Mary Rees (4189)

Admission Details for Patient: Mary Rees (4189)

Gender: Female Age: 28
Marital Status: Married Religion: Baptists
Occupation: Farmer's wife
Address: Dolgelley, Merioneth

Date of Admission: May 22, 1890
Date of Death: July 13, 1895
Cause of Death: Phthisis/exhaustion

Disease: Melancholia
Supposed Cause: Heredity/Confinement

Medical Certificate:
1. She has delusions about herself. She believes that she has committed some great sin for which she must suffer eternally. She believes that her husband some time before the birth of her child made some impression upon her which is the cause of her present state. She also asserts that her father and mother have influenced her in some mysterious way. 2. Facts communicated by: Her husband Robert Rees and David Kinsey, a neighbour, River Watcher: That she is at times most violent. Three or four men not able to control her. That she attempted to kill her infant and would have done so had she not been prevented. That she has often threatened to go to a deep pool in a river close to her house. May 21st 1890. Edward Jones, MD etc of Caerffynnon, Dolgelley.

Approximate duration of present attack: 5 months

Number of Previous Attacks: 0

Number of Previous Admissions: 0

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 0

Total Number of Admissions: 1

Relatives affected: Mother, Brother, Aunt

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: Yes

Dangerous: Yes

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: No

Sleep Habit: Moderate

Destructive Habit: No

Disposition: -

Education: -

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Health moderate. Appetite poor. The three relatives above mentioned have been inmates of this Asylum, her aunt dying here. Confined 6 months ago of her third child she, a month after, showed signs of Insanity. Has steadily become worse. Is said to be decidedly suicidal. Very hostile to her husband and relations.

Current Diagnosis: Postpartum Disorder (F53.1)

Additional Diagnosis: 23.1

Case Notes

1890 May 24 - Patient is slender and of medium height, brown hair and eyes. Thin face. Is low spirited and dejected and imagines her husband etc has got her in here to put her out of the way.

She is also incoherent.

Very sleepless.

Poorly nourished and a suspicion that there is a tubercular deposit in right apex.

Bruises on arms and legs. (Notes to 1893 are obscured by a Death Certificate).- Much

worse. Takes myself apart from other patients in a most mysterious manner and says that I am ordained by God to be her Husband and that I have a very strong influence over her and that I am her God etc.

Clings to and can only be forcibly restrained from following out of the Ward. - Looking better and evidently improving in health. Still states that I am her husband and persists in following. -Improving a little. Not troublesome and does more sewing daily.

Has also mentioned her husband and expressed a desire to go home. - Has improved only in as much as she is not so obviously silly and troublesome as she was but all her delusions are as deeply rooted as ever.

Takes no interest in her husband and family and writes notes to myself calling me her God etc. etc. Probably incurable. - Still displays much aversion to her husband but nonetheless abuses us and demands her discharge. Rambling and incoherent and cross and abusive. Quite incurable.

- Saw her husband and child a few days ago.

Rated him soundly and bade him be gone, showed no affection for child. Violent and untrustworthy.

Useless. Cannot now be said to have any suicidal tendencies and have withdrawn her Card.

1892 Dec 6 - Nothing to record.

1893 Apr - Deluded and incoherent. Often excited and noisy.

Incurable. 1894 July - The same. 1895 Mar 11 - Since last entry has shown symptoms of failing health, the symptoms pointing to acute Phthisis. Temperature runs high and she is wasting rapidly.

May 1 - Confined to bed since last entry. Takes food well. No mental change. Does not wish to see her husband who is now in London.

July 3 - Has become very feeble and cannot last much longer.

Medications/Treatments: