Annual report.

  • Newcastle upon Tyne Borough Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1885
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    71 female patients have been admitted ; 38 males and 45 females have been discharged ; 16 males and 19 females having recovered; and 19 males and 9 females died. In three cases Coroner's inquests were held, but the verdicts do not disclose anything calling for particular notice. Post mortem examination was made in 13 instances. One patient died in bed of epilepsy, but he was not found in a position in which the death could have been caused by suffocation. General paralyses seems to have been fatal to 9 male and 2 female patients. The rate of mortality in the interval since the last visit was about 8 per cent, per annum of the average daily num- ber resident. We find in the Medical Journal a long list of casualties, none however very serious, and the majority arising from quarrels between the patients. A good deal of the irritability which gives rise to these quarrels very probably results from the overcrowding ; but we think that perhaps more careful watching by the atten- dants might prevent many blows. To-day the male patients in No. 2 Ward were rather noisy and threatening, but not actuallv aggressive. We feel the dim- culty in so small an asylum of separating these more irritable patients, but we hope this principle may be followed as far as possible. We have found the dress of the patients of each sex very clean and satisfactory. The numbers usefully employed are returned to us as 96 men and 100 women, nearly the same as at the last visit. We still think there is room for improvement here. Yesterday 220 patients attended Divine Service, and we learn that there is now an evening service on Sundays. We are glad to hear that all patients, except the sick or physically incapable, have walking exercise round the estate several times a week. As regards seclusion and restraint, we find recorded that 11 men on 246 occasions and for a total of 1,541 hours—one male