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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    been removed, and a new one, having not less than three times its power, has been constiucted in its stead. A Cistern capable of containing twelve thousand Gallons of Water, has been so placed, and pipes communicating with it have been so arranged, that if necessary, in case of accident from Fire, a full stream could be conducted by means of a Hose over the Roof of any part of the Building, Pumps of a larger caliber than those which were previously in use have been placed in the Well, and the only thing which appears to be still required for affording at all times an unlimited supply of Water, is an enlargement of the Chamber into which the spring naturally flows, in order to store more Water in that situation than the New Pumps can readily exhaust Some satisfactory steps have been taken with the view of improving the ventilation in certain parts of the Institution where much improve¬ ment in this respect was required ; and the application of the method adopted for removing vitiated Air has thus been shown to be both easy and efficacious. The means of regulating the temperature of the Wards have been placed upon a better footing than they were; and on the principle of economising heat, so as to diminish the expenditure for Fuel, Pipes have at length been laid down for the purpose of conveying the condensed Steam, which has been employed in warming the various Wards, back to the Engine Boiler, instead of allowing it to run to waste, as formerly, in the drains. So far as the general sanitary necessities of the Institution are concerned, it will thus be seen that much has been done in the way of amelioration during the past year. Other important considerations remain to be noticed ; hut as the Medical Superintendent, whilst unassisted in the discharge of his general duties, has found it impossible to devote so much attention to these matters as would enable him to complete the statement which he intended to lay before the Visiting Justices, the greater portion of the observations which he wishes to make on the general state of the Institution, must be postponed until he can find a convenient opportunity for statiug, in a supplement to this Report, that all the New Wards have been occupied. The subjoined tabular statements will show the amount of work done by the Patients in the year 1857, RICHARD OLIVER, M.D. January 1st, 1858,