Sixteenth annual medical report : for the year 1861-62, ending July 4th presented to the Committee of Visitors, August 2nd, 1862 and to the Court of General Sessions, October, 1862 / Kent Lunatic Asylum, Barming Heath, Maidstone.

  • Kent County Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1862
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sixteenth annual medical report : for the year 1861-62, ending July 4th presented to the Committee of Visitors, August 2nd, 1862 and to the Court of General Sessions, October, 1862 / Kent Lunatic Asylum, Barming Heath, Maidstone. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ the practice is daily to .change the ticks, which are always washed “ before they are dried. “ There is no special arrangement for night nursingj* by persons “ exclusively engaged for that duty ; which is, as hitherto, performed by “ the attendants in rotation from 10 o’clock at night till 6 in the morning. “ At the time of our visit many of the female inmates . . . were very noisy and much excited. “ In reference to the observations of the last Yisiting Commissioners: “ 1. The patients, generally, have access to the airing-grounds from “ 9 to 12 and 2 to 5 ” (and, it should have been added, in Summer, from 6 to 8 in the evening also); “ and they are taken out in parties for walks “ in the country. “ 2. On the male side arm-chairs have been introduced for the sick, “ and on the female, excepting in the basement wards, chairs have been “generally substituted for forms.” (In January 1860 the basement wards, also, were furnished with chairs in lieu of forms. By this continuation of the experiment, all the female wards without exception have had the forms exchanged for chairs.) “ 3. In the old building fixed seats have been introduced in all the “ single rooms and associated dormitories.” (Hot so. They were always there. Their absence would be the exception. The Commissioners may have seen some replaced.) “ 4. The question of adding to the staff of attendants and nurses is “ under the consideration of the Committee. “ Much progress has been made in carrying out the plans which have “ already been submitted for the consideration of the Board, having for “ their object the extension and improvement of the accommodation. We “ have no doubt that these when completed, will contribute materially to “ the comfort and benefit of the patients. The arrangements for bathing “ and washing have been extended and improved, and appeared to us to be “ convenient and good. (15.) December 20, 1859, by Commissioners Lutwidge and Gaskeli. “ The Asylum, throughout, was, at the time of our inspection, very clean, “ and the atmosphere generally ivas pure and sufficiently warm. “ As respects furniture, there appeared to us to be, in the several wards, “ an abundant supply of tables and, in the upper wards, of chairs. t The complimentary alias for the turning-out plan.—See note, page 31.