Report of the Committee of Visitors of the Lunatic Asylum for the City and County of Bristol, as presented to the Town Council on the first January, 1864, together with the reports of the medical superintendent and chaplain / Bristol Lunatic Asylum.

  • Bristol Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1864
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the Committee of Visitors of the Lunatic Asylum for the City and County of Bristol, as presented to the Town Council on the first January, 1864, together with the reports of the medical superintendent and chaplain / Bristol Lunatic Asylum. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    ment. Nor is it less certain that improvement of any kind will never be effected in the worst patients by associations belonging to habits which have degraded them. Influences directly contrasting with those habits constitute the only chance of redemption. It is upon the endeavour to open to them in their darkened and deplorable condition, that glimmering prospect of something better, from which humanity is never entirely shut out, that the chief expectation must rest of at last arousing in them anything allied to self-respect. This is the basis of all amendment, and it is to this unceasing effort should be made.” In common with almost every other, the Bristol Asylum has been filled with patients much more quickly than was anticipated, and already it has been found needful to place beds in the upper Day- room and Corridors in the Demale Wing, increasing the sleeping- accommodation to 112 beds. The same number of beds may he placed in the corresponding Day-room and Corridors on the Male side. In the latter case, the Evening Beading-room for the men must be given up, a sacrifice much to be regretted, there being no other apartment in the Asylum suitable for a Beading-room. It is believed these Galleries and Day- rooms afford the whole additional space in which it is practicable to place beds. Twenty self-destructive patients have been admitted during the year. The following case, illustrating the determination and tenacity of purpose, and perverse ingenuity manifested by patients with suicidal impulse, is thought not unworthy of narration. E. W., a female of fair education, and religiously trained, married unhappily, and suffered many troubles in consequence. Previous to admission, she attempted to destroy her infant with a poker, “under a feeling she was unable to overcome which impelled her to kill her child.” She said she had passed night after night in prayer for deliverance from this temptation of the devil, hut the impulse proved irresistible, and at last she was overpowered by the temptation; that she had in consequence fallen from grace, denied her Saviour, was entirely reprobate, and beyond the mercy of God. Being known to harbour self-destructive intentions, she was placed under constant observation, and any implements likely to he used for self-injurious Asylum quickly filled. Suicidal Patients. Case of attempted Suicide.