one-hundred-years-ago-the-richmond-asylum-dublin-in-1907.pdf

Tags

Top Highlights

• Richmond and Portrane included general paralysis (tertiary syphilis) (pp:307), mania- cal chorea (pp:307), dysentery (pp:31), acute rheumatism (pp:491), "extensive fatty disease of the heart" (pp:31-32), "extensive valvular disease of the heart" (pp:200), uraemia (pp:116), epilepsy (pp:98) and erysipelas

• Richmond heralded the beginning of an extraordinary period of asylum-building which persisted throughout the latter half of the 19th century and resulted in large asylums opening in Belfast, Derry, Armagh, Omagh, Dublin, Killarney, Kilkenny, Limerick, Sligo and Mullingar.

• one of the earliest asylums to open in Ireland during this period; was one of the largest residential institutions of any kind in 19th century Ireland; and, arguably, served as a model for the development and management of other psychiatric institu- tions throughout the remainder of the century

• imprisonment with a view to effecting any real cure

• he daily average number of patients on our books was 1,958, as compared with 2,878, the daily average number resident during 1906.

• Constant outbreaks of zymotic disease have occurred

• overcrowding were compounded by increasing recognition of the large number of individuals with mental illness living in workhouses 5 which were poorly equipped to meet their medical and social needs

• staff including doctors, nurses, porters, 'attendants', 'keepers' and, from 1 8 5 5 , teaching staff.

• consumption of excessive quantities of alcohol by staff was a recurring problem

• drink was a main factor in producing insanity

• Richmond

• ,498

• "the difficulty of attending to admis- sions and also paying the necessary visits to the wards in the afternoons is often considerable... Thus I hope the Commit- tee will agree with me in holding, as I do most respectfully but most strongly, that the Richmond Asylum cannot be worked with a staff of less than four junior officers, allowing for relief and providing that there will be always one actually on duty in each house

• In addition to mental illness and alcohol addiction, asylum patients presented a range of medical and surgical problems including infective diseases and self-injury.

• died of acute tubercular consumption on May 26" (pp:308). At this time, consumption (pulmonary tuberculosis) was a common cause of death in Ireland accounting for almost 16% of all deaths in 1904 16 and over 25% of deaths in Irish asylums in 1901;" similar problems were reported in asylums elsewhere.18 Other illnesses reported in Richmond and Portrane included general paralysis (tertiary syphilis) (pp:307), mania- cal chorea (pp:307), dysentery (pp:31), acute rheumatism (pp:491), "extensive fatty disease of the heart" (pp:31-32), "extensive valvular disease of the heart" (pp:200), uraemia (pp:116), epilepsy (pp:98) and erysipelas (pp:116). On 6 March 1907 Dr Norman was reported to be suffering from "a rather severe cold and lumbago" (pp:151) and on 13 June 1907 Dr Cullinan was "ill with a sharp attack of rheumatic fever