Seventeenth annual report of the trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester. December, 1849.

  • State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Seventeenth annual report of the trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester. December, 1849. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    SEVENTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE TRUSTEES OF THE STATE LUNATIC HOSPITAL. DECEMBER, 1849. - To His Excellency George N. Briggs, Governor, and the Honorable Council of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts : The Trustees of the State Lunatic Hospital at Worcester respect¬ fully present their Seventeenth Annual Report. In the past year, 682 persons have been patients in this Hospital. On the first day of August last, 440 patients occupied such accom¬ modations as could be contrived for them, in the halls and apartments, which would be well filled by 375. The average number for the year has been 420,—larger by 45 than a proper complement. And the care of these 45 supernumeraries has put in exercise all the ingenuity of the Superintendent, greatly increased his labors, and impeded his success. The law opens widely the doors of the Hospital to all persons who may be sent by the Courts, or by the Overseers of the Poor, as being “ furiously mad and dangerous to be at large.” Under this provision, unfortunate beings, fatally diseased, whose mental disorder was the least evil of their miserable lot, have been, in many instances, con¬ signed to this place, to enjoy that comfort which the same laborious nursing elsewhere might perhaps have increased; and, as humanity forbad their removal, they have been retained here to injure the insti¬ tution by drawing off attention from hopeful and more appropriate objects, until the release of the sufferer added to the record of mor¬ tality and diminished the apparent numerical success of the Hospital. There will be continual attempts to introduce these troublesome imbe¬ ciles into the Hospital, while the price of their board is less than the expense of keeping them in private families and in almshouses.
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