MALE SIDE ALREADY OVER THE NUMBER.

ENLARGEMENT MUST COME SOON.

There are already 340 male and 271 female patients lodged in the new Cardiff Mental Hospital. On the male side there are four more patients than it is supposed to accommodate.

Alderman Beavan at a meeting of the committee on Thursday said it was a very serious matter.

The Chairman (Mr. Morgan Thomas) said a large number were transferred from other asylums, and direct admissions had averaged nearly one per day since the mental hospital was opened.

Mr. J. T. Richards said he had thought the accommodation would be sufficient for 40 or 50 years.

The Chairman: Oh. dear, no. Provision has been made for additional building, and we shall have to start building very soon. It is the new cases that have filled up the asylum.

Alderman Beavan said that the explanation of so many direct admissions was to be found in the fact that people who had afflicted relatives would not let them go to asylums in distant places, but now that they had an institution so near home they sent them there.

Dr. Goodall said they would provide four extra beds, and would continue providing extra beds until the place was declared to be full.

The Chairman said that the guardians compelled them to take many aged people who suffered from senile decay.

Alderman Beavan said that he signed most of the certificates, but he never did so unless two doctors certified that a person was dangerous. They had no right to keep lunatics in the workhouse for more than three days.

Mr. J. T. Richards said there were many cases of people who were quite harmless, but who could not look after themselves. He did not think they were fit cases for the asylum.

Dr. Goodall said there aught to be a separate or a middle place for such cases.

Mr. Richards agreed.

On the motion of Alderman Renwick it was decided that Dr. Goodall should examine all the patients as quickly as possible, and discharge those who were in a fit state to be discharged.

It was reported earlier in the meeting that a patient named Pritchard had been discharged that day, this being the first “cure.”

From the Western Mail June 26 1908

Saturday will be the last day for the public inspection of the new mental hospital at Whitchurch. The gates will be thrown open at two o’clock in the afternoon, and no tickets of admission will be required.

From the Western Mail 28-4-1908

CARDIFF MENTAL HOSPITAL.

COST OF ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT.

ESTIMATE EXCEEDED BY OVER £9,000.

Mr. John Allcock, the Cardiff city treasurer, presented a report to the mental hospital committee of the corporation on Thursday which revealed a very serious financial position in connection with the expenditure on the new mental hospital at Whitchurch.

Mr. Arthur Ellis, the electrical engineer, was prevented by illness from attending the meeting and explaining the huge margin of £9,282 between the actual and the estimated expenditure.

From the Red book of Newspaper Cuttings and Advertisments, Jan 1908-Nov 1915