Report of the Committee of Visitors of the Lunatic Asylum for the North Riding of Yorkshire : presented at the epiphany quarter sessions for the riding, 1865 together with the superintendent's nineteenth annual report, presented at the Easter sessions, 1866 and an account of the receipts and payments to the end of the year, 1865 / North Riding Lunatic Asylum.

  • North Riding Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1866
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee of Visitors of the Lunatic Asylum for the North Riding of Yorkshire : presented at the epiphany quarter sessions for the riding, 1865 together with the superintendent's nineteenth annual report, presented at the Easter sessions, 1866 and an account of the receipts and payments to the end of the year, 1865 / North Riding Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    want, the charge of 6s. 8Jd. was made, and this, still comparatively low rate, was maintained up to the end of the year 1856. The next succeeding four years it was 7s. per week per patient, and during the subsequent five years to the 31st December, 1865, it has uniformly been at 7s. 7d., at which price it remains at the date of this Report. The results under the various heads mentioned, stand thus : — Average percentage of recoveries since the opening of the North and East Ridings Lunatic Asylum in 1847, . 19 years ago . 43 per cent. Average of deaths, ditto . 7 per cent. Average cost per head, ditto . 7s. 2jd. Average weekly charge made on the Unions, ditto, 7s. 4fd. As a matter of importance to every one immediately interested in the well-doing of the North Riding Asylum, it has been deemed expedient to repeat what has already, year by year, been published; which is also felt to be due to some others, who have humanely engaged themselves in enquiries and investigations on all the points of conduct connected with the welfare of insane poor. Communications from other Counties and Boroughs, asking for authentic information, have frequently reached me, involving much time in giving it, and occasionally puzzling the enquirer instead of enlightening him. Every one must know the difference between paying two different charges ; the lesser charge instead of the larger one. Several circum¬ stances may influence the amount of expenses in various Asylums, as well as the rate of mortality and of recoveries; as, for example, within our own premises an extraordinary responsibility has gradually grown up, and just in degree to the liability of floods arising so has the cost of machinery, coals, and engineer’s time, advanced to a very serious amount of money. To ensure certainty, as much as possible, in the quantitative supply of the best animal food, should scarcity come upon the County, a large quantity of beef has been prepared and hung. The straw barn has been divided into four rooms, where both hams, bacon and beef are displayed in regular order. I cannot close this Report without noticing the painful events which have visited the establishment since I last wrote, a year ago, and which have deprived us of very valuable services. One zealous and good officer has been removed by death, after a happy devotion of many years to her multifarious duties. Her loss was mourned over