From the archives: Telegraph exposed ‘dreadful state’ of expenditure in Mayo asylum

By Tom Gillespie

AT no period in its long history has The Connaught Telegraph been respecter of persons when it comes to a question of righting wrongs or defending those who have no means of highlighting their grievances.

Here is a quotation from the leading article in its issue of November 18, 1893, dealing with the annual report of the Inspectors of Lunatics, consequent on their early visit to the Castlebar Lunatic Asylum (later St. Mary’s Hospital and today Atlantic Technological University).

The report of the Inspectors also deals with the temperature of the rooms of the institution and contrasts it with that prevailing in Castlebar Jail, which adjoins the asylum.

This is what the Inspectors had to say about the matter: 'It appears to us a cruel and anomalous arrangement that the neighbouring prison cells, occupied by pickpockets, burglars and other malefactors, should be maintained, even in the coldest of weather, at an equable temperature of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit, while the temperature of the rooms occupied by the insane, who not infrequently divest themselves of all clothing during the night, should be scarcely over 32 degrees.'

This horrible state of things is no mere imaginary business - the Inspectors give the freezing point temperature of the rooms and corridors on the authority of the Resident Medical Superintendent (RMS) himself.

We wonder how does the thermometer stand in Dr. Hatchell’s own comfortable apartments. We venture to say the mercury would be far more than 32 degrees above zero. But is it no wonder that the poor lunatics are not warm for out of 50 tons of coal burned in one month, nine tons only are for the use of the unfortunate patients - the officials, of course, are heated with the rest.

The officials in the asylum are warmed, too, with something else, for we are told by the Inspector’s report that of 66 eggs, 11 mutton chops, 23 glasses of wine, 33 pints of porter, six glasses of whiskey, eight glasses brandy and two glasses of gin which is the daily consumption of extras, no less than 15 eggs, five mutton chops, five glasses of wine, 10 pints of porter, six glasses of brandy and two glasses of gin went daily to attendants.

Is this not a terrible revelation to the ratepayers? Is it any marvel that in Castlebar Asylum the expenditure stimulants was 11/4d. per caput while in Sligo it is 8d. and in Armagh only 3d. per head?

Castlebar paid for wine and spirits during the year in the sum of £229-13-2; in Armagh only £3-16-3! That is a striking contrast; but hear some kind of an explanation of this waste from the report: '18 out of the 25 attendants were, during the month, getting as extras wine, whiskey or porter, and one of the farm workers, suffering some days from a cold, got two glasses of brandy a day from the beginning of August till the 5th of October’. Costly medicine for a cold - over £3 worth of starred brandy. It is nice, indeed, to be an asylum worker and suffer occasionally from a touch of ordinary cold. But the subject is too serious to trifle with and the sooner the Inspectors and the Governors of the asylum make an end of this horrible, dreadful state of things, the better it will be for public decency. Let them immediately put a stop to this neglect of patients and gorging of officials.

(As a result of this pungent criticism by The Connaught Telegraph drastic steps were taken by the Governors to remedy the state of affairs complained of.

However, down the years improvements had been gradually taking place and for some time past (1958) the Mental Hospital in Castlebar had been one of the best managed and regulated institutions in the country.

RMS, Dr. J. V. Kelly, who, incidentally, was a native of Castlebar, the staff, out of monies raised by their own efforts, had provided comforts for the patients and relaxation for the patients which were undreamed of half a century ago (1858).

With the modern treatment even to them and with so much entertainment provided for them, is was not surprising that such a huge percentage had been restored to normal health after a short sojourn in the hospital).