Annual report of the Whitchurch and Ely Hospital Management Committee : 1948/49.

  • Whitchurch and Ely Hospital Management Committee.
Date:
1949
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Whitchurch and Ely Hospital Management Committee : 1948/49. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    47/48 page 47
    REPORT OF THE INSPECTOR OF THE BOARD OF CONTROL Ely Lodge Hospital, Ely Cardiff. 16th November, 1949. This Institution is designated as a mental hospital and directed to be Used as a mental deficiency institution. The number on the books at present is 521, of whom 493 are in residence. These numbers comprise :— Males * F emales Under the Lunacy Acts 103 140 Under the Mental Deficiency Acts ... 171 95 Place of Safety o JmU — - Uncertified — 12 The 12 uncertified women include patients formerly living here who suffer from physical handicaps which would have made their removal unfortunate (crippled, blind, etc.) Apart from this group all the inhabitants of this hospital are here on account of mental defect or mental disorder. 30 mental defectives (19 men, 11 women) are absent on licence, and five (three male, two female) on holiday leave 52 of the mental defectives are under 16 years of age (38 boys, 16 girls) and the majority of these attend school daily. Miss Brown is in charge and, with the help of an assistant and a student, organises the school in four sections, according to age and ability. Classification of patients in the wards is based on age, physical condition and mental grade. Thus throughout the hospital (except in the children’s wards) patients under the Lunacy Acts will be found living together without any undesirable effects. Wards are comfortable and informal in character and the patients had the air of being “at home Especially marked was this in the quarters set apart for the aged. Sick wards on each side were bright and airy. Able-bodied patients evidently enjoy taking their part in the upkeep of the hospital and many of them, in addition, attend occupational classes. Concerts are provided and many patients attend cinemas in the town. 11 acres of land adjoining have been allocated to the use of the hospital and it is proposed to erect a Nurses’ home and Children’s section on the site. Of the 94 deaths recorded during the period between April 20th, 1948 and November 15th, 1949, 66 are due to senile dementia. The hospital has been remarkably free from infectious disease, tuberculosis being the only such disease recorded. During the same period four patients have died from this disease and one woman is at present under treatment. No inquests have been held. Eight cases of fractures have been reported. An X-ray examina¬ tion was held in each case.
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