The annual report of the Dorset County Lunatic Asylums, Charminster and Forston, for the year 1872.

  • Dorset County Lunatic Asylum (Charminster, England)
Date:
1873
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The annual report of the Dorset County Lunatic Asylums, Charminster and Forston, for the year 1872. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    coughs and colds than usual, the health of the Patients has been good throughout the year. The Visitors have every reason to be satisfied with the con¬ tinued good management of the two Asylums by the Chief Medical Officer, with the diligence and attention shown by the Chaplain in his important office, and with the manner in which the atten¬ dants and servants now in the Asylum have discharged their duties, especially the two old Head attendants—one on either side—at the Charminster Asylum. Of some who have left they cannot speak so favourably. In the early part of the summer complaints were made by some of the attendants, which after investigation proved to be entirely groundless. Six accordingly left at one time, and the inconvenience thereby occasioned might have been considerable, but fortunately their places were immediately filled up, and the other attendants showed much good feeling in resisting evil in¬ fluences and continuing as before, diligent and attentive, in their employment. The two Assistant Medical Officers left shortly after Mid¬ summer. The vacancy in the Charminster Asylum has been filled by the appointment of Mr. William Henry Gillespie, of whom the Medical Superintendent speaks in high terms, and there is every reason to believe that he will prove a valuable officer, he is much liked and respected by both the patients and attendants. A temporary appointment was made at the Forston Asylum and the post is now filled by Mr. Bland, a medical gentleman from London, whose services were obtained a few weeks since on the retirement of Mr. Barker. The latter gentleman had acted as Assistant Medical Officer at Forston since last July. Two new bath-rooms have been formed out of old sleeping rooms—one on either side—at Forston with two baths in each, of the same kind as those lately made, and found so efficient, at the Charminster Asylum. Other improvements, some of them suggested by the Commissioners, have been made, such as papering more of the day-rooms, and substituting sash windows in some of the bedrooms instead of the old circular openings at Forston.