Eighty-sixth annual report of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the insane : For the year 1898.

  • Royal Edinburgh Asylum
Date:
[1898]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Eighty-sixth annual report of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the insane : For the year 1898. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    72/96 page 46
    ^ est House, continue to almost wholly prevent the reception of private patients at the lowest rate of board. Only 14 patients at this rate have been admitted since last visit, and recently a patient of this class who had been brought to the door of the Asylum had to be refused admission. It is clear that there is unfortunately no alternative until the Asylum is relieved of the majority of its paupers by the erection of the new Edinburgh District Asylum. Of the 57 deaths, 32 are registered as due to brain diseases, 10 to phthisis pulmonalis, or other tubercular affections, 3 to heart disease, 3 to senility, 3 to cancer, and 1 to each of the following causes—pneumonia, kidney disease, suppuration of middle ear, and suicide by precipitation. Post-mortem exami¬ nations were made in 26 cases. The Register of Restraint and Seclusion contains 49 entries. Restraint was resorted to on 1] occasions in the treatment of 3 persons, either for surgical reasons or to prevent self-injury or injurious habits. Seclusion was used on 38 occasions in the treatment of 6 persons. Six accidents are recorded—one ended fatally, 3 involved fracture of bones, 1 consisted of self-inflicted wounds, and one of an attempt at suicide by setting lire to her clothing in the case of a patient who had never shown any suicidal tendencies. The fatal accident was a suicide by precipi¬ tation—the patient throwing himself through a window before his attendant, who was quite near him, could intervene. Four¬ teen escapes have occurred in which the patients were absent for at least one night before being brought back. The drainage in and around the West House is at present being completely renovated. Defects have from time to time been found in the old system, and these, coupled with the fact that the drains must, from the time they were laid down, be of an antiquated character, have determined the Managers to under¬ take the present scheme. The work is to be thoroughly well done, the old system is to be completely removed—a large undertaking of itself—and the arrangements made with the con¬ tractors in laying down the new system are such as to secure the best material and the best workmanship. Every improvement and safeguard are being introduced in order to secure its efficient working. The outlay on this scheme will be considerable, but the importance of this improvement from a sanitary point of view cannot be overestimated.
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