Hugh Williams (4180)

Admission Details for Patient: Hugh John Williams (4180)

Gender: Male Age: 25
Marital Status: Single Religion: Calvinist Methodist
Occupation: Mariner
Address: Bangor, Carnarvonshire

Date of Admission: April 12, 1890
Date of Death: June 19, 1890
Cause of Death: Epileptic convulsions/exhaustion

Disease: Mania with Epilepsy
Supposed Cause: Heredity

Medical Certificate:
1. (i) Does not know the date or the day of the week but in order to find out attempts a calculation from the day on which he received an affiliation summons and fails. Incessantly refers to said summons. States that he means to be a millionaire through the family of the girl out of whom he had a child; that he will keep a shop, for machinery to be worked by himself (very incoherent here), make birdcages for breeding; that he will teach crafts of all sorts, and that his sons will all work together; that he will speculate with the money and teach said sons the crafts. He talks constantly of himself, his family, the said girl's family and their prospects in an exaggerated and exalted strain. Nothing marked about his appearance except twitching and nervous twisting of hands and fingers. States that there is no blood in his body and that he is paralysed. Generally incoherent. Delusions varying. (ii) Williams Jones states that he has had a fit which marked the onset of the present attack. All day he talks without ceasing of the affiliation summons and the facts above named and of nothing else: he has noticed an impediment in his speech since having the fit. Becoming restless at night. April 12th 1890. Emyr Owen Price, MB and Mr. of Sry. Edin. Bangor.

Approximate duration of present attack: 2 weeks

Number of Previous Attacks: 0

Number of Previous Admissions: 0

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 0

Total Number of Admissions: 1

Relatives affected: One aunt

Epileptic: Yes

Suicidal: No

Dangerous: No

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: No

Sleep Habit: Fair

Destructive Habit: No

Disposition: Sober and hardworking

Education: -

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Health good. Tongue foul. Bs confined. Patient is a sailor and is said to be steady and industrious. Has lately become much disturbed in mind owing to being involved in a Bastardy Case and this, together with Hered. predisposition resulted in Insanity which showed itself a fortnight ago. Had an epileptic attack - the first - on Good Friday last.

Current Diagnosis: General Paralysis of the Insane

Case Notes

1890 Apr - (Notes undated - obscured by Death Certificate).

- Patient's general appearance is not at all unlike that of a General Paralytic and his delusions are also of the nature most frequently recognised in that class of cases. He is a short and stoutly built youth and his organs are sound. Tongue thick and tremulous and coated. Speech slightly jerky and incoherent. Pupils unequal..

Habits destructive. Imagines that he owns a boat called the Sophia and that he is possessed of much property and money.

26 - Owing to being restless and noisy has been confined in Padded Room for a couple of days. Tears all his clothing.

Had no fits. Taking Bromide.

May 1 - Condition variable. One day is restless and uneasy. Stripping himself naked. Pacing the room of his cell like a caged animal and throwing the rugs and bedding about and also very destructive.

The next will be quiet and subdued, sitting in the ward clothed. Same delusions present.

25 - Has Epileptic fits from time to time and then becomes very unmanageable and has to be secluded. Is evidently a case of General Paralysis running an acute course.

June 19 - Patient died today of exhaustion consequent upon a very large number of Epil. fits covering a period of eleven days.

Medications/Treatments: Bromide. Padded Room. Seclusion