Martinsburg journal. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1920-1977, 1921-04-21
MANY INMATES IN
NEED OF attention
Should Not Have Been In
Poor House

Poor House
More than half the inmates OF
the states county inhrmaries are in
need OF medical attention. and do
not properly belong in poor houses,
according to figures made public by
DR.. {. + McClintic, OF Greenbrier
county. member OF the house of
delegates. following an investigation
of the iutirmaries in all the coun.
ties.
There are l.l20 inmates In the
poor houses of the state. the fig
ures reveal. and OF this number 81
percent are in urgent need of treat.
ment in hospitals. Fifty percent of
the children housed in such insti.
tutions are sub-normaI or feeble
minded, DR.. McClintie's report
shows, and should receive medical
treatment as such
Only 10.4 percent OF the inmates
on poor farms are normal. or en-.
titled to habitation on such farms.
or the total number. - percent
have mental diseases and Al are
feeble minded.
In one county OF the state, DR..
McClintic said there IS housed in
a poor farm only one feeble.mind-
ed girl There are no other in.
mates. The state is paving the SUI
perintendent and his wife az mat
ron. They have seven children.
This institution is ran eolely for
the benefit OF the feeble-minded girl
and she is not receiving the kind
of treatment she should
There are 81 persons housed at
the Ohio county poor farm, the in
vestigation of DR.. McClintic reveal
ed. and of this number only six are
normal. In other words. 6 OF the
inmates should not be there. Three
OF them have venereal diseases, 35
are supplemented % are sick. II
are cripples. eight are blind and
one has epilepsy.
There are no normal inmates at
the Harrison county poor farm, ac-
eording to Dir. McClintic. There are
five sub-normal inmates. seven fee.
ble-minded, nine sick, two crippled.
one blind, four imbeciles and two
deaf.
The report shows that there are
no normal residents at the Marshall
county poor house Four are sub.
normal. six feeble-minded. six sick,
one with venereal disease, one Grip.
pie, two blind and one epileptic.
Wood county had no inmates who
properly should be housed in its
poor farm. Three OF the inmates
are sub-normal, II feeble minded,
three sick, two crippled. two blind.
two epileptic, two deaf and three
IDIOTS.
The percentage Is about the same
in other counties, Dr.. McClintic adj
ded. The counties with inmates in
their poor houses rank as follows:
Ohio. Al; Kanawha, 55; Cabell.
20; Wood, 80; Preston. 10. Jeffer
son, 18; Marion, 16; Harrison. Is;
Wayne. 70; Fayette. 9; Randolph.
4; Tyler, 3; Roane, 2.
DR. McClintic, with other members
of the committee OF the house of
delegates on humane institutions
and public buildings, has been work.
ing haW during the recent session
of the legislature to find some So
luton to the county poor farm prob
lem, but so far no satisfactory bill
has been framed.
The house committee has appoint.
ed subcommittee for the purpose
of working only on county infrmarv
problems One OF the propositions
considered is to appoint commits
sion, it is Understood, who would
comb from the inmates of the coun
ty poor farms all those who do not
belong there, and to send them TO
the institutions where they could
be treated for their ailments.
1t has been suggested by some
that the county infirmaries be abol,
ished and Il state institution estab-
lished. # this is done, It is said
the numbet OF inmates would not
be large, if only those who are
normal" are given protection.
Another problem that is being
worked out by several members Of
the house is the education OF the
children in the poor house. Recent
~ a bill was passed making il op.
tional with the county courts to
appoint a scaool teacher where poor
farms have certain number OF
inmates OF school age.