1929-1937

Dr. Peter McCowan held the post of Medical Superintendent after Dr. Goodall.  Like his predecessor, he was keen to maintain the individuality of the patient and avoid the dangers of institutionalisation.  His appointment coincided with the implementation of the Mental Treatment Act (1930), which replaced the Lunacy Act (1890).  The new act allowed for the first time voluntary admission to mental hospital.

Thanks to Tim Goosey for this post

The first Medical Superintendent of Cardiff City Mental Hospital was Dr Edwin Goodall.

Edwin Goodall was born 1863 in Calcutta and was the son of a solicitor.  He qualified as Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery at Guy’s Hospital in 1886 then went to work in Tübingen in Germany where he was a contemporary of Alois Alzheimer, after whom Alzheimer’s disease was named.

In 1906, Dr. Edwin Goodall was appointed Medical Superintendent of Cardiff City Lunatic Asylum and charged with commissioning the new institution.  Later that year he addressed the South West Wales Division of the BMA as Chairman, with a paper about the Hospital Treatment of Curable Cases of Mental Disorder. He advocated development of acute and chronic hospitals and out patient treatment in general hospitals, a theme he regularly returned to throughout his career. He also proposed a change to the law so that marriage to anyone released from an asylum became punishable by law.

The post of Medical Superintendent brought with it not only responsibility for the doctors and nurses, but also the small army of technical and administrative staff that were required to run the hospital on a day to day basis.  Every piece of correspondence at the time was copied to Dr. Goodall.

Thanks to Tim Goosey for this post