institution, but visits every day
for few hours or more, as may be
necessary. He has no assistant ply
sician. The physician in charge of
the negro women has about 300 pa
tients under his charge, in addition
to visiting the negro women at State
Park. He does not live at the insti-
tuition and has no assistant.
"To expect four physicians to look
after nearly 1,700 patients, in addi-
ton to their other onerous clinical
duties, and only two of them devote
all of their time to the work, is not
only physical impossibility, but is
evidently so unjust and absurd, both
to the patients and to the physicians
that it needs no argument. There is
a pathologist and dentist who
spend part of each day at the hos
pital.
"The most distressing phase in life
at this institution is the utter lack of
work and play for the patients, under
supervision of teacher. The weekly
dances are given in winter, and the
moving picture show during the sum-
mer. Divisional occupations is un-
known."-Columbia Record.
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