Second report of the Durham County Asylum : 1860.

  • Durham County Asylum (Sedgefield, England)
Date:
1861
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Second report of the Durham County Asylum : 1860. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    I 2. The number of patients in the house on January lst> 1860, was— Men. 141 Admitted during the year 1860 . . 74 215 Men. Women. Discharged recovered . . 27 34 Being 451 per cent, on admission. Discharged improved . . 4 5 ,, not improved 3 3 Escaped . . .. 1 0 Dead . . . . 28 10 63 52 Women. 124 67 191 Total. 61 9 6 1 38 115 Remaining in the house . . Total. 265 141 406 115 291 265 Being more than last year . . 26 The increased number of deaths is attributable to the unfavourable summer, the severe winter, which has been fatal to many aged and t paralytic patients, and the number of patients (viz., 9 men and 2 women) admitted in a dying condition. The medical superintendent is extremely anxious that accommodation should be obtained for some of the convalescent patients outside of the main body of the building, where they could have more quiet and comfort than can possibly be procured within it. This can be done, as has been stated on a former occasion, by the erection of new workshops in a more convenient situation, and adapting the present ones at a very trifling cost (under £100) to a convalescent ward. The total cost is estimated at £1,200. This would be very desirable and is strongly urged by Dr. Smith for the treatment of the patients? entirely irrespective of their numbers. According to the present rate of increase in the number of inmates, sooner or later more accommodation will be required for the patients of our own county* independently of those from Newcastle. 3. The conduct of the Medical Superintendent has been such as to merit our highest praise. Nothing can exceed his kind¬ ness und attention to the lunatics, and his constant efforts to alleviate