CHRISTCHURCH LUNATIC ASYLUM.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 975, 10 August 1877, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH LUNATIC ASYLUM.

Quotation has already been made from ] >r. Skac's general report on the condition of tin; colonial asylums, including that upon the asylum at Christchurcli. The appendices to the report contain a detailed report upon the same asylum, based on Dr. Skae's personal inspection of the asylum between the 4th and 12th of December last. From this we make the following extracts, omitting such remarks as are repetitions, and tho creditable references to Mr Seager's management:— The old asylum is an irregular structure, which was begun some years ago, ami lias been gradually enlarged as the demand for accommodation increased. In the front there is a small block, containing an office and visiting room, and very inadequate accommodation for tin; keeper and his wife, who acts as matron, and their family. A long, narrow passage leads backwards from this to the nondescript quarters occupied by the patients, the recreation hall, and the kitchen, scullery, &e. Most of the building is two storeys high, and the upper storey is used entirely for sleeping rooms. It is divided into four wards—A, for convalescent patients; B, for quiet cases ; C, for epileptics and imbeciles ; D, refractory and noisy cases. It is only calculated to afford proper accommodation for about sixty patients, whereas it now contains 119; and the extent to which it is overcrowded is such as almost entirely to destroy its character as an Asylum for the treatment of the insane, and to render it very unsafe even as a mere place of detention. Some of the dormitories give an allowance of only 21G cubic feet per bed, and several of the day rooms are so crowded that one has difficulty and danger in wending his way among the patients. There art: two airing courts, both of which are much too small for the number of patients coniined in them. They are dreary yards, with no outlook nor proper shelter from sun and rain. The one for the refractory ward, is enclosed by rows of single sleeping rooms opening direct into it. The doors of these are left open, so that tho patients can retreat into them for protection from the heat. They are dismal cells, with asphalted floors and small barred windows. The whole of this building has been condemned as no longer fit for its purpose, and it has been determined to entirely abandon it so soon as the male wing of the new asylum can be got ready. Meanwhile no efforts are spared to turn it to tho best account.; It contains a good deal of comfortable furniture, and numerous pictures and other articles of ornament, and a billiard table, which is much used by the patients. Notwithstanding the many difficulties arising from tht structural defects of the building, and the dangerous degree to which it is crowded, tli3 patients appear to be very well cared for. They are clean, suitably clothed, and well fed, and most of them are tidy in person. But many of them, especially in the refractory and epileptic wards, are in a very unsatisfactory condition, being <|uarrclsoute, excited, and prone to violence, and manifestly suffering great detriment from the close confusion in which they are huddled together night and day. One man, G. D., who is a most dangerous patient, being very powerful, and having a strong, homicidal tendency, is always kept secluded from the others. At night he occupies a single room, and during the day a large room (which is used as a dormitory at night by several patients), with uuglazcd, strongly-bapred windows, looking into the court occupied by the other patients. In the present state of the Asylum, this is probably the only way in which this patient can be safely kept. As a matter of fact, being in a large wellventilated room, be is better off than the others, who are confined to a small yard without m*otection, such as he has, from the heat of the sun. When sec" at various times during the visit, he was always cheerful and loquacious. He should be entered in the medical journal as being in seclu-iou. The sleeping-room of this patient had a very offensive odour. He is extremely dirty in his habits, and it is found very difficult to keep his room tree from offensive smells. All the rest of the building seemed to be in as good order as its structure and crowded condition admitted of. One patient wear-a locked dress on account of destructive habits,and requires attention from the night attendant. About fifty attend chapel, and take part in general amusements, and forty enjoy the privilege of walking beyond the .asylum grounds. ' About forty are industrially employed". This last is a, small proportion. Out of the forty employed, only twenty-one seemed to be engaged in farm and garden work. Endeavors should bo mad') to largely increase these numbers. Somewhere about thirty-eigljt patients are confined to tin; airing courts. Tlfis is a very large proportion, and strenuous efforts should be made to reduce it. The airing yai-ds are wretched, depressing places, and confinement in them must foster pent-up excitement, and have a positively injurious effect on the patients, instead of any tendency to cure them. It cannot be possible that so large a number cannot with safety bo taken out to walk in tho general grounds. I u many asyldms airing courts arc now entirely disused. The new building, which is occupied by tho women, consists of the wing of an Asylum, which, when completed, is intended to accommodate 500 patients. It is built of concrete, is two stories high, and is divided into four wards, each of which is self-contained. The two Wfttus next where the central administration block is to be placed, consist of wide handsome corridors, which are well lighted on the north side, and on the south side have dormitories, single sleeping rooms, attendants' rooms, "bath-rocrcL, " and stores. They are plefesiiig Wd cheer*ulwayd-i', ! >.e:y ccj&furtabij furnished and tasteiuilj dewratted. The two wards beyond these are. ,jjq!. ;- 0 well constructed. Each has a gaud large dayroom for its centre, on either Bide of which arc somewhat narrow passages, with bedrooms, &c., on both sides of them. Great pains have been taken to have these parages properly' and ventilated, but not with -'entire, r> C ; day-room of £hp ward, though provided with ' large"and handsome• windows, 1 is cnly lighted from the south side, which is felt to bo a disadvantage j n winter.' The in' use fqr these wards project from the main birsc\ t ing, from which they aye separated by a in which ventilation is well secured ; but tho closets for tho other two arc inconveniently situated, and do not admit of tho pans being removed from the outside, which gives rice to much annoyance. Tb6se are two airing warts —one jp for the q|9 c 4 tie sofjfaofcory jatieais,

Tided with a covered seat from which the r abients can see over the fence into thßiarrounciin°- country; the other is so large that it can hardly be considered as a mere airing court. It s only enclosed with an open wooden fence, and s tastefully laid out in grass plots, flower beds, and gravel paths, and is well planted with trees. All the female patients, except two or three very excited ones, have free access to this garden. There is a laundry and washing-house in connection with the female department, in which all the wasliing of the Asylum is done by tho patients and one paid laundress. The female department of this Asylum creates an exceedingly favourable impression on any one going into it. It is comfortably iuruislied throughout, and at the time of the visit was found in excellent order. The patients were also in a very satisfactory condition, being suitably clothed and clean, and very, neat and tidy in person. With the exception of one or two acute and excited cases, they were remarkably quiet and orderly, and seemed to be as happy as their mental condition would admit of. The attendants, for whose comfort a wise care is shown, seem of a superior class, and are well trained to their duties. About fifty ot the female patients attend chapel and join in amusements, and some thirty are in the habit of taking walks beyond the asylum grounds About thirty-four are employed in household duties and in the laundry. Only one patient is confined to bed, and only three are restricted to the airing ■ court for exercise, the large garden m front ot the wards not being reckoned as an airing court. None were in seclusion, and none are subjected to any kind of mechanical restraint, except a suicidal patient, who, on the first day ot the visit, was wearing a dress the sleeves ot which were sewn together to prevent her injuring herself; ami an epileptic, who has a special padded chair fastened to the floor, and provided with a strap, which, when she is violent to herself or others, is fastened round her waist. This pr.tient is said to prefer her own ■chair (which, though ugly, is comfortable) to any other; the strap has not often to be used. These means of restraint, when adopted, should be entered in the medical register. Of the present female population, two are epileptic, two tare idiots, one is paralytic, one is suicidal, seven are visited, and three are lifted by the night attendant, three are wet and dirty, six are helpless, thirty are violent; and thirty-one are considered curable, In connection with this Asylum is a small building called the " North House," which was intended for inebriates, for whose use, however, it is too commodious, and is not entirely set apart. It contain* two sitting-rooms, several bedrooms, and accommodation for an attendant, and has a nice garden attached to it. There are several cottages on the ground for the use of married attendants. Tins is a very good thing to have. Nothing is more essential to the satisfactory management of an Asylum than a good class of attendants, and one of the best means of securing this is to supply comfortable homes for married men. These cottages, however, are mostly too small fully to serve this purpose - •