Eighth annual report of the Committee of Visitors of the Cambridgeshire, Isle of Ely and Borough of Cambridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum, for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1865 : with appendices.

Cambridgeshire, Isle of Ely and Borough of Cambridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

Date:: 1866

Credit: Eighth annual report of the Committee of Visitors of the Cambridgeshire, Isle of Ely and Borough of Cambridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum, for the year ending the 31st day of December, 1865 : with appendices. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$Of the present inmates only 8 males and 11 females are to be deemed curable. The house has been in a very healthy state the whole year, there having been no case of epidemic sickness. The female wards have lately been much crowded, and this fact, taken in connection with another, viz., the admission of several severe acute cases, has much increased the difficulties of management. The new building being completed, and the furniture and fittings likely to be finished in a few days, I look forward to an immediate relief in this particular. I consider this building to be well constructed and arranged, and likely to prove a permanent benefit to the Asylum and its inmates. Of the accidents none have been serious—two only are worthy of mention. A general paralytic, in attempting to lift a very heavy bedstead, fractured one of the bones of his fore-arm by muscular action. It quickly re-united without deformity. An epileptic fell forward on his hand in a fit and dislocated his shoulder. It was reduced with some difficulty on account of his great muscular power, after which it was speedily well. A great number of the patients have shown strong suicidal dispositions, and we have had to guard against many threatened attempts at self-destruction, but fortunately none of these have been successful. One, however, caused us considerable anxiety at the time. A woman managed to abstract a knife, fortunately not very sharp, from a nurse who had just been using it, unperceived by her, and, retiring at once into a single room close by, inflicted a considerable wound in her throat. A special watch was placed with her night and day, and the wound immediately began to heal, while, singularly enough her mental state, which had previously retrograded, also then began to mend, and she was not long after discharged thoroughly recovered, as I understand she remains at the present time. The patients, generally, have been in a contented state, and their attempts to escape have been very few, considering the number employed in situations which offer temptations to make the trial if they are so disposed. This freedom, whilst incurring a small risk, so materially adds to the comfort of the patients and so frequently aids in their recovery as to leave no doubt of its propriety. I am, however, glad to say that as yet no patient has ever escaped from my care the time allowed by law for re-capture. The amusements and sources of recreation of the inmates have undergone no alteration, but have been carefully maintained as heretofore, and consist of annual parties, weekly dances, cricket daily$