Carrington Mental Hospital (Avondale – Auckland - NZ)
Records from the above hospital, held in the Auckland branch of ARCHIVES NZ, can be full of detail, if the one I looked up for a UK enquiry is anything to go by. My previous Auckland Archives look-ups, had been for Auckland hospital records held, and they were mainly brief single line entries in 1940’s bound registers.
The Carrington request for info pre WW1, was full of detail, and second opinions, as the Courts are charged with deeming there is fit cause for them to assign an individual’s rights of independence, over to an institution, to care for them.
The file contained ‘Medical Certificate under the Mental Health Defectives Act 1911’ certificates signed by two independent doctors, One being the Medical Superintendent of a regional public hospital. Full of detail re NOK, addresses for service, medical and mental health, at time of application.
‘Further details signed by the applicant/s’ More details including those of NOK, of spouse, parent’s and siblings. In this case including known UK addresses.
‘Statutory Declaration’ Application for reception order placed before the Stipendiary Magistrate. Names institution assigned to take care thereof, and to whom is entrusted the responsibility of arranging transfer. (This case a named policeman.)
Medical notes of significance; telegram’s to spouse [NOK] and progress, or other wise; correspondence between the parties. (Original letters in, and carbon copies out.)
Telegram notification of discharge, or DEATH. Correspondence re same with spouse (NOK).
Arrangements for assigning body to undertaker etc, and re personal effects of the deceased / discharged.
As the institutions covered by the Mental Health Act were probably the only ones providing ‘secure wards’ many people were voluntarily, or court assigned to their care, and included patients that today would not be deemed mentally defective. I have one relative that became a severe epileptic and spent the better part of 40 years ‘in care’. While the 100 year privacy rules preclude me looking up that patients records, I know their records, though sad reading, would not be the harrowing account of someone determined to take their own life.
So be advised some of the material I saw could be most distressing to relatives, unfamiliar with mental health disorders; or the care provisions of the times.
A lot has changed for the better in 100 years.
[Example notes: Acutely maniacal, struggling with attendants & declaring intention to rescue baby from people who want to burn it. Says sees that the ship is wrecked & babies are being drowned. Can hear screaming. – Has delusions that children are starving and neglected. And afraid could kill themselves. - Hears a porter starting an open fire in the adjoining room, and declares to all, that they are going to place their babies on the fire, and then themselves.]
If you are going to look up those records, take a hanky.
Alan.
More info on alternative institutions that patients may have been transferred to:-
http://archives.govt.nz/research/guides/mental-health