Fourteenth annual report of the county and city of Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

  • Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Fourteenth annual report of the county and city of Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    10/78 (page 10)
    “As to the overcrowding of the Patients on the male “ side, we have come to the unanimous opinion that additional “ provision must be found. Pesolved—‘ That Sir Henry “ ‘ Lambert, the Mayor of Worcester, the II ev. John Pearson, “ ‘the Lev. W. S. Vale, and Mr. Lea be appointed a Com- “ ‘mittee to confer with Dr. Sherlock, and consider what, if “ ‘ any, additional accommodation can be provided in the “ ‘ present buildings, and if not, or if insufficient, what “ ‘additional building they think will be required, and to “ f report to the next meeting. The Committee to have “ ‘power to call on the County Surveyor for assistance.5 ” The Court and Council are already aware that the above- named Committee made a report shewing the absolute necessity for an extension of accommodation for Male Patients; and recommencling that dormitories should be provided in the Superintendent's House,, and that a new residence should be provided for him. The Court and Council concurred in that report, and ordered the funds necessary to be raised. We have received Tenders for the new works, and entered into a Contract with Messrs. McCann and Everal, of Malvern, for the performance of them. The Contractors are making the necessary alterations in the Superintendent's House, and will soon complete them, but we have postponed the erection of the new residence until the spring; and in the interim have hired a house at a convenient distance from the Asylum for Dr. Sherlock and his family. It is with much regret that we have to state that if Male Patients continue to increase as they have done during the last eighteen months, the additional accommodation now in progress will be insufficient. At the commencement of the year the numbers were 211, and on the 19th instant they had increased to 237. The death-rate during the year has been below the average, as well as the recoveries; the latter is owing to the large number of idiots, epileptics, and paralytics. Your Committee have visited the Asylum twelve times, and the Sub-Committee six times, during the past year.