The Eastern Counties' Asylum for Idiots, Imbeciles and the Feeble-Minded compared with some similar institutions elsewhere : with notes upon the question of tuberculosis / by Edgar A. Hunt, honorary consulting surgeon to the institution.

  • Hunt, Edgar A.
Date:
1903
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The Eastern Counties' Asylum for Idiots, Imbeciles and the Feeble-Minded compared with some similar institutions elsewhere : with notes upon the question of tuberculosis / by Edgar A. Hunt, honorary consulting surgeon to the institution. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    75/84 (page 73)
    considered satisfactory apart altogether from the question of Tuberculosis. The necessity for some such steps has been long recognised and the suggestions for improving the dormitories is “ Ancient History.” It may be remembered that in ■895, owing to a severe epidemic of measles, our death rate was abnormally high, that a special committee of the Consulting Medical Staff was appointed to enquire into the matter and that it presented a Report thereon to the Board. That Report I had the honour of writing and in it I find the following recommendation. “ That special additional means be adopted to maintain the wards at night, at a uniformly satisfactory temperature ; this is especially necessary at all times in an Idiot Asylum, because of the length of time many of the patients are necessarily somewhat exposed out of bed or cot, and it becomes a question for the Board to consider whether parts of the building, and especially the Annexe could not be more satisfactorily heated than at present, either by the adoption of hot water instead of steam as a system for warming the air, or by such other means as they might approve. In a severe winter such as that 1894-5, a Hot Water System properly worked would prevent the temperature of the wards falling below a satisfactory height, and would lessen the liability to troubles of the chest amongst the patients.” Many of the Recommendations in that report have been carried out—and perhaps when the number of other improve¬ ments which have been accomplished is remembered—as many as could be reasonably expected. In the light of modern science nothing is of more importance for the Tuberculous than the best possible surroundings at night. It can hardly be said that in our dormitories there is an “overcrowding” of a degenerate population, but there is no doubt that even with the doors open—the amount of cubic space allowed is not liberal, especially when it is remembered that amongst the occupants of the dormitories is a large proportion of patients with a pronounced predisposition to pulmonary phthisis. And the quality rather than the quantity of the air is the essential point. This must be improved—and can only be improved by the means suggested. It is of some interest to note that in our Report of 1896 is the following paragraph :— “ That the theory of the contagiousness of Phthisis is gain¬ ing ground, and as bacteriological research has discovered the bacillus of Pneumonia (the pneumococcus) it is not wise to treat these maladies as otherwise than contagious.” Of course the contemplation of measures specially necessary in the matter of Tuberculosis must not let us lose sight of that ideal it has always been our object to gradually realize, viz., perfection in Sanitary arrangements. We must therefore do away, forthwith, with the old ranges of