Ex-Servicemen in Lunatic Asylums 1922

[PhilB]

http://thetimechamber.co.uk/beta/sites/asylums/shropshire-montgomery-county-asylum-shelton-hospital

This exchange gives a figure of about 5000 for the number of ex-servicemen in lunatic asylums (sic). The actual figure may have been somewhat higher, as indicated in the report, but, considering the number of men who returned from the war, should this figure be seen as about average for the time or as an indicator of the stresses of their service?

[seaJane]

There might be something in Hansard online if there were questions in Parliament. Can't recall the web address but it is something like millbanksystems.

 

sJ

[ss002d6252]

57 minutes ago, seaJane said:

There might be something in Hansard online if there were questions in Parliament. Can't recall the web address but it is something like millbanksystems.

 

sJ

Pretty much spot on.

http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/

 

Craig

[seaJane]

Thanks Craig!

 

Search for"inebriated cockatoo" (keeping the quotation marks) and give yourself a laugh.

[ss002d6252]

30 minutes ago, seaJane said:

Thanks Craig!

 

Search for"inebriated cockatoo" (keeping the quotation marks) and give yourself a laugh.

That's a good one - he wasn't holding back !

Craig

[Guest]

   You may find the following book useful:

 

Stock Image

Forgotten Lunatics of the Great War

Peter Barham

Published by Yale University Press (2004)

ISBN 10: 0300103794 ISBN 13: 9780300103793

Used

Quantity Available: 2

 

 

      It's a good read, by a professional psychiatrist on the problems of the "forgotten" ex-servicement left in asylums. Very moving case histories- rather disorganised book but the stories come across well- a very,very sad subject.

[Loader]

Very sad result of the war. As the poet said: "Go home & pray you never know the hell where youth & laughter go.".

The great war did not end on 11/11/18 for many many who did not die.

[IPT]

I came across a chapter of the above book, when the topic was posted, which highlighted some of the difficulties involved in analysing this subject - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Sn5HIPNi5vYC&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq="At+least+half+of+the+cases+admitted+to+the+male+mental+ward,+or+observation+ward"&source=bl&ots=V2ZH-1N-x8&sig=8D45ePzH71yKTBRxBFQPstO46Ck&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijrrmwkP_VAhXLaVAKHRzHDjwQ6AEIKDAA#v=snippet&q="beef tea and bromide"&f=false

 

 

[Guest]

2 hours ago, IPT said:

I came across a chapter of the above book, when the topic was posted, which highlighted some of the difficulties involved in analysing this subject - https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Sn5HIPNi5vYC&pg=PA202&lpg=PA202&dq="At+least+half+of+the+cases+admitted+to+the+male+mental+ward,+or+observation+ward"&source=bl&ots=V2ZH-1N-x8&sig=8D45ePzH71yKTBRxBFQPstO46Ck&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwijrrmwkP_VAhXLaVAKHRzHDjwQ6AEIKDAA#v=snippet&q="beef tea and bromide"&f=false

 

 

 

       Yes- alas, he is not great on number crunching.  One source for the treatment of lunatics that is occasionally of help is the reports of the local Medical Officer of Health-required annually by the Local Government Board and it's successors. An asylum with war casualties in it usually rates a mention in MOH reports.Alas, Poor Law hospitals and Asylums Boards  had quite a high death rate for physical illnesses-a hospital of last resort. (And a thank you to Mr. Arthur Neville Chamberlain who,apart from carrying a folded umbrella and being the butt of Winston's jokes actually ended the Poor Law.)   A large number of MOH local reports have been digitised for free online by the Wellcome Library- always worth a glance at a local report even if it's military "damaged goods" came from all over the place