Jane Owen (2464)

Admission Details for Patient: Jane Owen (2464)

Gender: Female Age: 46
Marital Status: Married Religion: Wesleyan Methodist
Occupation: Farmer's wife
Address: Llangoed, Anglesey

Date of Admission: June 11, 1875
Date of Discharge: December 11, 1875
Discharge Category: Relieved

Disease: Mania
Supposed Cause: Heredity and ‘marrying an old man’

Medical Certificate:
Insane delusions. Imagines herself to be all over on fire or burning her throat more particularly. She has a wound on the throat which is represented to have been produced by her capstring which she is in the habit of tying extremely tight. Insists on keeping herself extremely filthy in every particular. Robert and Edward Owen, MRCS, FLSA Eng Bulkeley Place, Beaumaris.

Approximate duration of present attack: About 3 years

Number of Previous Attacks: 1

Number of Previous Admissions: 1

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 0

Total Number of Admissions: 2

Relatives affected: Cousin has been here and left about 6 months ago

Number of Previous Attacks: 1

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: Doubtful

Dangerous: No

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: Very frequently

Sleep Habit: Bad

Destructive Habit: No

Disposition: Sober and industrious

Education: Bad

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Somewhat feeble, middle sized to spare, nervous temperament. Emaciated slightly with high cheek bones. Partakes fairly of nourishment. Tongue is clean, bowels open. Urine very copious, specific gravity about 1016 - absence of albumen and sugar. Appears to walk with difficulty requiring support. Nothing abnormal to be found with lower extremities and probably exaggerated. Has been here before as a private patient for a period of four months.* Was quite coherent on admission and her memory did not seem impaired. She was very loath to enter the ward but did not get excited. Sister states that she has never been perfectly sane since her marriage - her husband being 25 years older than herself. Has not been violent but continually tying her dresses fast around her legs and not taking them off until they become very dirty. Would not readily go to bed. She herself states that she "threw herself away when she got married". She was obliged to be fed with the stomach pump during her previous stay. Said that she was being burnt all over and that she was wasting down to nothing. There is no refusal of food this time. Pupils are not equal but she has a slight convergent strabismus of left eye.

Current Diagnosis: Delusional Disorder (F22.0)

Case Notes

1875 June 12 - Was quiet during the night but did not sleep. Calm during the day and wanted to go home very much asking one to telegraph her sister. Takes her food well.

Same delusions.

Applied Arg. Nit. to ulcer on neck.

June 13 - Was quiet but did not sleep much.

June 14 - Sleeping badly and to have draught at bedtime. June 24 - Owing to her feeble health she has been removed to Infirmary Ward. Continually tying her clothes around her lower extremities and pushing her underclothing up her vagina.

Ulcer on neck has healed.

July 1 - No improvement.

Does not have a cap to wear as she ties the string so tight under her chin for the purpose, she says, of preventing the fire going down to her bowels.

Draught nightly and gets bread and milk for dinner and supper.

Aug 8 - Not the slightest improvement in her condition. Reclines on the bench in the same attitude all day with the upper part of her dress between her teeth.

Says that she is burning away and pretends that she is unable to walk.

Says that she cannot sleep at night whereas the night attendant says that she sleeps well. Takes nourishment freely.

Wants to go home very much.

Dec 11- Has improved gradually but to no great extent.

She answered questions coherently.

As she is quite quiet and has a good home was discharged today.

Medications/Treatments: Arg Nit, Nightly draught

Additional Notes

*A previous admission in September 1872 is noted but no case notes are found.