John Williams (2428)

Admission Details for Patient: John Williams (2428)

Gender: Male Age: 26
Marital Status: Single Religion: Calvinist Methodist
Occupation: Agricultural labourer
Address: Llandwrog, Anglesey

Date of Admission: February 20, 1875
Date of Discharge: November 19, 1875
Discharge Category: Recovered

Disease: Mania (acute)
Supposed Cause: Religious anxiety

Medical Certificate:
Owen Owen, MD, Gwalchmai: He is occasionally dangerous to himself and others, also singing irrational. Trying to escape from home in his clothes at night. He escaped from home 2 or 3 times and ran through a deep river before he was captured.

Approximate duration of present attack: 7 weeks

Number of Previous Attacks: 0

Number of Previous Admissions: 0

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 2

Total Number of Admissions: 3

Relatives affected:

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: N0

Dangerous: Yes, struck his father once

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: No

Sleep Habit: Good

Destructive Habit: No

Disposition: Sober, well conducted

Education: R and W

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Good health and condition. Medium height. Nervous temperament. Is excited, talkative and incoherent, full of religious ideas, engaged frequently in reading his Bible.

Current Diagnosis: Schizophenia (F20.3)

Case Notes

1875 Mar - Brought up in the 'society' which he did not frequent after he had grown up. Seven weeks ago was found praying at night, in the day time repeating scripture. Fails to understand what is said to him occasionally, ran away to his old place of service twice, but came back. Has been home 7 weeks from work.

Mar 18 - Improving slightly.

Mar 25 - Is under deep religious convictions. Is perfectly quiet and works daily in the garden. States that he is quite happy here and that all he wants is to please Jesus Christ. July - No improvement, imbecile and silly, the same exaggerated ideas of religion. Sometimes gets excited and quarrelsome but not frequently. This generally happens at the dinner table.

July 31 - Is getting stouter. Talks in a rational manner but it is chiefly of a religious nature. Spends most of his time in the evening in writing a history of the life of Richd. Williams from the latter's dictation. Argued very reasonably with R. Wms on the sinfulness of dancing etc.

Aug 30 - Is now suffering from an attack of sycosis (‘Barber’s Itch’) covering the whole extent of the beard with swelling of the maxillary glands. There is also a papular eruption extending down the neck and shoulders.

General health not impaired. Ordered the beard to be cut close with scissors and the following ointment applied: Bismuth, Calomel, Acid Carbolic, Adeps (lard) nocte mane que utenda. Mist. Alb. in die to open bowels well. Sept 2 - Ordered the following mixture. R. Liq. Arsenicalis, Liq. Polapa, Infus. Calumba, Cap. Ter. Die post Cib. une.

Sept 15 - Local affection has yielded to treatment and is now well.

Mental condition is stationary.

Quite silly, never appears to have been very bright.

Medications/Treatments: Ointment of Bismuth, Calomel, Acid Carbolic and Adeps (lard) nocte mane que utenda, Mist Alba, Mixture of Lig Arsenisalis, Lig Polapa, Infus Calumba, Caprial ter die post ciba une.

Additional Notes

Readmissions:

7th November 1877 (no. 2725). Medical Certificate reads: By his irrational conversation (praying), suspicious of our motives. Sullen appearance, writing such rambling things.

Walking on Railway at large, uncared for, and through a tunnel. Owen Owens, MD, MRCS, Gwalchmai, Anglesey.

Diagnosed ‘mania with imbecility’ and discharged ‘relieved’ on 29th August 1881.

9th February 1899 (no. 5484). Medical Certificate reads: (a) He says that he is praying incessantly day and night as he is afraid that he will be thrust into everlasting fire and he is constantly quoting scripture and is very morose. (b) William Jones, Treddafydd, Penygroes, says that he saw him dancing in front of the horse on the road and kissing the horse. Ellis Jones, Dafarn Dudur says that when he scolded him he stamped the ground fiercely and made very menacing looks at him which caused Ellis Jones to be afraid of his life of him. Diagnosed ‘mania w imbecility’ and discharged ‘relieved’ on 16th June 1899.

19th July 1899 (no. 5557). Medical Certificate reads: (a) He is incoherent in his conversation. Cannot be certain where last employed and when asked a question he refers to some books which as a rule have no connection with the answer wanted and is very slow in answering questions and does not seem to have an idea what is properly wanted. (b) Richard Williams, labourer, of 33 Dinorben Square, Aberffraw, with whom he resides at present says that if asked a question he generally quotes a verse which has no bearing on that question. Has to be watched constantly during the night as he threatens to go to Bodfeurig farm to look after the cattle etc where he is allowed to go to his work at his leisure during the day. Diagnosed ‘mania with imbecility’ and remained in care until he died, a ‘demented imbecile’, from exhaustion on 4th January 1912.