Nineteenth annual report, 1883 / Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum.

  • Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1884
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Nineteenth annual report, 1883 / Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/34 (page 12)
    of the building. In the absence of Mr. Wickham, we are unaware if a code of regulations and instructions (in case of an outbreak of fire) exists, or whether the attendants and others are practised. Both are very necessary. An additional nurse has been placed in No. 2 Female Ward, as recommended last year, giving 4 for that ward. The present staff of 11 day attendants of each sex is, we think, numerically sufficient, when all are on duty. There is still only one night- attendant for each division, and there is not yet the continuous night supervision of epileptic and suicidal cases so essential to their proper care and protection. Of the existing staff, five men but only three women count less than twelve months’ service. According to the returns furnished, 95 men and 104 women do some kind of work; but 40 of the former and 20 of the latter are engaged exclusively in cleaning the wards. Deducting these, the patients usefully employed appear to be 40 per cent, of the men and 64 per cent, of the women. Of the men, 33 work on the land and 21 in the shops. Of the women, 50 are occupied in needlework, and 24 in the laundry, kitchen, and offices. The return is not satisfactory as regards the men, of whom we think a larger proportion should be employed, and we trust it may be found practicable to improve it considerably, and especially in the direction of out-door work, either with or without implements. C. S. BAGOT, ) Commissioners JOHN D. CLEATON, ) in Lunacy.