Reports on the Royal Lunatic Asylum of Montrose, for 1878 : instituted 1782.

  • Royal Lunatic Asylum of Montrose
Date:
1878
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports on the Royal Lunatic Asylum of Montrose, for 1878 : instituted 1782. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    staff of attendants is made up of persons having a sensible, healthy, and comely appearance, and they are said to discharge their duties in a satisfactory manner. Considerable progress has been made with the structural change-s. The laundry arrangements are almost completed, and they leave nothing to be desired. The new accommodation for the house servants, and for some of the patients working in the laundry,, will be ready for occupa¬ tion in a few months, and will constitute a valuable addition to the Asylum. The new store, which is also approaching completion, has- not yet been fitted up internally, and it is hoped that careful considera¬ tion will be given to the subject before the plan of these fittings is resolved on. Various other structural changes of a, minor,, but still of a practically important, character are being carried out, or are in con¬ templation. As regards the amusement and dining hall, nothing has yet been done ; but it is earnestly hoped that the building of these will be com¬ menced with as little delay as possible. This addition to the Asylum is needed, in order to maintain for it the prominent position it has hitherto occupied. In the meantime the patients lose advantages which they have elsewhere, and which are universally accepted as of great practical value. Apart altogether from the nature of any agreement which may be made with the Forfarshire District Board, the erection of a dining and amusement hall should be regarded as a necessity. Fortunatelyy the erection of it will set free portions of the existing buildings, which, besides furnishing excellent workshops and shoe- rooms, will also add very considerably to the accommodation—probably enabling the Asylum to receive from 40 to 60 additional patients. Many of the doors are now opened without a key, the locks being supplied with handles. In this, and in various other ways, restrictions on liberty, which in this Asylum were always few, are being steadily reduced. On both sides of the house two wards can be entered or left without a key, and to obtain access to th} other ward no key is needed. In several of the dormitories, too, the locks are furnished with handles which give ingress or egress, and the doors of those others which still have special locks, are only actually locked during the day. It is intended to begin at once to take down the walls of both airing courts, commencing with the walls which look to the south. It is possible that the courts may be brought under cultivation as vegetable gardens ; but this point is still under consideration. In the meantime, however, it has been definitely resolved on to increase considerably the extent of the pleasure grounds in front of the Asylum, and to devote
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