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

  • Worcester Pauper Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1869
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

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

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    character, the elate given refers to the last exacerbation, while the previous insanity and incompetence of the Patient is excluded from the calculation. Sixty-two Patients—29 males and 33 females—were reported as having been insane less than three months; 43 Patients— 23 males and 20 females—were said to have exhibited symptoms of insanity for a period of upwards of three months, but less than one year; 29 Patients—16 males and 13 females—were said to have been of unsound mind above one year and ranging to five years; 8 Patients — 5 males and 3 females—had been insane from five to thirty years ; LI Patients—6 males and 5 females—were congenital idiots; and in the cases of 3 men no information could be obtained as to the duration of their insanity. One hundred and eleven of the admissions were suffering under their first attack of insanity, and 40 had experienced from one to five previous attacks. Fifty-eight of the admissions —22 males and 36 females—laboured under some active or meditated impulse to destroy themselves, and Table XI. gives the usual particulars regarding this class of Patients; but several such Patients are observed not only to desire their own death, but as regards others they are homicidally disposed, often delusively believing that some relief would be afforded to their sufferings by killing any person within their reach. The craftiness, ingenuity, and intellectual combinations displayed by suicidal Patients to obtain their purpose is far beyond the power of comprehension of any but those who have been called upon to guard and attend upon persons so afflicted, and the success with which they conceal their impulse and take up another entirely opposite or varying character for long periods of time, with the intent to throw those in attendance upon them off their guard, is almost beyond conception; and while it may be supposed that they have recovered, or that the form of their insanity has undergone some modification, and that other impulses are present and actuating their thoughts and conduct, they may still be influenced by the s^me overpowering