Third annual report of the county and city of Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.

  • Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1856
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Third annual report of the county and city of Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    On tlie 22nd of May last the Asylum was visited by W. J. Mylne and J. K. Hume, Esquires, two of the Commissioners in Lunacy, who made the following entry in the Visitors’ Book:— “ Worcester County Asylum, “ 22nd May, 1855. “ There are at present 235 Patients in this Asylum, of whom 112 are males, and 123 females. We have seen and examined all of them, and found them, with very rare exceptions, tranquil and orderly: none of them were under instrumental coercion, which appears, indeed, to be never employed. One man was placed in temporary seclusion, and seclusion for short periods, we are informed, is used occasionally. “ In general, the bodily health of the Patients is good, and there is no contagious or epidemic disorder prevailing among them. Since the visit of the Commissioners last September, 78 Patients have been admitted, and 18 have been discharged. “ Within the same period no fewer than 40 have died, chiefly from cerebral disease of various kinds, and 8 from cholera. This appears to be a high rate of mortality. “ The different galleries and apartments we find clean, sweet, airy, and comfortable. The drains also appear now to be in good order, as we did not detect any offensive effluvia arising from them, and we are assured that much attention has latte By been given to cleansing and improving them : the supply of water, however, still continues to be scanty and of inferior quality. “ The farm and grounds are in a course of gradual and veiy evident improvement “About 160 of the Patients, nearly in equal numbers of each sex, are regularly employed upon the premises and out of doors, at work suited to their several habits and capacities. Nearly the same number are in the habit of attending Divine service in Chapel on Sunday. “ With reference to the suggestions and recommendations in the last entry of the Commissioners, we observe— “ 1.—That a great improvement has taken place in the clothing of the Patients, which is clean and comfortable; and generally the inmates of both sexes appear to us to be clean and neat in their persons and dress ; the bedding also was clean, and of good quality.