Sixth annual report of the Fife and Kinross District Board of Lunacy : September 1872.

  • Fife and Kinross District Board of Lunacy.
Date:
1872
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Sixth annual report of the Fife and Kinross District Board of Lunacy : September 1872. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    mote comfort and please the eye. In one respect, however, and that a very important one, namely, in the disposal of the sewage, no improve¬ ment has been effected. Instead of being profitably disposed of on the land, it is allowed to constitute a noxious swamp, which has been attracting the unfavourable notice of the Local Authority. All portions of the house were found in excellent order. The system of increasing the liberty of the patients by restricting the use of locked doors continues to give satisfactory results, both in simplifying the man¬ agement, and in beneficially influencing the feelings and dispositions of the patients, and is being gradually extended. It may, however, be well to caution against the risk of gaining increased liberty in some depart¬ ments by increasing restrictions in others—a result which might ensue, if all with a tendency to escape, or prone to acts of violence, were collected together. At present 31 males and 2 females have the liberty of the grounds on parole. No one was in seclusion, and only one entry of this character, for a period of a few hours, occurs in the Register since last inspection. On three occasions the Camisole was used for surgical reasons. Notwith¬ standing that out-of-door exercise had been prevented by the state of the weather, the patients of both sexes were free from excitement; except that among the females a tendency to vociferation was in one or two instances produced by the visit. Material improvement, however, has been effected in the refractory departments, both as regards tranquillity and the aspect of the accommodation. But in the latter direction more may beneficially be accomplished, especially in furnishing objects of interest and improving the furniture. The present numbers are 113 males and 121 females, of whom 7 males and 6 females are epileptic, and 6 males and 1 female paralytic. The numbers raised by the night attendants are 11 males and 14 females, and the number of wret beds last night was 1 on the male and 3 on the female side. It is in contemplation to bring the patients requiring attention during the night more together, so as to have them more immediately under supervision. This practice has been adopted with very beneficial results in other Asylums, and its adoption is strongly recommended. Sixty-seven males and 72 females are registered as industriously employed. Of the former, 45 work in the grounds, and 2 are shoemakers and 4 carpenters. About 10 or 12 acres are under spade cultivation as garden ground, and the supply of green vegetables and of the smaller
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