Reports of the medical officer of the Lunatic Asylum, for the counties of Salop and Montgomery, and for the Borough of Much Wenlock, 1846-1847 / [Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum].

  • Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum.
Date:
1847
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports of the medical officer of the Lunatic Asylum, for the counties of Salop and Montgomery, and for the Borough of Much Wenlock, 1846-1847 / [Salop and Montgomeryshire Counties Lunatic Asylum]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    18/24 (page 18)
    certain extent discharging the duties of an Attendant during their hours of labour; and whether the scale of the establishment is sufficiently large to make this extent of divisional service desirable in point of economy or not, there can be no doubt whatever with respect to its beneficial influence upon the Patients ; and every approach to an arrangement of this kind is an important acquisition to the means brought to bear upon the objects of the Institution. In like manner the taking care of Cows and Pigs would be found to have a salutary effect, by rousing old associations, and by affording suitable employment to some Patients who are either unable or unwilling to engage in other occupations. In short, so far as an institution of this kind can be made, with certain limitations, to approach in its nature to that of an independent community, and to present within itself the greatest variety of those objects and employments which occur in ordinary life, so much the more perfectly will it be found to fulfil its general design; and it is for this reason that the Medical Officer would here venture to suggest the expe¬ diency of rendering this Asylum available for as large a number of Patients as the Building will accommodate, by uniting in its object all those independent parts of the district from which the situation is conveniently accessible, but which have not yet associated themselves in this respect with the Counties of Salop and Montgomery.* In the event of this suggestion being adopted, it may be presumed that the number of Inmates would warrant the engagement of a more numerous body of Attendants and other Servants, and that the efficiency of the means of treatment would thereby be materially increased. Since the 12th of July, 1846, when the Chaplain commenced his duties at the Asylum, Divine Service has been performed regularly in one of the Corridors twice a week, For Note 6ee bottom of Page 19.