Reports for the year 1854 / Saint Luke's Hospital for Lunatics.

  • Saint Luke's Hospital for Lunatics (London, England)
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports for the year 1854 / Saint Luke's Hospital for Lunatics. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    19/68 (page 17)
    Report. St Luke’s Hospital, \2th March, 1855. In pursuance of the directions of the Board, we specially- visited the Hospital of St. Luke, on the 8th instant, and inspected the Wards occupied by the Patients. On this, as on former occasions, we were struck with the cheerless and dreary aspect presented both within the building and in the airing courts. Few or no steps appear to have been taken to forward the recommendations made by the Commissioners in previous reports, as to out-door exercise, occupations, and the purchase of land in the vicinity of London. Having regard to the irremediable defects in the present building, and the many serious objections to the continued use of it for the reception of Insane Patients, we deem it our duty, instead of suggesting particular improvements, which could not render the present premises suitable to their object, again to 1 m’ge on all who are in any way responsible for the condition of j this Charitable Institution, to take into their consideration, i without loss of time, the best means of obtaining suitable I accommodation for the objects of their charge, in a properly ! constructed building, occupying an ehgible situation. Whilst expressing our insuperable objections to the building I itself, in point both of construction and site, we think it right k to state that in consequence of the zeal and activity of the i Medical officers, as well as of other causes, the results, as i respects the number of patients discharged recovered, are more S satisfactory than might have been anticipated. Nevertheless, jj we entertain a confident opinion, that if the labours of the i Medical Gentlemen were carried on under more favorable ij circumstances, their efforts for the improvement and restoration il of the inmates would be greatly more successful. ^ (Signed) Shaftesbury, I Commissioners J. W. Mylne, > in S. Gaskell, ) Lunacy. i I ( > i