Twenty-ninth report of the Derbyshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum : for the year 1880.

  • Derbyshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
[1881?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Twenty-ninth report of the Derbyshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum : for the year 1880. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    lonely position. The Patients under medical treatment were on the male side 18, and on the female side 20, whilst in bed we saw 4 men and 3 women. The Medical Journal records no instance of the use of mechanical restraint, and seclusion only once, in the case of a woman, for two hours, for epileptic excitement. We cannot praise too highly the demeanour of the Patients in both divisions; we saw nearly every female Patient in the house going for exercise in one airing court, the other and larger one being temporarily closed during the relaying the walks with asphalt. Yet despite the overcrowding necessarily existing, there was absolutely no excite¬ ment evinced. The Patients on the male side were also, without exception, quiet and orderly. What struck us, in both divisions was that the quiet and order which existed appeared to arise from contentment and not from apathy. The dress of both sexes was good and neat, but the women were rather better than the men, for we did not notice one woman in an exceptional strong dress, whilst there were a few in the male division, We saw nearly 200 Patients at dinner in the Hall (the proportion of the sexes being about equal), and were pleased with the behaviour of the Patients at the meal, and the singing of the grace both before and after the meal. The dinner was good of its kind, ample, and seemed to be enjoyed. Though we afforded to every Patient the opportunity of addressing us, we did not hear from anyone of any complaint or grievance which proved to have substantial foundation, and the allegations of undue detention were but few, and those made by the more manifestly insane Patients. The arrangements for the Epileptic and Suicidal Patients are as they have been before reported, 44 men and 37 women are Epileptics, and 8 men and no less than 26 women are returned to us as actively Suicidal. The state in which we found the Wards, Dormitories, and Bedding, was very creditable to the Attendants on both sides, and we found the Closets and Bath-rooms free from smell, and there was throughout the whole Asylum an air of cleanliness and cheerfulness for which they deserve much praise. Exclusive of the Head Attendants and Laundry- maids, there are 39 in all, of whom 7 have been here for live years