Report of the medical superintendent with the accounts of the treasurer of the Norfolk Lunatic Asylum, from Christmas, 1869, to Michaelmas, 1870.

  • Norfolk Lunatic Asylum (Norfolk, England)
Date:
[1870?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Report of the medical superintendent with the accounts of the treasurer of the Norfolk Lunatic Asylum, from Christmas, 1869, to Michaelmas, 1870. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    / time preceding their dismissal, that there was no ground whatever for their detention. 14 men and 15 women died of grave diseases, which are in no small proportion peculiarly fatal to insane patients, (see Table 3.) 27 of the patients admitted were suffering from renewed attacks; these com¬ pared with the remainder, form rather more than a third of the whole number. The recoveries have been more numerous than in 1869, whilst the death rate has been unprecedentedly low. The recoveries were 51.4 per cent, of those ad¬ mitted, instead of 47.99 per cent, as in 1869 ; the deaths were only 6.3 per cent, of the average daily number, instead of 12.96 as in 1869. I am happy to say, that the general health of the inmates, has been, at least as good as in any former year. We have almost always on our sick list a large number of feeble, aged and decrepit patients, who do not require any special medical treatment, but merely good nursing, food, and clothing. An inquest was held in January last upon an attendant, who was found dead in his bed. The cause of his death was extensive disease of the heart, his loss was much felt, as he was an excellent trustworthy person, and had been some years with us. Several minor accidents have occurred, but are of too trivial a character to require any comment Amongst a large number of insane patients, many of whom are very quarrel¬ some, &c., it is surprising that serious casualties are so rare. The escapes have been few in number, and in every case the patient was captured after a short absence. The employments and amusements of the patients have been con¬ ducted as in former years, but it is to be regretted that we get so few artizans, whose labour would be remunerative, our patients are for the most part of the agricultural class.