Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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VICTORY FOR DR. SAUNDERS ' WOMAN PHYSICIAN AT STATE , HOSPITAL EXONERATED. 1 Report of Investigating Committee ^ Submitted to the House and ( Senate. ( Columbia, February 25.?The leg- 1 islative committee investigating the charges against Dr. Eleanora B. ( Saunders of personal and professional ( misconduct in her official connection ( as second assistant physician in ( charge of the women's ward at the ( State Hospital for the Insane made its report to the legislative body today, entirely vindicating Dr. Saun- i ders of all the insinuations and in- j nuendoes, as well as the more direct 1 charges made against her. t The following is the report of the < committee: ] Committee's Report. To the General Assembly of the : State of South Carolina: j The undersigned committee has, 3 in accordance with your instructions ^ contained in concurrent resolution, ( House No. 793, Senate No. 571, thor- s oughly gone into the actual and sup- 3 posed troubles existing at the State ( Hospital for the Insane. ' The evidence, which is voluminous, is attached hereto herewith report- ] ed as the basis of our findings with '< the request that it be printed along * with this report in permanent form. We find the cause of much or the 1 discord, trouble and friction leading 1 up to and resulting in this investiga- ; lion to be fundamental. 2 The State Constitution, 1S-95, Arti ' cle 12, Paragraph 2: t r. \. "The regents for the State Hospi- t tal for the Insane and the superin- 2 tendent thereof," who shall be a phy- 1 sician, shall be appointed by the governor by and with the advice and consent of the senate. All other phy-: sicians, officers, and employees of; t the hospital shall be appointed by; r the regents, unless otherwise ordered j by the general assembly." Superintendent Powerless. t t Hence the superintendent has no t voice in the selection or dismissal of c any subordinate. He becomes purely an advisory officer, only when ad- ? vice is sought, and has no effective I control or authority, resulting in c such a condition that effective work j c and labor of a unified staff is impos sible. s In our opinion the staff should be I selected by the supe: intenaent by and i with the consent of the board of re- f gents, thereby insuring full harmony t between the superintendent and his s staff, and all acceptable to the board c of regents. a The superintendent to enforce t duty and discipline should also have d the power and authority to suspend t any member of his staff for cause, s subject to appeal to the board ot: a regents, where such suspended staff j a officer should have available all the 11 rights of trial guaranteed to pei : t sons accused in the courts of this a State. a f Conditions in Colored Wards. The committee finds the administration of the colored wards (male r and female) inefficient. The physi-jt cians employed to look after these jf wards live, and are resident physi- t cians, in the city of Columbia, and are engaged in general practice. On i December 31 there were four hum- t dred and thirteen colored males ;n t J* i that ward, and there were treated j S during the year 1912 five hundred j f and seventy-two. At the same date. il December 31, 1913, there were three! t hundred and fifteen colored females t in the ward, and there were treated I during the year 1913, four hundred ; t and sixty-three. I The staff officers in charge of these two wards live in the city of Colum- r - _ ! v t)ia, and tnev spenu iron- one to iuiu , x hours (more frequently one hour c than four hours) per day at the Hos2 pital for the Insane, and this covers c the time spent in answering, orre- i spondence relative to their depart- i fnent and patients; hence it is mani- j i fest that such a supervision and in- 1 spection can only be perfunctory. . with - he evident res n't that the care i of these unfortunate patients is large- < Iv left to ignorant colored nurses in 5 charge. Should Live at Asylum. It is our opinion that the staff j officer in charge of any ward or de- ; partr ent in the State Hospital for the 1 Insane should live and reside within 1 the enclosure and be on du-y and ] quickly availab1? at any time both 1 day and night, and give his undivid- i ed time and attention to the helpless i unfortunates entrusted to his care i * * * '5 /? ' ' * * . - i ? n V* i r\ emu ?> u a J v auoiiip. It appears from the evidence of the physician of the colored ;'^male ward that no specific examination is made ] as to the character of insanity ana 1 the stage it has reached and the phy- : steal condition of the patient on her ; admission to the wai^ The statement contained in the o nmitnKot papers originating in the court of ; Probate and the general conclusions ; obtained from "lor - ing them over" generally determines the line of treati nent adopted. This policy ignores the fact tha .he design of the State is to reston ill patients not incurable and help ess, and that the first step in reach ng such a conclusion is to determine Dy painstaking diagnosis: (a) Th< character of insanity; (b) Its stag< )f development; (c) Violence of at :ack; (d) Can a cure be affected (e) And the means. Practical and efficient treatmen con only follow knowledge of all tn< causes and facts, and such know! edge cannot be obtained througl commitment papers and "lookini )ver the patient." Superintendent's Burden Heavy. The vast volume of detail now de rolved on the superintendent in having oversight of all the business o :his great and heterogeneous institu :ion, and also in promoting and sup srvising the great work at Stat< Park, renders impossible in him t< give such close inspection to th< supervision of the different wards Slled as they are with patients, a: is desirable and necessary for thi :>est interest of the inmates and th< iiscipline of the institution. H< should be relieved by a busines: nanager, whose duties should b< )ther than a medical nature, appoint 3d by" the superintendent, by anc with the consent of the board o regents, and subject to suspensioi md removal as herein recommeno 3d. The superintendent would ther lave the time, with a staff officer, tc Hake a thorough inspection of eact vard of the institution at least once i week, and daily advise and consull vith his staff and subordinates, anc hese duties he should be required o do icr preference to all other duties md labors that might be devolved lpon him. Would Confer More Power. The members of the staff should >ach have the authority and righl :o select all subordinates in theii espective wards, subject to the ap i -3 >rbval of the superintendent, ana jach staff officer should also have he privilege and power to suspend hem by and with the approval and :onsent of the superintendent. iVe find as a matter of fact that ill staff officers do not make re>orts in writing to the superintenlent or file them, as a record of their lepartments. Every member of the medica. taff shoi Id make a full and compete report in writing to the superntendent at least once a week, and ile the duplicate of the same among he records of the general office, and hould suggest by way of recommenlation such measures and treatment ks would be beneficial to patients in he treatment of their special malalies and for the good of the instituion. We find as a matter of fact ome staff officers make their reports tnd recommendations only once per mnum, and in such general and synhetic terms as to liable the superinendenc to make his annual report ind recomme: dations for the general issembly. No Licensed Pharmacist. There is at present no licensee >harmacist at the State Hospital '01 he Insane to compound drugs and ill the prescriptions of (he superinendent and staff officers. There should be a most skilfu >harmacist at the State Hospital foi he Insane, one who is licensed bj he pharmaceutical board of this Jtate. for many times a prescriptior illed and administered means the ife or death, sanity or insanity 01 he person to whom it is adminisered, and more especial'v to tin lelpless patient dependent only upor he wisdom of the physician and the description compounded. What is said of the pharmacis nay truly be applied to the dentist; le should by all means be a licensee >ne, with some < eperience. We find for many years the duties )f the chaplain have been faithfulh )erformed at a salary of $300 per an "? Z Tmnnth 4nr\ll>9tiftn< IUIJ1, Ui ptl UlUiltU* v* v~*? ,vere advertised at said salary, bu -vhen the board of repents met ii ruly last to elect a chaplain at tin salary stated, after selecting tin ?haplain they changed the salary t< 5900 per annum, or $75 per month Would Reduce Chaplair's Salary. We think this wrong. If a raise ii salary had been deemed justifiabh and desirable, notice of it shouh have appeared in the advertisemen for applicants. The $600 different per a"num would have gone far ii the employment of a liceused phar macist and a dentist,)and we reconi mend that no salary be panl greate than the salary advertised and calle< for in the advertiserent. There should be a rigid system o rules and regulations proposed am promulgated b\ the board of regents but there should also be some furda mental rules ana regulations auupiei and pushed br tliis general a^embl to govern tlie officers of the Stat Hospital for the Insane in thmr worl and duties. By the same authority as interpreted by 'he Supreme Cour in the case of Pinckney \csn- Hene gan, 2 Strobart Law, page 253, am the State ex rel Hay versus Farnum, t 73 S. C., ] age 170, the general as? sembly may lay down rules by reso-! lutions for the guidance and govern ment of State officials in the discharge 5 of duties, and we recommend the s adoption ol the concurrent resolution 51 that we propose and that will follow - this report. . i State Park Property. t In the judgment of the committee, ?: based on the great preponderance of - J the evidence adduced during the in 11 vestigation, the State Park property ; is ideal and admirably adapted to and for the use and purposes for which it was purchased and ought to be and should be developed as rapidly as the State can afford to do so, f to the end that the great congestion now existing at the State Hospital for the Insane may be gradually and completely relieved. It is our opinion, based upon the . testimony, that all patients of the classes which will be most benefit5 ted by the quiet and pure air of the a country should first be removed 3 thereto, and those classes only which 3 can be most advantageously treated in the present quarters in this citv 3! be retained. . J There is now a modern and splen1 j did building completed at the State f i Park, which should at once be equipi j ped and occupied, relieving as much . J as possible the distressing congestion now so universally deplored in the i! State Hospital in this city?giving > j more and better room to those who t1 are unfortunately left behind?and > acting as a double blessing. c j Praise for I)r. Saunders. U Your committee went iuny anu.rui. nutely into the complaints, insinuaj tion innuendoes inquiry and j charges against Dr. Eleanora B. i Saunders. We find no evidence to j sustain any of them. She is not i J guilty of any wrong intention or " | wrong-doing. There is no breath or L*j even a suspicion as to her moral char" i acter?none against her professional ^; reputation and conduct and career 51 in her ethical department and in all I her conduct in or out of the insti' tution?the State Hospital for the Insane. The few and insignificant ; acts on which complaints were based " were the direct result of requests ' from the superintendent?her superior officer?and were executed in the discharge of duty to suffering 1 humanity, and are to be commend" ed and praised rather than condemn' ed. _ Her work and labors in the State ' Hospital for the Insane bears eloquent tribute to the remarkable initiative, aided by tireless energy and ' dominated by the womanly woman's 1 overflowing love for unfortunate humanity, which love, energy and ' | tireless devotion is manifested by her ' J every movement of which she has ' | been the mainspring and which is j shown in the results in every department of work which she has touched, and which even her critics in almost p every instance have admitted. 1 We condemn the method of trial of Dr. Saunders adopted on December 12, 1913, and hope that the records I of the State will never show a repe tition of such procedure. ' Executive Session Condemned. | We refer to this merely to call the attention of the members of the gen. eral assembly to the necessity of pro. viding against any repetition of such t a proceeding in the future, as undei t a proper and logical system of rules ; and regulations no such proceeding f could have obtained. Irresponsible power is that power which is exers eised without rule or reason and from " f / II which there is no recognized method ; | of appeal. There should be no such j power vested in any person or per- j 11 sons in the State of South Carolina; . and there should be rules careful Iv j prepared, adopted and pa^ed to pre vent another sucn occurrence. We commend the stand of the su. perintendent, Or. J. W. Babcock, in this acute exigency and throughoui 5 the subsequent aftermath, when he t championed the right, not only of his 1 loyal and true subordinate and staff a officer, Dr. Eleanora B. Saunders, but j of a woman whose every instinct is ~ shown to be for the. right, the interests of the unfortunate patients under her care and the best interests of the institution. 1 We recommend that this report e be printed in the Journal and that the report and the resolution under * whi?h we acted, the evidence taken e and the concurrent resolution con1 taining the proposed rules be printed ' in a separate report and at least three * hundred copies, one of which shall be r furnished each member of the gen^ eral assembly and the State officers and regents and officials of the State f Hospital for the Insane. ^ (Signed) T. J. Mauldin, T. J. Strait, McBeth Young. X. W. Hardin. * W. F. St( Benson, I A. Huntes. comJ . . .. . , J mittee to investigate tne state hos-j y pita! for the Insane. i e m [c "So Kate and Alice are not on speaking terms." t "No; but- they more than make up - for it by what they say about each d other."?Boston Transcript. ^CZSEZZSDOOE 1 We will j ? I POUND OF n tor c S Pound of Dry 1 Farmers U Bamberg, I ft'' ^,w^?*~ ??? ? ?w5W i BEGIN WITE THE TIME TO MAKE MONEY ON YOUR CROP IS GOOD START BY GETTING S. S. FERTILIZERS. YOUB ANY OTHER FACTOR IN YOUR CROP PRODUCTION. 1 THE GROWING PLANTS, GRADUALLY, NEITHER OV] ARE A LOSER, NO MATTER WHAT THE CROP SELLS WE DO NOT USE NITRATE In our goods for cotton and corn. Other sources of a better. Nitrate of soda is exhausted in the soil too qui only as a top dresser and for truck. FISH, BLOOD AND OTHER ANIMAL Are the best sources of ammonia. They feed the crop more fore, the best plant food. Cotton seed meal mixtures made dealer does not handle S. S. goods, write to us direct. Money' let on request, free. We guarantee all S. S. goods to be in and to drill freely. ORDER EARLY AND j I SOUTHERN STATES PHOSPHATE AND AUGUSTA, GA. savji f 16 per cen $8.50 f.o.b. Sa i PTT1U1 nT AATTAXT JIEWAIU tuiiun t c r- * r ^ NOTICE FINAL DISCHARGE. |W|ft||M|ii| On Saturday, March 21st, 1914, 1 I will file my final account as admin- "r''" ' istrator of estate of Mrs. Hennie L. T\A 17ATT Knight, deceased, with Geo. P. w4iK U\J I Uv Harmon, Judge of Probate for Bam- WfjP , : b^rg county, and will at the same time ask for letters dismissory as such administrator. Muf A. W. KNIGHT Bamberg, S. C., Feb. 20th, 1914. LODGE MEETING. Bamberg, Lodge, No. 38, Knights tllclt IS 1113 of Pythias meets first and fourth Monday nights at 7:30 p. m. Visit- ##f\ ing brethren cordially invited. A. M. DENBOW, 7 Chancellor Commander, ifwoS C. R. GILLAM, Keeper of Remrds and Seal. CHICHESTER S PILLS ?? Hoff I TIIEIMAA" ? JttMND. A ? V Ask jour Dri.t..nt for/A _ _ . _ y>%\ Cbl-ches-ter s Diamond lJrand/W\ MAn.l 1_ D Pills in Red and Gold mctallic\w/ lNCXl tO 1 1 *>-v ?boxes, sealed with Dlue Ribbon. V/ ?ZS\ Jj en?}?n'vnn5BeSt'Safcst?A'*^sRdfabl? 50LD BV DRUGGISTS EVfRVWHERf ' ' *" II give a 7 MEAL I i r^trtr { UCCU n CiiTCft H f s r IPl # # uhjytncT"^ WHILE YOU ARE GROWING IT. MAKE A I* : PLANT FOOD IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN A. UNLESS YOU GET A MIXTURE THAT FEEDS | . f . ERFEEDS THEM NOR STARVES THEM, YOU FOR. OF SODA ^ mmonia (nitrogen) are # /r ' ckly. It should be used ZOO Loo AMMONIATES IZ&Sfc jrradually and are, there- "'Vi*/" " ' \i:* when requested. Ix your -purse and fertilizer hook- wnmati an mhm " A-l mechanical condition y? 22 1 v WOtD CAR SHORTAGE " FERTILIZER CO. SMTIOHSMP , kNNAH, GA. j5gSS*CT\ B it. Acid vannah. Ga. CO., Savannah, Ga. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE? sfjj ' in a Glass of $ln $jM ? . sk m oca-Cola |g ide right and one that is not made right? $75? here's a Difference" J Drink one at *55' ||j man's Fountain - re TI i ostorrice i eiepnone '