The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-01-19

eral assembly, reviewing the concl-
ton of the insane asylum, delivered
yesterday, follows:
Gentlemen of the General Assembly:
In my annual message l stated that
would transmit to you q special
message dealing with the State Hos
pital for the Insane. You Fave cou"-
tcously invited me to deliver this
message in person. Permit me to
thank you for this privilege.
At the outset, l wish to state clear
/ ly that in referring to the conditions
which l found there when l became
governor, it must not be regarded as
4 personal criticism, but rather a
statement of facts and conditions as
| found them. I would be disengen-
uous if l did not make full state
ment to you of this whole SITUATION,
and its needs.
Former Conditions Intolerable.
From personal observation, /
found, last year, the physical condi-
ton of this institution to be lntolera-
BILE, if we are to consider the treat
ment of these unfortunates as SOL
emn duty and as an act of humane.
ness and charity. The treatment of
those patients was custodial, rather
than that of giving skilled treatment
to improve their condition of mind,
as we'll as of body. :,
This condition was fully revealed
to you in an exhaustive report made
by DR.. Herring, last year, through me
to you. I feel that it is unnecessary
to repeat here what was stated IN
that document. You, in body, at
nv invitation, visited that institution
then, and the condition as shown by
that report, and by what you found
there, convinced you of the necessity
for reorganization of the institution,
and a change in the treatment of the
inmates. l am sure that you recall
vividly the picture of what you saw
then.
Yesterday I invited you to visit
again this institution Sc that you
could see for yourselves. in a meas
ure at least, what has been done, and
is being done, under the acts which
you so wisely passed at the last ses-
sion of the legislature. The improve
ments in the physical property are
being carried on in thorough and
efficient manner, and when this work
is completed 1 feel that it will be an
enduring monument to your wisdom
and humaneness in providing for the
comfort and the improved treatment
of these unfortunate citizens of our
State. :,
/ Last year you saw the wretched
condition, the discomforts and dirt in
the cells in which these people were
confined. l saw, and you saw. how
the meals served were cid and un-
palatable. You saw in the woman's
department, which was then the best
department in that institution, the
silent witnesses those straps that
were around the walls, that were
used to restrain violent patients.
Mechanical Restraint.
: Gentlemen, the temptation to me
is to 90 on and enumerate the differ
ent things that were revolving, but |
have promised you not to DO so. But
I can not refrain from saying that IN
that women's ward and as the ward
that was then in best condition, you
will recall that in that ward for vlo-
lent patients, there were 92 of those
violent subjects. They were confined
in cells. We found that the fire pro-
lection was absolutely inadequate
and inoperative; we found the fire
hose could not be attached to the hy-
drant, because they did not fit; and
it simply is appalling to think what a
terrible disaster would have occurred
had fire broken out. If that fire had
occurred in the night time, with two
nurses only, in charge of the 92 pa
tients, it does not require any de-
scription from me to tell you what
would have happened.
I want to say to you that under the
changed treatment that restraint for
violent subjects is no longer resorted
to; but instead the kinder and more
effective treatment by soothing meth
DDS; where they are put in baths, and
treated in simple ways, we find as
the result those patients showed I'M
provement both in mind and in body.
Gentlemen, these changes that have
been inaugurated there are result
of your wisdom in enacting laws
which made the change possible; and
l earnestly recommend the continu-
ance of this work as necessary, if we
are to discharge our obligation to
these unfortunate citizens, who have
the misfortune to be afflicted in this
way.
Changes in Personnel.
The acts which you passed looking
to the reorganization of this institu-
ton, and a change in the treatment
of the patients, made it necessary,
in my judgment, to make import
ant changes in the personnel of the
management of the institution. |
wish to say here that I was confront
ed with serious trouble. You will
remember, gentlemen, that this act
was passed and signed on the last
night of your session; therefore,
when the acts were before me in
their entirety, you had adjourned
and gone to your homes. 1t was not
practicable for me to call you back