The forty-third annual report of the visitors of the County Lunatic Asylum, Stafford : for the year ending December 31, 1861.

  • Staffordshire County Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
[1862]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The forty-third annual report of the visitors of the County Lunatic Asylum, Stafford : for the year ending December 31, 1861. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    the patients are in fair bodily health, although the In¬ firmaries contain some very feeble cases. With some exceptions, the male patients were in a quiet, orderly state ; but a number of the women in the basement ward were very excited and noisy. We are inclined to attribute much of the excitement we observed among the women to the gloomy character of the wards in which the more refractory class are placed, and to the confined nature of the airing courts provided for their exercise. From having observed the good effects resulting from such a course of treatment in other Asy¬ lums, we are induced to recommend that these wards should be furnished quite as well as those appropriated to the most orderly inmates. That every means should be adopted to interest and amuse the patients ; and that they should be taken frequently for extended walks, beyond the precincts of their airing courts; and in order that this latter recommendation may be carried out, good paths should be formed round the whole of the land belonging to the Institution. We are glad to find that the practice of taking parties of patients for walks in the: neighbourhood is continued ; and we hope the privilege; will be gradually extended to a still larger class of the; inmates, proper precaution being taken not to send too: large numbers out in one party, and to provide an ample; * supply of qualified attendants to accompany them. The patients were clean in person and dress, and the; \ clothing generally of good quality. We should be glad, however, if fewer strong-locked dresses were used. The: bedding was throughout very clean and good. We inspected all the wards, which were well venti- ■ lated and clean. Some of them, however, need colouring; and whitewashing, and most would be improved by the; :