Report of the medical superintendent with the accounts of the treasurer of the Norfolk Lunatic Asylum, for the year, 1865.

  • Norfolk Lunatic Asylum (Norfolk, England)
Date:
[1866?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the medical superintendent with the accounts of the treasurer of the Norfolk Lunatic Asylum, for the year, 1865. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    they are much cleaner, not so large, consequently less water is required, they afford universal satisfaction. The detached Cottage on the female side originally intended for the purpose of isolating infectious cases, has been in use about 10 months; 9 patients live here, and one who has been an inmate with slight interruption for 40 years, and who was quite unmanageable in the Union, is allowed keys of the door and cupboards, the cleaning and management of the Cottage are entrusted to her and 3 others; several indolent patients have been induced to become industrious by being privileged to reside here, and the arrangement is very satisfactory in every respect. On looking at the table of the average daily number of patients employed, it will be seen that a fair proportion are engaged in various occupations; all who evince the least capability are taught tailoring or shoe or mattress making, and amongst those so instructed we have several very decent workmen. Unfortunately we possess very few artizans, by far the greater majority of our inmates being agricultural labourers, and our farm is too limited to afford sufficient employment for all of these. Of the two sexes the women are the more industrious, a great many pass their time chiefly in knitting counterpanes and stockings, a kind of work which even the demented perform very well; all the stockings worn by the inmates, as well as bonnets, clothes, and shoes, are made by themselves, so that their labour is very productive ; and the drones, seeing their good works, are often stimulated to follow their example. WILLIAM C. HILLS, M.D., Medical Superintendent. Thorpe Asylum, Norwich, February 27th, 1866.