Suggestions concerning the construction of asylums for the insane : illustrated by a series of plans / by William Dean Fairless.

  • Fairless, William Dean.
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Suggestions concerning the construction of asylums for the insane : illustrated by a series of plans / by William Dean Fairless. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The University of Glasgow Library. The original may be consulted at The University of Glasgow Library.

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    the prevalent mode of conducting Asylums, the abodes of Houses for the males and females would require to be on different sides ^ay be inter-^'' of the centre building, if attached to it architecturally; but mingled. if the street or village mode of arrangement is adopted, I see no reason why the hmldings at least, devoted to each sex, may not be co-mingled, so as to approach in some fashion to ordinary life. The Hospital has its special airing- Ainng-courts . and gardens courts, but the house-gardens, tended by the patients them- for patients, selves, will be the delightful substitute here, and may be made, by the introdu.ction of floral and horticultural ex- hibitions, to minister greatly to the occupation and amuse- ment of the inmates. From economical considerations, I Amusement- hall—it may be have designed an amusement-hall in the Hospital build- ^^ggj for a place ing ; it would serve also in Scotland for a place of worship, °f worship, but the devotional feehngs of the inmates would be best consulted by the erection in the grounds of a chapel ofA Chapel re- ecclesiastic design, to which, by the sound of the church- commended, going bell, they would be summoned to the worship of the Great Father of all. In order to provide for the comfort of the sick and in- Detached Infir- firm, two infirmaries have been designed. They are build-™^^[^^,g^.^J_ ings of a single story, of a cheerful aspect, with easy access to the garden attached, they ought to be placed in conti- Its location, guity to the Hospital, for the sake of being near the Phy- sician, but not so near as to be distm'bed by any noisy soumls emanating therefrom. I have not attempted to design a dwelling-house for the Residence of Medical-Superintendent, as there is nothing pecuhar re-g|^p^^j[|.g']^^gjj^ quired about it; the cost need not be more than £800 or £1000, and the residence should occupy a post of honour within the grounds, and have, if possible, an independent communication with the outer world. It is desirable that should be a de- the house should be separate from the Hospital, both on ^^'^ ^^^''^S- account of the propriety of separating the private esta- blishment of the Superintendent from that of the Asylum, and of providing him and his family a retreat from the necessary noise and bustle of a large institution. It will be necessar'y now to condescend upon a more par- More particular ticular description of the proposed Asylum. No part of J^g''^^^!^^^ the buildings is more than two stories in lieight, thus,