The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1916-01-19
GOVERNOR TO LAWMAKERS
ON HOSPITAL FOR INSANE
CONTINUED from Page One)

that the cost OF maintenance OF Iha'
institution for the year 1914 was
316413.5 80; the cost of maintenance
of the institution in 1915 was S3Ol,-
SG8.42. saving in operating expenses,
S14.575.17. The amount brought
over from the appropriation of last
year was S17,8So.
Saving in Expenses.
New. want to coll your attention
70 tic i&ct that saving in operating
expenses has not been at the expense
of the comforts CT those patients.
The average daily number in that in
stitution through the year 1915 has
been III patients . than IN the
year previous-than in 1914. With
the increased average attendance OF
1T patients, the cost in maintenance
has been reduced S14,575.17. The
per capita expense in 1914 was SIG
Is. and in 1918, S1T0.92.
| want to call your attention fur
ther to the fact that besides this
increase in average of patients they
had added for the care of those pa
tients 10 physicians. whose time is
given entirely to the care of those
patients, whereas, before three regu-
lar physicians, giving all their time,
were employed, and three for a part
CT their time.
One of the first items that was
taken up in the character of savings
by Dr.. Williams. after his Inaugural
ton into that office, was in the mat
ter of the laundry. In 1914 the
monthly pay roll in the laundry was
S7O2; in 1915 it was reduced to 1927
a month. making a saving for the
year of $500. That work, instead
of being done by paid negro women,
was done by the negro women who
were in the institution, not by COM
pulsion, nor by force, but simply by
persuasion, and being glad to get the
opportunity of having occupation
rather than in sitting around in idle
ness all the time.
When DR.. Williams investigated
further he found that there were two
colored women scrubbers, who took
care of the white women's ward at
$40 each per month, and six men
scrubbers, who took care of the mems
ward, at SIG each per month. Those
were discharged and patients in the
institution were glad to do that work.
The saving in this item was $2,952
for the year.
On the farm the cost of operating
for 1915 was $9,127.49; the cost of
operating the farm in 1915 was 3d.
682.66, making a saving in the op-
Grating expenses of the farm of $4,-
444.83.
The saving in these items, gentle
men, amount to S~13,296.83.
. Saving in Whiskey.
There was another item, the exact
figures of which 1 did not remember
to take from the report of the pre-
vious year; but l want to say that
whiskey, prior to DR.. Williams being
placed in charge, was bought at that
institution by the barrel. want to
say to you now that the consumption
of whiskey in that institution is less
than a quart per month.
Permit me to call your attention
to certain phases of this work which
are simply obtained by personal in
terviews, personal contact and from
my personal visits to this institution.
When the plan was adopted of giving
occupation and diversion to these pa
tients it was found that patients
there who were simply Indifferent,
who lay there supinely, who had no
occupation or diversion, when they
did not feel like doing some work,
showed an eagerness to accept it.
Occupational Treatment.
: 81 want to say that in the institu-
ton, following out the plan of giving
occupation and diversion to The pa
tients, they have now a printing plant
where some of the inmates daily
work; they now have a laundry
where inmates do most of the work;
they have kitchens where the work is
largely done by the inmates. The in
mates police the grounds, they have
a broom factory and a mattress fac
tory; they do knitting; they have a
sewing room, making clothes for
many of the inmates; they have
printers, and they are using many of
the inmates or the farm, and in ad-
dition to that, gentlemen, there is es-
tablished a department there of bas-
ket making and fancy work.
Six weeks before the State fair was
held, they employed Miss Austin in
that department. Miss Austin came
to look over the field. After seeing
the patients, she wondered if she
could do anything for them. They
were lying in their beds; she could
not induce them to get up for several
weeks. She finally interested them
in fancy work and basket making.
They greatly improved, and finally
she interested so of those women,
who had been more dead than alive,
and not interested in anything, and
they were eager in the morning when
the hour came, at which time they
could begin their work: Gentlemen,
as a result Of this. three of those in
mates have been absolutely restored
to sound mind and nave left the in