The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1915-02-06
STATE HOSPITAL CONDITIONS.
MEDICAL STAFF INADEQUATE,
AND SUPERINTENDENT LACKS
TRAINING.
DIR. Iicrring Points out Some Defects
OF Institution and Points to Nurses
Training School as Best Feature
PathOlOgist Needed.

Columbia, Feb. "a considerable |
section Of the report Of A. p. Herring, |
Nj. D.. efficiency expert employed by
Gov. Richard /. Manning to investi-
gate the State Hospital for the In
esanc, is given up to a discussion of
conditions prevailing now at the asy-
lum. Certain recommendations by
Thomas w. Salmon, M. D., of New
York, with reference to improvement
of hospital work, are quoted by DR..
Herring and then he makes sugges-
tions as to the South Carolina institu-
ton. The rules given by DR.. Salmon
are for the best care of the insane in
modern hospital
After having presented the essential
requirements in a hospital for the
insane, which are recognized and ac-
cepted by the medical profession, DR..
Herring answers each and every one
as applied to the South Carolina
asylum, based upon personal study
ana observation.
DR.. Herring makes the following
statements relative to conditions at
the State Hospital for the Insane in
this State:
!. The present superintendent is a
gentleman who was in general prac-
tice in the rural districts before his
appointment to his present position.
He is kind and courteous in his man
ner toward the patients, and l am
firmly convinced that he is doing
everything in his power for the COM
fort and we'll being Of those under
his care, but he has certainly not
had sufficient executive experience or
psychiatric training to be held re-
sponsible for the proper management
Of an institution of nearly 1,700 pa
tients
2. The present staff consists Of
four physicians in direct charge Of
the patients. The first assistant is in
charge Of the 400 white male patients
and has no assistant. The second as
sistant is a woman physician, who has
had no previous hospital experience
with the insane. She is responsible
for the treatment Of over 600 white
female patients and has no assistant.
These two physicians and the super
intendent 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
a few hours or more, as may be neces-
sary. He has no assistant physician.
The physician in charge Of the negro
women has about 800 patients under
his charge, in addition to visiting
the negro women at State Park. He
does not live at the institution and
has no assistant physician. To ex-
pect four physicians to look after the
nearly 100 patients, in addition to
their other enormous clinical duties,
and only two of whom devote all Of
their time to the work, is not only
a physical impossibility. but is evil
IDENTIFY SO unjust and absurd, both to
the patients and to the physicians,
that it needs no argument. There Is
Il pathOlogist and a dentist who spend
a part of each day at the hospital
3. 1t is impossible, DR.. Herring says,
under the present condition to have
regular and frequent conferences Of
the medical staff.
4. There is receiving ward for the
white men and one for the white
women, neither one being equipped
for the proper examination and treat
ment of the patients. They are re-
ceiving wards in name only and in
no sense mee' the requirements.
5. There can be no satisfactory
classification Of the patients under
the present conditions, due primarily
to the Overcrowding and lack Of at
tendants, except to have ward for
the excited, infirm and demented cases
and wards for the quiet patients.
6. The system of clinical records is
not uniform, some departments using
a book, while others use a history
sheet and a great deal Of the clerical
work must be done by the doctors.
This entire department will have to
be reOrSanized
Z. A laboratory has been recently
festablished in the main building,
work can be performed. There is,
however sufficient work in a hospital