NRS-21455 | Registers of admissions and discharges [Morisset Hospital]

These are registers of patients admitted to Morisset Hospital for the Insane, later known as Morisset Mental Hospital and Morisset Hospital.From 1909 to June 1964, the volumes bear the title “Register of Patients and Admission Book”. In June 1964, there appears to have been a change in the way patients were registered or classified. The volume that covers the period June 1964 to May 1966 was probably used pending the printing of new registers as it is a re-purposed register of temporary patients, which, although it lacks some of the columns, largely conforms to the format of the following volumes in the series, which bear the new title “Register of Admissions and Discharges”.The transitionary volume marks the start of a new patient numbering sequence and commences with at least five separate alphabetical sequences by patient name with admission dates from as early as 1917 up until mid-June 1964, which suggests these patients were brought forward from previous registers. From register number 1669, dated 17 June 1964, the entries are generally arranged by date of admission, though some earlier dates and numbers do appear.Generally, the volumes record the following details for each patient: date of previous admission (if any); number on register/unit number; date of admission; name at length; sex; age; social condition (married, single, etc.); occupation; nativity/place of birth; residence; classification on admission/how sent (informal, voluntary, temporary, inebriate, forensic, continued treatment, order); date of departure/discharge; Died.The early volumes also record a patient’s religion, form of mental disorder and its supposed causes, insane relations, previous attacks, duration of existing attack, age at first attack, and whether recovered, relieved or not improved. The time in hospital and other observations may also be recorded.From June 1964 columns are provided to record the dates a patient was made a particular classification (voluntary, Schedule 2, temporary, continuous treatment and inebriate) and to note the cause of death or mode of departure (e.g. Discharged). The volumes from June 1966 have additional columns to record when a patient was transferred to another institution (Callan Park, Gladesville, Parramatta, Kenmore, Rydalmere, Newcastle, Morisset, Stockton, Peat and Milsons Islands, Bloomfield, North Ryde, Allandale, Mount St Margaret's, St John of God).In October 1986, a new unit numbering sequence, starting from 40000, was introduced. A number of entries were brought forward from the previous sequence resulting in the first 226 entries of the final volume being both sequential by unit number (40000 to 40225) and alphabetical by name of patient. These entries relate to patients admitted from as early as 27 July 1922 up until 27 October 1986. From 29 October 1986 (unit number 40226), the entries revert to admission date order.