VPRS 8257 Medical Journals

Medical JournalsEach asylum was required to maintain a Medical Journal under s21 of the Lunacy Statute 1867. Every week the Superintendent was to enter, or cause to be entered in the Medical Journal, a statement showing:- the date of such statement- the number of patients of each sex in the asylum- the name of every patient placed in seclusion or under restraint since thelast entry- the reasons, length of time and means of such seclusion/restraint- the names of any patients under medical treatment- the general health of patients in the hospital- any deaths, injuries or marks of violence on patients since last entry.Sunbury Asylum Medical Journals:Volume one of the Medical Journal was begun in 1877 at the Ballarat Lunatic Asylum and was transferred to the Sunbury Asylum in December 1879 when the former asylum was closed and the patients were transferred to the latter. Unlike other parts of the record keeping system that was also transferred to Sunbury at this time, there is no reference to a change of asylum from Ballarat to Sunbury.Information about the seclusion and restraint of patients can also be found in the Restraint and Seclusion Register (VPRS 8256).Details of the medical histories of specific patients were recorded in the Case Books: Male: (VPRS 7405); Female: (VPRS 7406), and the Patient Files: Male (VPRS 8244); Female (VPRS 8245).