Volume 2

An historical account of the origin, progress, and present state of Bethlem Hospital. Founded by Henry the eighth, for the cure of lunatics, and enlarged ... for the reception and maintenance of incurables / [Thomas Bowen].

  • Bowen, Thomas, -1800.
Date:
1783
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: An historical account of the origin, progress, and present state of Bethlem Hospital. Founded by Henry the eighth, for the cure of lunatics, and enlarged ... for the reception and maintenance of incurables / [Thomas Bowen]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    pottage or rice-milk, with bread and cheefe. Their conftant fup- per is bread and cheefe, with a pint of fmall beer; and twelve out of each gallery, in their turn, have butter if they prefer it. The cells are vifited early every morning by the fervants of the * houfe: thefe make their report to the apothecary, * who goes round about eight o’clock to infpecSt them himfelf, and to give fuch orders and directions as may be neceffary. The phyfician vifits the hofpi- tal three days in a week. There are certain days fixed for the proper medical operations; and the cold, or hot bath is ufed in thofe cafes where it is judged to be falutary. Every patient is indulged with that degree of liberty which is found confident with his own, and the general fafety. In the winter there are certain rooms with com¬ fortable fires,-)- where thofe, who are in a convalefcent ftate, meet and affociate; and in the fummer, they walk in the large adjoining court-yards, and fometimes amufe themfelves with fuch diverfions as are deemed not improper to quiet their fpirits, and compofe the agi¬ tation of their minds. The hofpital ufed formerly to derive a revenue, of at leaf: ^400 a year, from the indiferiminate admiffion of vifitants, whom, very often, an idle and wanton curiofity drew to thefe regi¬ ons of diftrefs. But this liberty, though beneficial to the funds of the charity, was thought to counteract it’s grand defign, as it tended to difturb the tranquillity of the patients. It was therefore judged pro¬ pel in the year 1770, no longer to expofe the houfe to public view; and now, it is fcarce ever open to Grangers, unlefs they are intro¬ duced * Mr. John Gozna : he has apartments In the hofpital, and is conflantly refident* f Thefe to prevent mifehief, are defended by large guard-irons.