The conclusions we reach are that 2,500 white insane people in North
Carolina are uncared for, that a great outlay of money will be required
to build for this number and after that the never ending expense of
maintaining them begins. If it can be demonstrated that the colony
system is the best and the cheapest, it should by all means be adopted.
There is an end to the willingness and even ability of the taxpayers
to provide for the defectives in expensive hospitals and asylums, and
it is clearly the duty of those who have these matters in hand to use
proper economy. What is done by the Legislature will depend on the
demand of the people and the wisdom of the Legislators. It will require
great deliberation and the wisest action to solve this question.
In North Carolina no more hospitals ought to be built at present, those
now in existence should be enlarged if possible.
Unfortunately at Morganton no more land can be purchased and that
institution cannot with advantage be greatly increased in size. The
last opportunity to buy land there has been allowed to pass. This is
to be deplored for the plan there has been so successful that much was
hoped for in the judicious extension of these colonies.
Much more might be said on the general subject of caring for the
insane, but time forbids. Perhaps on some future occasion this will be
taken up and discussed.
Hospitals for the insane cannot properly care for epileptics or idiots.
I use the term idiot in the sense in which it is defined by the North
Carolina statutes "a person born deficient or who became deficient
before the completion of the twelfth year of age."
Many of these defectives are capable of doing common labor and can be
made very nearly self-sustaining if properly managed in such a colony
for the insane as has been described. In many of the States where this
is tried, it has been successful. In North Carolina, where we have
such good climate and where land can be purchased cheaply, more can
be done than in other less fortunate communities. I believe in the
cotton and truck section of the State such a colony could be nearly
self-sustaining, but leaving that out of the question, there can be no
doubt it is the best for these people to live outdoor lives with proper
employment. I would like also to enlarge on this feature of my paper,
but time will not permit.
I trust, gentlemen, that you will become enough interested in these
subjects to give them your hearty support. If you do, then the labors
of those of us who are immediately responsible, will be greatly
lightened and these afflicted fellow citizens will be happier and your
State will be a better State.
Since this paper was written my attention was drawn to a statement in
a medical journal of the number of insane sent to the hospitals in
Massachusetts during the year 1904. It bears so closely on what has
been said I repeat it and compare it with our State and hospitals.
During that year 2,426 insane persons were admitted into the hospitals
of Massachusetts, none of whom had ever before been inmates of any
hospital for insane. Adding to these the number of re-admissions,
which could not have been less than 600, we see 3,000 persons sent
yearly to the hospitals of that State. Between 7,000 and 8,000 patients
are cared for by the public hospitals.
As compared with North Carolina the population of Massachusetts is
twice that of the white people of our State. We should have 1,500
white patients sent to our hospitals every year and we ought to have
accommodation for 4,000. As it is, less than 400 are admitted and only
1,500 can be cared for in our hospitals. There is some differences,
I believe, in the proportion of insane to the population in the two
States, but not that much. Massachusetts gives her insane citizens
proper care. North Carolina does not.
[Illustration]