Thirty-ninth annual report of the directors of the Dundee Royal Asylum for Lunatics : submitted, in terms of their charter, to a general meeting of the directors, 20th June, 1859 with the report of the medical superintendent.

  • Dundee Royal Asylum for Lunatics.
Date:
1859
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirty-ninth annual report of the directors of the Dundee Royal Asylum for Lunatics : submitted, in terms of their charter, to a general meeting of the directors, 20th June, 1859 with the report of the medical superintendent. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    with the Managers of neighbouring Asylums, succeeded in getting the County of Forfar separated from the statutory district to which it would naturally have belonged. It was hoped that this arrangement would effectually preserve the local management of this Asylum, and that no interference need be anticipated beyond inspection by the Commissioners, whose suggestions, founded upon extensive experience, would be both valuable and acceptable. It has so happened, however, that correspondence with the District Board for Forfarshire has formed a very prominent part of the employment of your Com¬ mittee for the past year. A good deal of this was, no doubt, necessary in arranging for the removal of pauper patients belonging to other counties, and the substitution, in their room, of the same class of patients belonging to this county. This was to be expected, and has been cordially entered into. When, however, the Board proceeded to specify the rate at which, and the parishes from which, such patients should be received, your Committee thought proper to question their right to do so, and it remains for this meeting to say how far such demands should be complied with in future. In the meantime, your Committee have succeeded in maintaining their own rate of charge for this class of patients ; but they are expressly informed that the con¬ cession extends only to the 31st day of December next. The exchange of pauper patients is proceeding as rapidly as possible, and it is hoped that when this is completed, and the question regarding the rate of charge is finally settled, there will be less occasion for correspondence with the District Board than there has been during the past year. In the last Report allusion was made to certain negotiations for securing eight acres of ground adjoining the eastern boundary of the Asylum. At that time £14 an acre of annual feu-duty was offered as a fair price for the land. Your Committee have since increased their offer to £16, which was the price then demanded, and which competent judges regard as its full value. Even this, however, has not yet been accepted. A few months ago the Road Surveyor, on behalf of the Trustees, made application for the purchase of a small piece of