Report of the Visiting Committee of the Lunatic Asylum for the City and County of Bristol, together with the reports of the medical superintendent and chaplain, and the abstract of account / Bristol Lunatic Asylum.

  • Bristol Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1892
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Visiting Committee of the Lunatic Asylum for the City and County of Bristol, together with the reports of the medical superintendent and chaplain, and the abstract of account / Bristol Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    16/38 (page 16)
    noon Service on March. 15th and May 24th, the Morning Service on July 5th and Angnst 9th, and both Services on March 22nd and December 13th having been held in one of the wards. This may naturally be expected to occur again from time to time, but the inconvenience caused by snow or rain will be considerably lessened when the new dining hall is ready for use, and a much larger number enabled to be present than is possible in any ward. I have much pleasure in recording a generous gift of thirty volumes fPunch, Temple Bar, English Illustrated Magazine, and Harper's MagazineJ, presented by a lady in Bristol, who has on several occasions previously sent books, magazines, Christmas annuals, &c., for the patients’ use. The number of volumes in the Library, including the above, is now not more than 500, and of these 180 volumes are distributed through the wards each month. This obviously necessitates the same books being re-issued at comparatively short intervals, and thus ren¬ ders the oft-made complaint of u crarnbe repetita,” as regards the books, not altogether an unreasonable one. I venture, therefore, to hope that when the new Library is completed, the Committee will take into consideration that, whereas the number of patients has increased by at least 150 since 1880, the number of books remains the same, and will then make such a grant for the pur¬ chase of more books as the growing needs of the Institution require. Thanking you most sincerely for the courtesy and kindness shown to me throughout the year, I remain, Gentlemen, Your obedient Servant, JAMES FOUNTAINE, M.A., Chaplain.