Narrative of the recent difficulties in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Canada West : dedicated to the Christian community, and to the presiding officers of lunatic asylums in Europe and America.

  • Park, Geo. H. (George Hamilton)
Date:
1849
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Narrative of the recent difficulties in the Provincial Lunatic Asylum in Canada West : dedicated to the Christian community, and to the presiding officers of lunatic asylums in Europe and America. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    OF THE ASYLUM DIFFICULTIES, BY GEO. H. PARK. Upon assuming the duties of Medical Superintendent of the Temporary Provincial Lunatic Asylum, under an appointment from His Excellency the Governor-General, on the 14th day of June, 1848, the laws hy which it was governed hecam- the subject of my immediate attention. They were remo- delled in the year 1843, and received the sanction of the Government. The following is a copy of them : — OFFICERS OF THE INSTITUTION: STEWARD, MATRON, PORTER, KEEKERS, NURSES, ORDINARY SERVANTS. COMMISSIONERS. The Commissioners shall meet regularly once a-week (Thursday at ]0 o'clock)) for the purpose of examining into the state of the Institution and condition of the patients, hearing all complaints, hiring and discharging servants, receiving tenders for contracts, examining accounts, and generally taking cognizance of all matters connected with the Institution ; they shall appoint from their number one or rnore in rotation, whose duty shall he to inspect the Institution'daily recording their names, hour of visiting and remarks, in a hook to be kept for that purpose ; see that the patients are properly attended to, and supplied with wholesome food, <Sic, and, in conjunction with the Medical Superintendent, make such arrangements for the week as may be deemed advisable ; thejr shall be expected to report annually upon the expenditure and general state of the Institution. MEDICAL SUPERINTENDENT. The Medical Superintendent shall visit the Institution regularly at least three times a day, not only for the purpose of medically treating the patients, but also with a view to seeing the moral government properly enforced : at each visit he shall enter his name in a book to be kept for that purpose : it is desirable that his visits be so timed as occasionally to afford him an opportunity of seeing the patients at their meals, and also after they have retired to bed ;—when ahsent, he ehall leave word w ith the Steward where he is to be found ; he shall daily mark down, in a Diet Roll, the diet prescribed to each patient; and shall keep a book wherein to enter the name, sex, age., species of mania, probable causes of disease (proximate and remote,) duration of disease previous to admission, termination thereof, &c;—he shall also keep another book, setting forth a concise history r.f the case, together with the daily medical treatment and symptoms; shall neither admit nor discharge any patient without the sanction of the Commissioners ;— he shall generally superin- tend everything connected wi.h the internal management of (he Inslitntion and the well-being of the patients, see that his directions relative to the medical and moral treatment of the patients are properly attended to, shall be present, (if required) at the Weekly Meetings of the Commissioners, and shall annually furnish a Medical Iieport. STEWARD. The Steward shall under no circumstances absent himself from the Institution without permis- sion from the Superintendent or Board of Commissioners ;—he shall be strictly subject to the con- troul of the Medical Superintendent; shall be responsible for the cleanliness of the male patients and of the part of the Utitution appropriated to them ; shall see that the instructions of the Medical Superintendent relative to the medical treatment and moral government of the patients are properly earned into effect ;—he shall draw out the Weekly Diet Roll, and see that the food is of good quality (according to contract,) properly dressed and served;—he shall, upon the admission of each patient, deliver his wearing apparel, &c, into the charge of the Matron, receiving an acknowledgment of the same, and shall be responsible for all articles delivered by her into his charge for the use of the patients, and all furniture, &c, appertaining to the male wards;—he shall