The subject of this paper might be called "Employment as a means of
treating and caring for the insane and other defectives" the colony
being the means of finding agreeable and profitable work for the
inmates.
To many of you a description of what is meant by the "colony treatment"
is needed to fully understand the subject.
As the expression is used in this paper, and as it is generally
understood, it means the erection of buildings some distance from the
central hospital plant and placing farm working patients there, to be
under the control and management of the hospital officers.
[Illustration: FIRST BUILDING AT THE COLONY]
Without discussing the origin of the idea, and with no reference to
Gheel, it is sufficient to say it was begun in Germany in the sixties,
and that it has slowly found its way into other countries.
[Illustration: THE COLONY BUILDINGS]
Such a colony was established in connection with the Morganton Hospital
three years ago, or rather it was ready for occupancy about that time.
It took several years of talk to get the idea adopted, and as many more
to get the colony built. The plan of conducting it by the hospital
authorities was largely experimental, and was made to suit the people
of Western North Carolina, but it is, after all, a modification of the
original German conception.
The first building was for 30 men with rooms for a man and his family,
the man to have general supervision of the place and the wife to cook
and do the household work. Afterwards a small cottage was built for
the manager and his family, and his rooms were used for patients and
later still another building was erected so that now 75 patients can be
accommodated. It would have been much better to have limited the rooms
to 30 as first intended. No single colony plant for the insane should
much exceed that number. As many colonies as are needed may be had if
land is sufficient, the number depending on the size of the hospital,
as only a certain proportion of patients, about 25 per cent., can thus
be cared for, or at the outside 40 per cent.
[Illustration: PATIENTS WORKING RASPBERRIES]
The colony buildings, outhouses and surroundings at the Morganton
colony were made as near as possible like the farm houses in this
section of the State. This was done to give it a home-like appearance,
and the management has been such as to make each patient feel at home;
they are free to sit on the porches and the lawn in the summer, in
the sitting room before open fires in the winter. They smoke, have
games, read or do what pleases them during these hours of recreation.
They have their own garden, orchard, vineyard, berry patches, poultry,
pigs and cows, which they attend to. Every effort is to make each one
feel that these things are his own, he can gather berries, pull the
fruit when he wants it or as he pleases. Every one is expected to do
something if no more than pick up chips for the cook.
[Illustration: GENERAL VIEW OF COLONY]