The annual report of the Dorset County Lunatic Asylums, Charminster and Forston, for the year ending December 31st, 1885.

  • Dorset County Lunatic Asylum (Charminster, England)
Date:
1886
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The annual report of the Dorset County Lunatic Asylums, Charminster and Forston, for the year ending December 31st, 1885. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    7/54 (page 7)
    OF THE COMMISSIONERS IN LUNACY. Dorset Asylums, March 14th, IS85. WE have yesterday and this day inspected the two Asylums at Charminster and Forston, and at the commencement of this Report we wish to call the attention of the Committee to various matters appearing to us to require consideration at their hands. The staff of attendants is in our opinion too weak, especially on the female side ; in 5 ward are 41 patients (7 being epileptic) and there were 7 patients in bed, aud in 4 ward 48 patients (4 epileptics) and 4 were in bed. These two wards have a staff’ of 2 nurses in each, with one supernumerary dividing her time between the two wards. We think that 3 ought to be the very lowest number of nurses ever on duty in either of these wards, and there ought to be also an extra nurse engaged to supply the place of any nurse on leave for the day, sick, or absent on the annual holiday. The proportion of Attendants looks well on paper, but it must be remembered that the 27 male Attendants include artizans, and the 22 Nurses include the laundry maids, so that many of these have during the greater part of the day charge of very few patients. Mr. Symes tells us he experiences great difficulty in getting nurses here, the wages are low commencing at £18, rising to £17, and the charge nurses begin at £17 and rise to £25. We think it would be easy if the initial wages were higher, uniform given, and means of amusement afforded wdien work is done, to secure the services of efficient persons. There is no doubt that this place must be dull, owing to the distance from any place of amusement, and therefore it is all the more to be desired that means of recreation within the walls should be given to the attendants. We do not approve of the principle of giving the attendants beer money, and beer to the Patients, though Mr. Symes does not think that the system has hitherto failed. We again urge the giving uniform to both Attendants and