Southern Counties Asylum

[Rockford]

My 3rd great grandfather (or his wife) applied for poor relief in 1892. After an assessment, at which he was judged to be wholly incapacitated due to insanity, he was granted relief at the Southern Counties Asylum, which I was surprised to find was in Dumfries - he was from Motherwell. He was there until 1895, when he transferred to Hartwood at Shotts and died there in 1911, aged 85.

Given that he spent 19 years between the two places, I'm keen to find out more about what they were like. Does anyone have any good weblinks or information sources as to care provided in these institutions in particular, or by asylums as a whole?

I know that the SC Asylum was part of Crichton Hospital in Dumfries, which still exists. I see from DavidWW's post on hospital records that they have an archive - does anyone know what information they're likely to be able to provide?

Thanks,

Brian

[karenc]

Hi Brian

if you go to http://www.shottshistorygroup.co.uk/ you will find a little information on there about hartwood hospital.

also i see you stay in coatbridge, so you are not too far away from shotts. if you can get to the heritage centre which is within the library, you will get some info there also.

i only stay 5 mins away from hartwood hospital, although most of it is closed now.

karen

[Russell]

Hi Brian

I started my professional working life as a nurse in a large Asylum in the late 1950's. Things were beginning to change then but were largely as they had been for the preceeding 50 years.
Asylums were usually built some distance from the nearest population centres, usually with large spacious grounds and often with Home Farms attached.
Male inmates were generally housed in accommodation quite separate from the female inmates. Usually staff had a large key issued to them which only operated the locks in the male/female side of the hospital. Almost all doors were kept locked.
Acutely disturbed people were kept in the most secure areas for their own safety as well as the safety of others since there were very few drugs which were specific for mental illness. Most drugs then in use were almost like knockout potions. Paraldehyde and barbiturates would be used only where there was extreme danger from the patient or of self-inflicted injury.
People with more predictable behaviour patterns were often given more flexibility and freedom with regular jobs /tasks where they could earn extra pocket money.
Groups would be taken out to work in the grounds and this offered some exercise too.
Reliable workers were often part of the regular farm staff where they worked with the dairy herd, worked the fields and greenhouses from whence came the tomatoes, rhubarb, eggs, milk, potatoes for the kitchens.
My particular hospital was proud to have the first fully Tuberculin tested herd in Scotland.
The lack of specific medication (psycho-active drugs really only started in the mid 1950's wirh Chlorpromazine- Largactil to the layman) meant that even when a person recovered somewhat there were no guarantees that their recovery would be maintained so they often stayed in for long periods, sometimes for life and often outlived their friends and family so there was nothing to go out for.
Staff were expected to do all the heavy cleaning, administer medication, deal with patient's pocket money, apply any physical treatments, protect other patients and act as prison warders. It was a varied and challenging line of work.
Once the new drugs came on stream life got easier in some ways but we dealt with greater numbers of more acutely disturbed patients which was much more hazardous.
In 1960 the Mental Health (Scotland) Act came into force and some of the old asylum practices were immediately thrown out the window.
Hope this helps your understanding a bit

Russell