The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1915-02-11

the hospital unless accompanied by
her father, husband, adult son or
brother or by some relative, friend
or nurse OF the same sex.
8. To provide for system Of af-
ter care or placing out of patients
who are able to leave the institution,
and, while not entirely recovered, yet
are able to live satisfactorily under
proper supervision away from the
hospital.
10. To provide for the admission,
care and treatment of inebriates.
State p.rk Colony.
According to tie report by A. P.
Herring, NJ. D., under the present
plans colony for the negro insane
of both sexes would be esta blished
al State Park. There is a building
at this place which is now occupied
by less than 100 negro women.
None Of the work on this build
ing" says the report, was done by
the labor of patients. Under our
proposed plan at least 100 able-bod-
led negro male patients would be
transferred to State Park and housed
in the small wooden building now on
the place. These patients would be
utilized in doing all of the general
labor, such as excavating, clearing
the land, unloading cars, mixing
cement, etc. This would save the
State a great deal of money and by
erecting permanent and compare
lively inexpensive building all of the
negro patients could be housed in the
near future and at comparatively
small cost. l would say within s400
a bed. This, to my mind, is one of
the most important things connected
with the entire plan of reorganiza-
ton.
The negroes could be used for
farming purposes, and there is no
reason why most of the produce used
in the hospital could not be produced
on this farm by the patients labor.
By occupying the negroes in this
manner restraint could be absolutely
abolished; the patients would be hap
pier and more contented; there
would be large number of recover
ies, and at the same time they would
become a valuable asset to the in
stitution and the State.
In addition to the colony for the
negroes there could be erected at
State Park building for the idiotic
and imbecile children, who are now
living with the patients in the State
hospital. The importance of segre-
eating the imbecile and feeble mind
ed children from the adults has never
been questioned. There should also
be constructed at State Park a sepa-
rate building for cases of tuberculo-
sis and pellagra. There is a splendid
opportunity, both at the present hos
pital and at State Park, to develop
farm colonies"
DIR. Herring's Report.
DR.. Herring in mis- report makes
the following statements relative to
conditions at the State Hospital for
the Insane in this State:
1. 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 | am
firmly convinced that heis doing every
thing in his power for the comfort and
we'll being for those under his care,
but he has certainly not had sufficient
executive experience or psychiotric
training to be held responsible for
the proper management of an insti-
tuition of nearly 100 patients.
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 pa
tients and has no assistant. The sec
ond assistant is 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 superintendent live on the
hospital grounds. The physician in
charge of over 400 negro male pa
tients does not live at the institu-
ton, but visits every day for few
hours or more. as may be necessary.
He has no assistant. The physician
in charge of the negro women has
about 800 patients under his charge,
in addition to visiting the negro wo-
men at State Park. He does not live
at the institution and has no assist
ant Musician To eXDect fOur Dhy-