Annual report of Graylingwell Hospital : 60th, 1957.

  • Graylingwell Hospital (Chichester, England)
Date:
1957
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report of Graylingwell Hospital : 60th, 1957. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    These preparations are now in wide use, and in our hospital there has been a steadily increasing number of patients receiving them. In general, they allay tension and reduce excitement without producing drowsiness, and appear to have a special property of effecting the resocialisation of our patients. Hitherto, Chlorpro- mazine and Reserpine have been the preparations most prescribed, but we make clinical trials, where indicated, of the many other tranquillizing agents. Tranquillizers are effective in conjunction with other forms of therapy of a large number of recent acute admissions. Rut the results with the long-stay and more chronic patients are often specially remarkable. Thus it often happens that disturbed, unemployable patients become manageable on tranquillizers, are able to participate in social activities, and once more can occupy themselves usefully. Often these drugs are able to effect quite marked degrees of clinical improvement. Even where once the outlook was considered very poor, a number of such patients have lost most or all of their symptoms, and in some instances it has been possible to discharge them home. In most cases they require to continue their tranquillizers for a variable time, and it is our practice to supervise them through our psychiatric out-patient clinics.” Prolonged Narcosis.—This was given with temporary benefit to one female patient whose symptoms of continued tension and agitation failed to respond to other methods of treatment. Malaria and Penicillin.—No patients suffering from General Paralysis were admitted to the hospital during 1956. Pre-frontal Leucotomy.—During 1956, 9 Patients (M.6, F.3) were operated upon by Mr. Wylie McKissock. The conditions were all of longstanding and had resisted other forms of treatment. Following leucotomy, however, the patients showed great improve¬ ment and all, save one man, have been discharged. It is hoped that shortly this man also will leave hospital. Pre-frontal Feucotomy was first introduced into Graylingwell by Mr. A. G. Ross, on 22nd October, 1942, since when 545 patients (M.238, F.307) have had the benefit of this treatment. 4. OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY. Experience has now proved that the system which we have introduced into Graylingwell is a complete success. Here we employ both trained occupational therapists and senior nursing