Annual report of the managers of the State Lunatic Asylum : made to the Legislature, January 31, 1845 / New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica.
- New York (State). State Lunatic Asylum
- Date:
- 1845
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Annual report of the managers of the State Lunatic Asylum : made to the Legislature, January 31, 1845 / New York State Lunatic Asylum at Utica. Source: Wellcome Collection.
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![and carefully preserved, and only used when deemed useful for the purposes mentioned. CLEANLINESS. Great attention should be paid to the cleanliness of patients before they are brought to the Asylum. They should be known to be free from vermin and from the itch. In one instance a patient was brought to us whose clothes were infested with lice. In this case, and we should do the same if another should occur, which we trust will not, we immediately burned all the apparel the patient brought, and sup¬ plied him with new. A written history of the case should be transmitted with the patient, and when convenient, it is also desirable that some one, well acquaint¬ ed with the patient, should accompany him or her, from whom minute but often essential particulars may be learned. Among the particulars which we wish to learn respecting a patient, are the following : Name, residence, age, place of birth, occupation, married or single, how long insane, probable cause of the disease. If any previous attacks. If other members of the family have been in¬ sane. If he is disposed to suicide. Disposition to eat and sleep, to make noise, to strike, break things, destroy clothing. What diseases he has been subject to. What peculiarities of mind, temper or habits, previous to the attack of insanity. What remedial treatment has been adopted since the., attack, present state of health, &c. Every thing likely to throw any light upon the cause of the disease, or to guide us in the care and treatment of the case, should be ascertained and be communicated to us. If the patient has any favorite pursuit, or is particularly fond of accumulating property, or of certain amusements, of music, of reading, attending religious meetings, or has any hobbies, these should be mentioned. It will also be well, in most cases, to explain to the patient, previous to his removal from home to the Asylum, the necessity of adopting this course. In some few cases, perhaps, the opposition and excite¬ ment would be so great, that this may be dispensed with until after arrival at the Asylum ; but we never permit the friends of a patient to leave until they have stated to him their object in bringing him to the Asylum, and also explained to him the character of the institution. This we have done even in the most maniacal and demented cases. [Assembly, No. 29.] 5](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b30304702_0033.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
