Admission_process Kew_Asylum

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.