The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1916-01-17
GOVERNOR SPEAKS ON
STATE INSANE ASYLUM
Speaks in Person and Without
Manuscript Before the
Joint Assembly.
FRANKLY EXPLAINS
POLICY AT ASYLUM
Provided Excess Himself and
Does Not Ask For
Reimbursement.

1ONCIhOI hdiiIitlS y dUQTSSS
to the general assembly review
ing the condition of the insane
asylum, delivered Friday, fol-
lows:
Gentlemen of the General AS
sembly
In my annual message | sta
ted that l would transmit to
you a special message dealing
with the State Hospital for the
Insane. You have courteously
invited me TO deliver this mes
sage in person. Permit me to
thank you for this privilege.
At the outset, | wish to state
clearly shat in referring to the
conditions which / found there
when I became governor, it
must not be regarded as a per-
sonal criticism, but rather a
statement of facts and condi-
tions as found them. would be
disengenuous if | did not make
full statement to you of this
whole situation, and it's needs.
From personal observation,
found last year, the physical
condition of this institution to
be intoIerable, if we are to con-
slider the treatment of these un-
fOrtunares as a solemn duty and
as AN act of humaneness and
charity. The treatment of
those patients was custodial,
rather than that of giving skill
ed treatment to improve their
condition of mind, as well as of
body
This condition was fully re-
vealed to you in an exhaustive
report made by DR.. Herring,
last year, through me to you. ]
feel that it is unnecessary to
repeat here what was stated in
thar document. You, in a body,
at my invitation, visited that in
: stitution then, and the condi-
tion as shown by that report,
and by what you found there,
convinced you of the necessity
for reorganization of the insti-
tuition, and change in the
treatment of the inmates. | am
sure that you recall vividly the
picture of what you saw then.
Yesterday I invited you TO
visit again this institution so
that you could see for your
selves, in a measure at least,
what has been done. and is be-
ing done, under the acts which
you so wisely passed at the last
session of the legislature. The
improvements in the physical
property are being carried on in
a thorough and efficient manner
and when this work is compile
ted feel that it will be an en-
during monument to your wis
dom and humaneness in provid-
ing for the comfort and the inn
proved treatment of these un
fortunate citizens of our state.
Last year you saw the wretch
ed condition, the discomforts
and dirt in the cells in which
these people were confined. !
saw, and you saw, how the
meals served were cold and un-
palatable. You saw in the wom-
ans department, which was
then the best department in
that institution, the silent wit
nesses-those straps that were
around the walls, that were used
to resrain violent patients.
Gentlemen, the temptation to
me is to go on and enumerate
the different things that were
revolving, but l have promised
you not to do 80. But / can not
refrain from saying that in
that women's ward and as the
ward that was then in best con-
dition, you will recall that in
that ward for violent patients,
there were 92 of those violent
subjects. They were confined
in cells. We found that the fire
protection was absolutely in
adequate and imperative; we
found the fire hose could not be
attached to the hydrant, because
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