The Leader, enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ga.) 1915-1921, 1916-05-01
STATE SANITARIUM
BUILDINGS INADEQUATE
Report Claims Persons Sent to
Asylum Who Are Not Insane

Atlanta, Ga, April 29.-That
the buildings o fthe Georgia San
itarium are totally inadequate tc
accommodate the inmates and are
SO overcrowded that the death
rate has been increased, and it i.
impossible to properly treat cur.
able diseases; that large number:
OF perfectly sane people are i'm.
posed upon the institution, anC
that criminal, even murderers, are
housed with innocent people be.
cause there is no other place fol
them, are some of the startling
revelations made IN the annua
report of the trustees of the sani-
tarium which has just been made
to the governor.
While the report is plain
statement of facts it presents such
a deplorable condition at the san
itarium that the governor will
probably call the special attention
of the legislature to it in his an
nual message.
There were los person sent to
the sanitarium the report states,
who were found to be sane when
they arrived, and this may have
been due, it is suggested, to the
laxness in lunacy trials. The
number of patients in the santa
rum at the close of the year was
3,947, or 292 more than at the
close of the previous year. The
new patients received during the
year numbered ,683, or $50 more
than i'll 1914. The number of pa
tients receiving treatment num-
bered 1888, or 3 35more than in
1914. The average daily number
was 1872, or Ito more than in
1914.
In mentioning the report Of the
clinical director the trustees say
that the finding Of los sane per-
sons committed to the sanitarium
appears to be a travesty and
should be severely condemned"
AS to the commitment of "a
criminals, the trustees state that
this is "Repugnant to every right
feeling, an injustice to the inno-
cent patients and a burden upon
the institution" 1t is recon-
mended that some other provision
be made for the criminally insane.
The trustees ask for an appro-
priation of 100000 for building
for durable cases. Fifty thous-
and dollars is also asked to build
a home for the nursing corps of
women.
A full statement of the business
administration is given in the
report by the steward, showing
all receipts and disbursements.
The total income from all sources
last year was ,668.12, the
regular appropriation by the state
being $550,000. The net cash
surplus is $11,828. The average
cost of each patient was only
$l57,61,
In conclusion the trustees rec
commended certain changes in the
laws governing the sanitarium, as
follows:
"To prohibit the commitment
of elipeptics not insane to the
sanitarium, of harmless paraly-
tics, of senile imbeciles, or Grim
mails. and of feeble minded min
ors.
To prohibit the abandonment of
patients on the sanitarium
grounds.
ITO request that white female
patients shall be accompanied to
the sanitarium by white female
attendant.
TO make the course of training
for nurses three years.
TO invest in the board the DOW
er to- fix the superintendent
compensation.
TO make the board member
ship consist of nine members, hol-
ding terms of six years.
ITO change the name of the in
stitution to the Georgia State
Hospital for the Insane.
"To insure the property for
three-fourths of tsvalue."
The report is signed by John
T. Brantley, president, and Rich
ard Johnson, secretary.