The report of the Committee of Visitors, and Medical Superintendent of the Devon County Lunatic Asylum for the year 1874.

  • Devon County Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The report of the Committee of Visitors, and Medical Superintendent of the Devon County Lunatic Asylum for the year 1874. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    appears to have a similar effect, as a chronic harmless lunatic can be kept almost as cheaply in the Asylum as the Workhouse, and the Union authorities are relieved of a class of patients who undoubtedly entail an additional amount of care and responsibility if kept in Workhouses. It is feared that the effect will be to rapidly fill our Asylums beyond the provi¬ sions made for the cure and treatment of patients of an acute class, and the custody of such as cannot be properly cared for out of an Asylum. It is with deference submitted whether the same relief might not be afforded to the ratepayers by the payment of a like subsidy for the building and repairs of Asylums, and the payment of salaries and superannuations. The amount required would be about the same, but the inducement to transfer patients from the Workhouses without sufficient reason would be removed. A few typical cases admitted during the year, to illustrate this, may be briefly cited :—G. L., a deaf and dumb idiot child, aged 8, harmless, and required no special treatment, was admitted and subsequently discharged by the Visitors as not being a proper case for the Asylum. This is one out of many such cases sent here recently. J. W. admitted with malignant ulcer of head and neck of great extent. This patient came from a considerable distance, and on admission, his health was such as not to justify his being sent back. He, however, only required ordinary medical treatment and nursing, with such sick comforts as any Infirmary would afford. The poor fellow died a few days after