County Asylum/Lunacy Act
The Lunacy Act legally obliged counties to provide asylum for people with
Mental Deficiences
For many, asylums were regarded as prisons disguised as
Hospitals
Many reasons for admission were targeted toward this group of people
Women
This substance was a popular way to "treat" a variety of conditions
Water
As a result of the Lunacy Act, this many asylums were built and opened in earlier years
Sixty (60)
Private madhouses were often convenient dumping grounds for unwanted wives. This was only convenient for people with
Money
This reason for admission is a medical condition that involves an extreme emotional state characterized by uncontrollable outbursts of feeling. This condition was one of the most abused during this time.
Hysteria
For the greater part of the Victorian Era, treatments for most conditions primarily consisted of physical treatments such as
Surgeries
Asylum numbers soon reached an all-time maximum in this decade
The 1950s
The hospitals were a convenient way of removing these people from society
Poor and incurable people
Out of these three examples, this is not a reason for admission: Dainty, Laziness, Asthma
Dainty
While there were very few drug treatments in the Victorian Era, this drug was introduced into UK clinical practice in 1882. It was found to be useful to treat convulsions (fits), as well as induce sleep.
Paraldehyde
This many hospitals were built which held approximately this many patients in England and Wales
100 Hospitals; 150,000 patients
Patients could spend this many years or more locked away, and sadly, some patients died without ever being released
Twenty (20)
Equally worrying was that women were admitted if they had this. This could be because they wanted to educate themselves, or for some, it may have been as simple as wanting to read.
'over reaction of mind'
This newer treatment, introduced in the twentieth century, involved removing parts of the human brain.
Lobotomy