Thirty-first annual report, 1895 / Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum.

  • Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum
Date:
1896
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirty-first annual report, 1895 / Newcastle-upon-Tyne City Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/42 page 12
    On the male side, in wards 2 and 3, there were no books or papers; in No. 1, for 68 patients, three novels were provided weekly, and in No. 4, with 49 patients, three novels were sup¬ posed to be furnished weekly, but on inspection we find but one novel, one old history of Arabia, and a volume of the Penny Illustrated. We are strongly of opinion that entertain¬ ing works ought to be found in abundance in every ward. The attendants ought to be able to check the destructive habits of the patients. It is done in other asylums, where there are a far worse class of patients than are detained here, and we say it without any qualification that in no asylum in England is there such a lack of books in the wards as we found here. The patients were quiet and well-behaved. In the wards occupied by the more turbulent patients no noisy excitement prevailed, and not a single patient appeared to be aggressively disposed. The beds and bedding were in good order, and the dormi¬ tories were clean. The rooms, including infirmaries, were too cold, though this was by no means a cold day for the time of year. In bed we saw 26 men and 10 women. We should like to see more comfortable chairs for the aged and infirm. The escape of patients, in the event of fire, by alternative exits seems now to be properly provided for, but we advised bells to be put into the dormitories at the old chapel to summon the head attendants on either side, who alone have keys to unlock the exit doors. All the floors of the single rooms used by patients of dirty habits should be made imper¬ vious to urine, and every day well rubbed with beeswax and turpentine. The means of extinguishing a fire on its inception should be entirely re-constructed. Here and there are a few old- fashioned leathern buckets placed in a box, some of them will not hold water, and none of them are able to be filled. The
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