Report by the managers of the Royal Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum for the year 1843, presented to the annual general meeting, held on Monday, 29th January, 1844.

  • Royal Edinburgh Asylum.
Date:
[1844?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report by the managers of the Royal Edinburgh Lunatic Asylum for the year 1843, presented to the annual general meeting, held on Monday, 29th January, 1844. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    from accidents; it tends to promote improved habits of order and cleanliness among the inmates themselves; and last, though not least, it conduces to greater economy in the management than the cell system admits of. As yet, no ill consequence has resulted from the increased liberty allowed to the inmates, by congregating them together in large parties, both during the day and at night, though, to a casual observer, that would seem very likely to occur; but, on the contrary, any occurrences which could occasion regret have arisen solely out of the opposite system. Hitherto all have been admitted without discrimination who were sent to the Institution under regular warrants, though, in several instances, the Physician had cause to object that patients were brought in a state of such extreme debility, as to leave no hope, either of a cure or of long survivance,—their very removal from home in such a state being almost necessarily injurious to them. It is the anxious wish of the Managers to render the Asylum available for all who can be considered fit objects of their care; but they feel themselves called upon, by past experience, to take this opportunity of impressing on those who may have the charge of removing insane persons, that it is often not safe to do so when they are in a weak condition of body; and this should always be a subject of attention with the medical gentlemen on whose certificate their removal proceeds. A large number of the poorer inmates of both sexes are now usefully employed within the Institution or its grounds, and thus they not only aid in promoting their own recovery, but also effect a saving to the establishment of considerable expense which must otherwise be incurred for hired labour. In the exercises and recreations which have been introduced from time to time, as more particularly noticed in the Physician’s report, all classes are encouraged freely to join ; and there cannot be a more gratifying sight than is now seen at their weekly assemblages. On some of these occasions, so many as 180 of the inmates have been assembled; and it is rather from the want of a sufficiently large apartment, than for any other reason, that even a greater number have not been brought together. Indeed, owing to several of the apartments, intended for patients, being at present necessarily occupied by the officers, or for general purposes, the new buildings are already almost full; so that it is apparent they must very soon be again largely extended, since not only is the number of inmates continually increasing, but if those in the City Bedlam were now to