July 25th, 1919.
Mr. Jos. G. Brown,
State Chairman Directors of Hospitals for the Insane,
Raleigh, N.C.
My dear Mr. Brown:-
You, of course, know that when one of the buildings at the Caswell Training School was destroyed by fire a considerable number of the inmates of that institution were transferred to the Hospital for the Insane at Raleigh, and are still there. This produced a great congestion, in the Hospital, and has resulted in its being unable to admit quite a number of most distressing cases. Every day I get letters that almost run me crazy because we are not able to admit these unfortunate people. I have told Dr. Anderson to admit every patient for whom he can possibly find a bed or a cot, and he advises me that he has done so, and they are still knocking at the doors. It has become a supreme necessity to re-model ward G. in the Hospital at Raleigh. The condition of that ward is plainly unsafe and nauseatingly unsanitary. The wood and the pipes are in such a condition that nothing less than a complete overhauling of the ward by putting in new floors, new pipes and a complete set of waterworks will make it tolerable. The question is what are we going to do with the inmates of ward G, for it is crowded, while this ward is being overhauled.
It has occurred to me that we could possibly make arrangements to send some patients temporarily, and let them be put in the new receiving building at Morganton. Of course, in that event the Hospital at Raleigh would have to pay to the Hospital at Morganton the per capita cost of taking care of these inmates. As soon as ward G is overhauled they could be brought back to Raleigh.
In this way Raleigh could meet the demands now made upon it, and I cannot possibly see what objection could be made to this plan.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Dr. McCampbell at Morganton, and would be glad for you to take the matter up with him.
Sincerely yours,
[unsigned]
B-G