Thirteenth annual report of the medical superintendent of the lunatic asylum, for the counties of Salop and Montgomery, and for the boroughs of Much Wenlock, Shrewsbury, and Oswestry. 1857 / [Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum].

  • Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirteenth annual report of the medical superintendent of the lunatic asylum, for the counties of Salop and Montgomery, and for the boroughs of Much Wenlock, Shrewsbury, and Oswestry. 1857 / [Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    On the 31st of December, 1857, the proportion of those Patients who were deemed Curable was 10,3 per cent., whilst that of those who were deemed Incurable amounted to not less than 89,7 per cent., the estimate being on 15 out of 152 Men, and upon 19 out of 177 Women, Such are the statistical circumstances of the Institution for the past year. Other important considerations relate to the changes which have been gradually taking place in the domestic accom¬ modation of the Patients, in the means for securing the salubrity of their habitation, and in the permanent establishment of other arrangements which cannot fail to be of great use in the future management of the Institution. The unfortunate failure of the Main Sewer, which was constructed about seven years ago, having rendered it necessary to establish another channel for carrying off the sewage, very consider¬ able inconvenience was caused during a period of many months by the consequent necessity for raising the offensive liquid by means of a Hand Pump, so as to let it reach the uninterrupted part of the first Main Sewer, and thus be conveyed to the River. The irksomeness of the labour, required without intermission for this purpose for more than a whole year, was not the only evil produced by this circumstance. In certain states of the Atmosphere, and always when the Wind was in the South East, an offensive odour, exactly resembling that which was given out by the adjacent Tank, was perceptible in the Women’s Infirmary, and as regularly were there observed to occur, in that part of the Building, cases of Gastric Irritation for the most part accompanied by Diarrhcea. The completion of the Brick Culvert, about the latter end of November, was felt to be a great relief by the few men who had been employed so long at the Pump; and now that there is no likelihood of any future failure in this way, and that means may easily be made available for the application of the Sewage Water to the newly inclosed land, in any quantity that may be required, there is every reason to hope that that which has heretofore been the cause of so much annoyance and injury will be productive only of benefit. Besides the steps taken for establishing a free outflow from the Drains, measures have been adopted for raising in a more effectual way than has yet been practicable, such a supply of water as is requisite for the complete operation of the new arrangements. The means of generating Steam for the general purposes of the Institution have been at least doubled; the old Steam Engine has