Twenty-first annual report of the Belfast District Asylum for the insane of the counties of Antrim and Down, and the county of the town of Carrickfergus : for the year ending 31st March, 1851 / drawn up by the resident physician.

Date:: 1851

Credit: Twenty-first annual report of the Belfast District Asylum for the insane of the counties of Antrim and Down, and the county of the town of Carrickfergus : for the year ending 31st March, 1851 / drawn up by the resident physician. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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$sixty-eight and twenty-five. The average age ot all was within a fractional part of being forty-four years. The causes of death will be found in Table X. ACCOMMODATION. Under this head the same report may be made as last year, viz. its insufficiency for males, a number of whom could not be received, owing to that department of the Institution being already overcrowded—fifteen now waiting for admission as vacancies arise. ADDITIONAL BUILDINGS. During the past year, the Board again urged upon the attention of Government, the necessity there existed of new domestic offices being erected, and other requisite improvements pro- vided for, which the greatly increased amount of Inmates so imperatively demanded; but matters remained without any ad- vance being made in the accomplishment of so important an object until within the last month, when, at the renewed solici- tation of the Governors, instructions were issued by the Lord- Lieutenant to the Commissioners of the Board of Public Works, to take immediate steps for carrying into effect what the pressing wants of the Asylum required ; and, accordingly, the Commissioners, with the sanction of the Lords of the Treasury, directed C. Lanyon, Esq., C.E., to make out plans* for an exten- sion of accommodation generally, and who is now engaged in their preparation, with the view of submitting them for the approval of the Commissioners, which gives reasonable hope to expect, that the long desiderated work of improvement, in the several depart- * According to them, it is proposed to extend the present frontage at each extremity—east and west—so as to afford accommodation for eighty additional Inmates—forty of each sex ; an increase which, it is calculated, will sufficiently meet the immediate and future wants of the district for some time to come. A new laundry and kitchen, with other household offices, and increased accommo- dation for the Resident Physician, &c. are intended to bo provided for, besides workshops, infirmaries, bath-rooms, and the like.$