Ninth annual report of the medical superintendent of the lunatic asylum, for the counties of Salop and Montgomery, and for the boroughs of Much Wenlock, Shrewsbury, and Oswestry. 1853 / [Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum].

  • Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1854
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Ninth annual report of the medical superintendent of the lunatic asylum, for the counties of Salop and Montgomery, and for the boroughs of Much Wenlock, Shrewsbury, and Oswestry. 1853 / [Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    extended beyond their present limits. The entire area of the ground available for use in this way, exclusive of the front Shrub¬ beries and the inclosed Courts, is very little more than six acres; whilst the number of Patients in the Institution is 267. Looking at the gradual increase which has taken place in the course of the last five years, it may not be unreasonable to an¬ ticipate the necessity of being provided with accommodation for at least 150 Patients of each sex; as even at the present moment, notwithstanding the recent additions to the Building, it is very obvious that the means for properly housing the Females are quite inadequate to the requirements of the Institution. The utmost extent of room which is now available on either side of the Asylum would be fully occupied by 132 Patients, whilst the actual number of Women is 146. The extent of Land required for the proper service of an Asylum containing about 300 Patients, most certainly ought not to be estimated at less than 30 acres; and whether such Land be purchased or merely rented, it is quite clear that the benefits accruing to the Patients will be equally important. There can be no doubt, indeed, that this is a most essential consideration in any right system of arrangements for the care and treatment of the Insane ; nor that a large and liberal view of this matter, which might comprehend the occupation of a comparatively extensive farm, to the cultivation of which the labour of the Patients, and the application of a large quantity of the sewage which now runs to waste, might be profitably directed, would yield far more satis- j factory results with regard both to the main object of the Institution and to its economical management, than can reasonably be expected under existing circumstances. At present it is impossible to find suitable employment out of Doors for many who might be most beneficially occupied in that way; and when it is known that the area of the Land belonging to this establishment is very much smaller than what is usual at other County Asylums, and especially at those which have been most recently erected, it is impossible to avoid expressing an earnest hope that this very serious defect may speedily be remedied. In the course of the past year several very important im- i provements have been effected in the internal arrangements of the Institution. The acquisition of 26 single Bed Chambers has I added very materially to the means of obtaining comfort and tran¬ quillity during the nights; but as the increase in the number of