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First Report Of The Superintendent Of The Lunatic Hospital At Worcester, Mass.

From: Reports And Other Documents Relating To The State Lunatic Hospital At Worcester, Mass.
Creator: Samuel B. Worcester (author)
Date: November 30, 1833
Publisher: Dutton and Wentworth, Boston
Source: Available at selected libraries

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2  

The eleven last cases were not included in the General Report,

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SUPERINTENDENT'S REPORT -- Continued.
Summary. November 30th, 1833.

4  

The whole number of Patients admitted into the Hospital, from January 19th, to November 30th, 1833, .......................153

5  

To wit: January, ...8
February, ....19
March, ....31
April,....27
May, .....13
June,.......9
July, ......10
August, ....5
September, ....4
October, .......8
November, ..... 19-153

6  

Recent cases of 1 year or less, 48
Old cases of 1 year or more, 105-153

7  

Deaths, ...4
Eloped,...1
Discharged,..34
Deduct 39

8  

Remaining in the Hospital of whom 1 is discharged, but not removed,...... 114

9  

Whole number of Males, 96
Females -- Whites, 52 Colored, 5 57-153

10  

Present number of Males, 73
Present number of Females, 41-114
Old cases of Insanity, the period of which has exceeded 1 year, 105

11  

Discharged, cured, .....11
Discharged, much impro'd, 2
Remain, improved,...15
Remain, stationary and not deemed incurable,...18
Idiots or Idiotic,....12
Incurables,.........47-105

12  

Recent cases of Insanity, the period of which has not exceeded 1 year, . 48

13  

Discharged, cured, . 14
Discharged, much imp'd, 5
Remain, improved . 15
Remain, stationary, . 14-48

14  

11 of which have been admitted within the last 4 weeks.
Sent by the Legislature, . 2
Sent by the Courts and from Jails & H. of Cor. 107

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By Towns, (Paupers,) ... 11
Private Patients, ... 33-153

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State Paupers, ...3
Town Paupers, ...61

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Cases induced by intemp, 38
Hereditary Insanity, ....42
Periodical Insanity, ....29

18  

Average number of Patients, for the last six months, ......107 2-6

19  

Foreigners.
Natives of England, 2
" " Scotland, 1
" " Wales, 2
" " Ireland, 19
" " Canada, 1
" " Hayti, 1 26

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Natives of other States.
Connecticut,.......1
Rhode Island, ......1
Pennsylvania,.......1
New Hampshire.....3
Virginia, ........1 7

21  

Natives of
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts, 120

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Duration of Insanity.
Have been Insane, one year or less,..........48
From 1 to 5 years,......20
From 5 to 10 years.....27
From 10 to 20 years...........31
From 20 to 30 years,..........12
From 30 to 40 years,..........1
Unknown,.........14-153

23  

Under the age of 20 years,..............2
Between the ages of 20 and 30, .......34
Between " " 30 and 40,.........48
Between " " 40 and 50,.............34
Between " " 50 and 60,............14
Between " " 60 and 70,............17
Between " " 70 and 80,..........3
Over 80,............2-153

24  

Applications for admission from without the State, or at a time when we could not receive them, or that have not yet come into the Hospital, .......28

25  

Summary for the month of December, 1833.
Patients admitted,.......10
Recent cases -- Males, 1
Females, 6
7 Old cases -- Males,....3
Females, . 0 3-10

26  

Patients discharged,......11
Recovered,........5
Died,.........1
Improved,........3
Stationary,.........2 -- 11

27  

Whole number admitted, to January 1st, 1834,.....163
Males,.........102
Females,.......61 -- 163
Remain, cured,......2
Remain, improved, . 28

28  

Whole number discharged, .... 50
Recovered, 32, of which discharged, .....29
Died, .......5
Eloped,.......1
Improved,.......11
Stationary,.........4 -50

29  

By a reference to this table, it will be perceived, that an uncommonly large proportion of old cases have been admitted into this Hospital. This was to be expected, as this unfortunate class of individuals had been for years accumulating in the jails, houses of correction, alms-houses and private dungeons. Of the character of the cases, it is sufficient to say, that in little more than ten months, one hundred and seven have been sent to the Hospital, adjudged by the courts "to be so furiously mad, as to be manifestly dangerous to the peace and safety of the community to be at large." A small proportion only of these cases can be expected to recover. To remove them from their abodes of wretchedness and suffering, to a place of comfort and security, was all that was contemplated by the benevolent founders of this institution. For years to come, a large proportion of its wards must be filled with incurables. The proportion of recoveries of recent cases, is doubtless less than may be expected in future years. There are always circumstances attending the infancy of such an institution, unfavorable to its success, and especially one, into which patients have been received as rapidly as into this, the average admission being fifteen a month, or one in two days, during the whole time that it has been open for the reception of patients: add to this, the inexperience of its officers and attendants, and the ignorance in which we are left respecting the character, cause of disease, and propensities of many of the patients, and it will readily be admitted, that thus far the institution has labored under peculiar disadvantages. Before the last three months, that is, previous to the first day of September, there had been received into the Hospital 25 recent cases of insanity, in which the period had not exceeded one year; of these, 12 have been discharged cured, 5 have been discharged improved, some of which were nearly well, and others convalescing, and 6 remain improved, leaving only 2 that exhibit no manifest improvement. Of those old cases, of one or more years' standing, which were considered not incurable, that had been in the Hospital before the last three months, or previous to the first day of September, the whole number is 38 -- of which, 11 have been discharged cured, 2 have been discharged improved, and 12 remain improved -- so that 25 out of 38 cases have exhibited symptoms of amendment. Many recent cases that show no improvement whatever in three months, in six months or a year entirely recover. But three months, and even twelve, are considered too short a period to make a decided impression upon some chronic cases, that, by a persevering application of medical, moral and intellectual means, will ultimately be restored. This will be especially true of chronic cases of many years' standing. "The chaos of illusions" which disturb the imagination in old cases, cannot be "swept at once from the tablet of the mind." Long and persevering efforts are required to break up these illusions, and restore the intellect to soundness, in cases confirmed by years, even where no physical disorganization has taken place. Our hopes, in cases like these, can never be sanguine. But a small proportion of old cases are cured, in any of the best regulated asylums in this country and in Europe. In the far-famed Retreat in Hartford, an institution which stands unrivalled in the proportion of its cares in recent cases, and in the ability and judgment with which all cases have been managed, only 14 per cent. of old cases are reported to have been cured. In the Glasgow Lunatic Hospital, 13 per cent.; in the York Asylum, 12 per cent.; and even in private asylums, in which they have the power to reject forlorn and hopeless cases, after all the trials which time and management can afford, the average will not probably exceed 20 or 25 per cent.

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