Nineteenth annual report of the medical superintendent / Nova Scotia Hospital for the Insane.

  • Nova Scotia Hospital for the Insane.
Date:
1877
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Nineteenth annual report of the medical superintendent / Nova Scotia Hospital for the Insane. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    “ I have never had occasion to employ mechanical restraint in the treatment of the Insane.” (Signed) Richard Oliter, M. D., Biipt. Salop and Montgomery Asy, “ In reply to your question of mechanical restraint, I beg to state that nothing has ever been provided or used for that purpose in this institution.” (Signed) Robert Boyd, M. D., Supt Somerset Go. L. Asy, “ The Suffolk County Asylum has been for the last 23 years under the same resident Medical Superintendent, and throughout the whole of that period, the mildest system of treatment has been ceaselessly carried out. All instruments of mechanical restraint were destroyed more than 20 years ago, and they have neither been used or required ever since.” “ Th« mildest treatment is unexceptionably the most successful.” (Signed) John Kirkman, M. D., Supt Suffolk Co. Asy, “ I fully agree in the opinion of Mr. R. Gardiner Hill, that in a properly constructed building, with a sufficient number of suitable attendants, restraint is never necessary, never justifiable, and always injurious in all cases of lunacy whatever. During the past five years I nave admitted more than 800 cases. In not a single instance has any restraint been used.” (Signed) Hugh W. Diamond, M. D., Supt. Male Division, Surrey Go. L. Asy. “ Mechanical restraint has never yet been used in this Asylum, nor are there on the premises any special means for applying it.” (Signed) W. H. Parsey, Med. Suy)t. Wamuick Co. L. Asy. “ In the Wilts County Asylum, personal restraint is never resorted to, and there is literally no instrument of coercion in the institution.” (Signed) John Thurnham, Supt. “ There has been but one instance of mechanical restraint in this institution during the last eight and a half years. It is found that everything which can remove the feeling of degradation, and encourage self respect, is calculated to further the comfort and promote the recovery of the insane.” (Signed) Richard Formby, Physician Liverpool Royal Lu. Hosp “ There has been no mechanical restraint used in this Asylum since the 17th April, 1840—no seclusion since the 14th September 1841, and no manual restraint that has endured for more than five minutes since the 14th of August, 1848.” (Signed) F. D. Walsh, Res. Surgeon, Lincoln Lu. Asy. “ The use of restraint has been abolished in this establishment since March 1850. Since its discontinuance the character of the Asylum has been greatly changed; acts of violence have been much less frequent;