Annual report of the General Board of Control for Scotland : 1923.

Date:
1923
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: Annual report of the General Board of Control for Scotland : 1923. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    29/408 (page 23)
    but at a later date the husband showed that he was still far from being satisfied. Allegations as to Faulty Bathing and other Arrangements, and of Neglect.—City of Hull Mental Hospital. Eartf in March, 1923, a lady member of the Visiting Committee of this institution made representations as to serious faults in the bathing arrange¬ ments, and included in a subsequent statement allegations as to faulty condition of the lavatories, clothing, laundry appliances, crockery and of the general kitchen, and as to over-crowding, comfortless sick-rooms, dungeon-like and improper use of single¬ rooms, neglect and cruelty on the part of nurses. The Committee held a careful investigation and published a report on the matter early in July. At the request of the Committee, two members of our Board subsequently made a further investigation. They visited the hospital on the 25th and 26th of July, and came to the conclusion, as did the Committee, that the administration of the women s side had been to some extent at fault, that there had been insufficient care as to privacy in bathing, and a lack of system in the supply and use of clothing and in stock-taking. They found that the more serious allegations were without foundation; and, while they made various criticisms, these referred mainly to matters easily rectified, and did not, in their opinion, seriously detract from the many admirable features found in this hospital. We have this year reverted to the practice of publishing copies of entries made at visits of inspection, and the Commissioners’ report is printed in full in Appendix B, page 278. 10. Infectious and Allied Diseases. The system (in force since July, 1921) of weekly notification to us from County and Borough mental hospitals of the case incidence of the diseases included in this category, has proved of great value from a statistical point of view. It has also enabled us to keep in close touch with outbreaks and unusual incidence, affording valuable opportunity for rendering assistance at times when the need for it is greatest. Although these notifications are not yet as complete as might be desired, owing to difficulty in diagnosis and to the absence in some mental hospitals of adequate laboratory facilities, improvement is evident year by year, and we appreciate the efforts of medical officers to make them as correct as possible. It is quite clear that, owing to varying types of disease, varying severity of attack, and varying mortality, returns showing the number of deaths alone do not afford an accurate index of incidence. For instance, during 1923, in eight mental hospitals, 39 cases of enteric fever were notified with no resulting death, whereas in an equal number of other institutions 29 cases occurred, of which 13 terminated fatally. Had the computation of incidence depended in these instances upon mortality returns the resulting conclusions might have been entirely fallacious.