Patients Kew_Asylum

1 patients

1.1 admission process
1.2 diagnoses
1.3 children @ kew
1.4 inebriates @ kew
1.5 famous patients

patients

many of kew s patients transferred yarra bend asylum , carlton lunatic asylum , housed in 2 main wings — men in right wing, women in left. wards dormitory style , divided patient type — male/female, paying/pauper, manageable/refractory. area of women s wards smaller due laundries , drying courtyards being located on women s side of asylum.

admission process

overview of building s layout. female wards accommodated in left-hand wing; males in right. administration areas in front building , centre wing. small, round buildings privies.

under lunacy statute of 1867, lunacy acts 1880 1928 , mental hygiene act of 1933, people admitted asylum number of means:

at request of friend, relative or acquaintance, medical certificates written 2 medical practitioners. method amended mental health act 1959 stated person admitted upon recommendation of medical practitioner had examined person. possible after admission superintendent of hospital required examine patient , either approve recommended admission or discharge patient.
any (lunatic) person found wandering @ large or not under proper care , control brought before 2 justices order person s removal asylum. police responsible bringing person before 2 justices.
any prisoner of crown thought lunatic removed jail asylum order of chief secretary.
voluntary boarders requested admitted mutually agreed period of time (from 1915 onwards).

until end of world war i, there little change in admission process @ kew. upon arriving, variable amount of data collected on person being admitted. these basic details included age, sex, marital status , former address (or name of asylum/jail transferred from). other details requested included names of relatives or friends, person s religion , occupation , whether others in family have ever been classified insane. other information recorded, available, dates of previous admissions, form of mental disorder , bodily condition ( satisfactory , unsatisfactory , feeble , etc.) , duration of existing attack . approximately 1900 onwards, photographs taken on admission. if person restless, photograph omitted. belongings, such books , clothes, returned friends or family. inmates required dress in institutional clothes. useful in number of ways assisted public in identifying escaped inmates; reduced need request clothes (or money clothes) inmate s family or estate; , minimised inmate conflict when inmates swapped or stole clothes each other. property , estates of people deemed insane controlled , administered master-in-equity, known master-in-lunacy.

diagnoses

entrance gates , gatehouse of kew asylum, c. 1880. gate house demolished , gates moved victoria park, kew in 1930s or 1940s facilitate straightening of princess street.

the diagnoses given patients during kew s first fifty years common ailments found in lunatic asylums of pre-kraepelin era

delusional insanity
dementia
epilepsy
general paralysis/paresis of insane
idiocy
inebriation
melancholia
puerperal mania

it should noted of these terms still in use today, may have different meanings. example, examining notes on of kew s dementia patients, can deduced many suffering term severe depression, catatonia or schizophrenia.

children @ kew

in days of kew asylum, distinction between lunatics , idiots (or imbeciles ) not made. therefore, many wards of state, difficult children , children intellectual disability housed adults @ kew. 1879 600 children, representing quarter of inmates, accommodated in various institutions in victoria. in 1880s government decided separate building should built accommodate child inmates. zox commission recommended yarra bend asylum site appropriate buildings imbecile children. however, site between main building , entrance gates of kew chosen , in 1885 contract let erection of cottage units. kew idiot ward (kew cottages) opened in may 1887. idiot ward considered ward of kew lunatic asylum, later became known separate institution – kew idiot asylum. although idiot asylum admitted children, many of children remained in residence @ cottages adults.

inebriates @ kew

under lunacy statute of 1867, master-in-lunacy able commit inebriates asylum period twelve months. inebriates able pay lodging fees @ private inebriate asylums able housed in inebriate-specific institutions such northcote inebriate asylum. paupers placed in lunatic asylums. after 1888 zox commission asylums, private/semi-private inebriate asylums abolished under provisions of inebriate asylums act 1888. northcote taken on government of victoria in 1890 , converted public inebriate retreat. brightside , lara inebriate retreats opened after, , many alcoholics moved out of lunatic asylums.

famous patients

ambrose dyson – political cartoonist , satirist. died in kew asylum.
edward/ellen de lacy evans – picaresque cross-dressing woman 1870s.
patrick mcshane – test cricketer & umpire. died in kew asylum in 1903.
billy midwinter – test cricketer played both australia , england. died in kew asylum in 1890.
paris nesbit – barrister, politician , newspaper editor.
walter richardson – father of henry handel richardson, australian author.
harry trott – australian test cricketer , australian team captain.
tom wills – victorian cricketer, 1 of founders of australian rules football.




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^ cite error: named reference cass invoked never defined (see page).
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^ haigh, gideon (2006). silent revolutions: writings on cricket history. black inc. p. 243. isbn 1-86395-310-8. 
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^ ackland, michael (2004). henry handel richardson – life. cambridge university press. isbn 0-521-84055-4. 
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^ oxford companion australian history – entry thomas wills