Elizabeth Elizabeth Gapper (2520)

Admission Details for Patient: Elizabeth Phelps Gapper (2520)

Gender: Female Age: 21
Marital Status: Single Religion: Church of England
Occupation: Governess
Address: Llangolynin, Merioneth

Date of Admission: December 16, 1875
Date of Discharge: February 21, 1876
Discharge Category: Recovered

Disease: Acute Mania
Supposed Cause: Heredity

Medical Certificate:
Unnatural ideas and actions in destroying her own clothes and everything that comes in her way. John Ap Rhydderch Owen, Glanafon, Dyffryn.

Approximate duration of present attack: 4 days

Number of Previous Attacks: 0

Number of Previous Admissions: 0

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 0

Total Number of Admissions: 1

Relatives affected: Idiot sister in Colney Hatch. Aunt and two great cousins.

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: Threatened to hang herself

Dangerous: No

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: Yes, believes it poisoned

Sleep Habit: Bad

Destructive Habit: Tore her clothing

Disposition: Most industrious, sent money to her father

Education: Well educated

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Bodily condition fair, excitable temperament. Uncle died of phthisis. Mental state: On the 10th inst. got to act peculiarly. Since then has been beating her head against the wall. On admission she was very excited, imagining she was hung and tearing her dress at the neck. Talking wildly and incoherently and refusing to take her food. Elizabeth Gapper is elsewhere described as well-educated and ‘most industrious’.

Current Diagnosis: Acute Transient Psychosis (F23.0)

Case Notes

1875 Dec 18 - Refuses to take her food which has to be administered by feeder.

Still very excited.

Sleeps fairly under the influence of Hydrat Chloral gr xxxv . Dec 19 - She is now quiet and rational.

She says she feels stunned.

Takes her food readily.

Dec 28 - She is constantly demanding water to drink and when this is brought she rejects it saying that it contains poison.

1876 Jan 5 - She was removed to the sick ward as she complained of the noise in the refractory (ward). Here she is quiet and rational, answers questions well.

Her delusion of having been poisoned still continues.

Jan 12 - Has much improved.

Talks of her attack as a dream.

Is employed in the workroom but is very fond of playing the piano and is permitted to attend the entertainments and dances where she conducts herself in an orderly manner.

Feb 12 - Has continued well and without relapse since last report.

Is in capital health. Very industrious.

Will probably be discharged at the next Committee on Friday 18th.

Medications/Treatments: Hydrat. Chloral