First U. S, Narcotic Fam,
Lexington, Kentucky.

July 23, 1935.

 

Dr. W Lie Treskway ; Asst. Surgeon General,
United States Public He=1th- Service,
Washington , De Ce

Dear Dr. Treadway :

Concerning my official letter sent a few days ago reopening the question of
what patients should be allowed to buy with their personal funds, I am writing you
personally about it as the matter seems to be of considerable importance, especi-
ally the buying of tobacco. Perhaps you had intended that we should buy out of
Maintenance funds all sorts of tobacco and cigarettes for patients, but this is
not done in any prison, and it would eres a rather unnecessary expense if we
should start to do it here.

The restrictions on purchases cause considerable discontent - practically the
only real discontent that we have had here. I quote bate from a letter written
by a patient which shows the general attitude.

"We can’t buy or get a thing, not even smokes or the other necessities of
lite, the worst kind of criminals and thieves ean buy or receive these
things, well this is just a little more injustice te all of us humans",

Perhaps the attitude may seem unreasonable, but it is neverthele ss the way our pe~
tients feel, and we stiould do some thing ‘to appease them. .

last Thursdey there was a little disturbance in that eighteen of our farm group
refused to eat supper, complaining that it was not sufficient. The supper was, how-
ever, very good, consisting of the following: Assorted cold meats ~ Bologna, salomi,
head cheese, yellow cheese + spin @&h, rice, baked potatoes, fresh berries, apple-
vutter end muffins. We had the @isciplinary Board sit on these people thennext
day end all of them were put in isolation for a short period. ‘They were surprized
at this and were rather contrite ebout it, all except two or three who were evident-
ly the ring leaders; but in our invéstigation of the affair we eame to the conclu-
sion thet the trouble was not with the food, but was due to a discontent brought
about by the fact that the patients had not been allowed to buy tobacco. Some of
those who were summoned before the Disciplinary Board brought up the matter of to-
baceo spontaneously and others who were asked about it said they were very much dis-
pleased and could not use the tobaces we were furnish ings

We are getting along very well here considering the difficulties and the fact
that so many of our people are entirely new in their work. It will take some time
for ell of them to get inte a definite routine, but I feel that they have dene pretty
well, even our clerical and bookkeeping departments who have made several errors
about which you have written.
» B «

The matter of the food strike is coneldered a minor incident not
worthy of an officiel report. in fact, wo tave let nearly all of these
patients out of isolation and tha ere beck on the farm working and vow~
ing thet they will not engage in a thing of thie kind again.

Very truly youre,

lawrence Kolb,
| Senior Surgeon
Medical Officer in Charge
IKktep |