On the increase of diseases of the nervous system and of insanity / by William W.Ireland.

  • Ireland, William W. (William Wotherspoon), 1832-1909.
Date:
[1900]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: On the increase of diseases of the nervous system and of insanity / by William W.Ireland. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    accumulating process, which accounts for the swelling totals. The author of this communication further observes : There is not much to justify the expectation of a higher recovery rate under present conditions. For quinquennial ending 1879 it stood at 16-5 per cent, on the average number on the register; in 1884 it fell to 15-5 ; in 1889 to 13-3; and in 1894 to The death-rate is much the same as it was in 1858. In some asylums which have many admissions from a city popu- lation it is even higher. Dr Clouston has remarked in his annual report for the year 1898 that the death-rate in Morningside within the first twelve months after admission has been steadily rising from 46-4 per cent, in 1874-78 up to its present rate of 51. It has been advanced by those who combat the belief that there is a real increase in insanity in Scotland that there is little increase in the number of private patients, and that the rise is mainly in pauper lunatics ; but when one looks at the real naked facts he sees that it could scarcely be otherwise. During the last forty years the smaller asylums which took in those who could pay moderate boards have been squeezed out of existence. The few private asylums remaining are obliged to charge much higher, and the general expenses for the upkeep of the insane have much risen. For many years back it has been the custom that those bearing the burden of a lunatic relation who are anxious to pay what they can, go to the inspectors of poor to gain admission into the district asylums. The patient is certified to be a pauper lunatic and his board in whole Or in part is paid by the relatives to the inspector of poor, who transmits it to the treasurer of the asylum. Thus a considerable number of those who are what would formerly have been private patients are now officially returned as pauper lunatics, although they are not really so. This probably leads to looseness of administra- tion, and no doubt makes it easier for people to get rid of the burden of supporting a lunatic dependent than formerly. Insanity in Ireland The general report of the Census Commissioners shows that the number of lunatics in Ireland returned in 1891 was