John Griffith (6548)

Admission Details for Patient: John Griffith (6548)

Gender: Male Age: 36
Marital Status: Married Religion: Wesleyan Methodist
Occupation: Slate mill sawyer
Address: Tregarth, Carnarvonshire

Date of Admission: March 28, 1905
Date of Discharge: September 18, 1905
Discharge Category: Recovered

Disease: Acute Mania - Religious
Supposed Cause: Religious Revival/heredity and previous attacks

Medical Certificate:
When I saw him he was in a restless and excited state and asked me what my business was, threatening me with violence whereas he has always been friendly disposed towards me - his manner and conduct are totally different from his usual habits. William Griffith (Quarryman), informs me that he went to his work this morning to tell the manager he was going to give up work and going to farm at the Asylum Farm and live in Dr. Cox's house; he also told me that he was quite unmanageable. J ane Griffiths, his wife informs me that he fancies himself to be Jesus Christ and that he is also the King and his wife the Queen and that he must off her head. Dr. W. G. Pritchard. 6 Ogwen Terrace, Bethesda.

Approximate duration of present attack: 2 days

Number of Previous Attacks: 4

Number of Previous Admissions: 4

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 4

Total Number of Admissions: 9

Relatives affected: An uncle

Number of Previous Attacks: 4

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: No

Dangerous: Yes

Clean Habit: -

Food Refusal: -

Sleep Habit: -

Destructive Habit: -

Disposition: Steady

Education: Fair can read and write

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Health moderate. Has been well since his last discharge until two days ago when excitement came on - he has been very enthusiastic over the Religious Revival and this is put down as the exciting cause.

Current Diagnosis: Acute transient psychosis (F23.9)

Case Notes

1905 Apr 3 - This man is in very much the same state as when admitted in July 1899. His general organs are healthy but he is in an ill nourished condition. Mentally suffering from Acute Mania of a religious type, and is rather threatening in his actions. He shouts, sings and prays and has lost all control of himself. Slept well the first night after a draught. Eats well. Apr 18 - He is already much better and is already asking to be discharged. He has commenced to apply himself to work and is doing well. May 29 - Has had a short relapse, not well enough for discharge. Healthy. Discharged recovered Sept 18 1905.

Medications/Treatments: Sleeping draught.

Additional Notes

Four previous admissions:

The first of these on 3rd July 1891 when he was admitted with Subacute Mania (No. 4330). The Medical Certificate read: I. Very excitable and talkative, refusing treatment, very religious, maintaining that he can see a bright future and that no one else can, sometimes threatening, especially to his father. II. Facts communicated by others:

Insanity in the family, great change in his demeanour, loss of sleep, refusing to do his work.

He was discharged on 21st December 1891 recovered.

8th June1893 (No. 4630) admitted with Acute Mania.

The Medical Cerificate reads: I. (a) He was walking outside Tregarth Station, talking wildly about the end of the world; about rivers of fire that would come down upon all. He shouted that there was a whirlwind about and that he saw a little man caught up and dashed down through the hard ground and was only saved from being buried by his silk hat. He warned me to keep off or he would cut off my head with the sword he said he had in his hand.

He said the last call would soon come. II (b) Facts communicated by Hugh Davies, Tregarth, quarryman.

He broke windows and dragged trees and stamped with his feet and tearing shrubs in front of a house near the station.

He went to Aber on horseback and jumped into a luggage train.

At Llanfairfechan he went on the rails and tried to stop the passing trains. By Wm. Rogers, Station Master, Tregarth: He went to a house close by, saying the Holy Spirit had sent him and that he was the owner of the house and all.

He broke many articles.

Discharged recovered on 23rd December 1893.

Readmitted on 10th July 1899 (No. 5553) suffering from Subacute Mania. The Medical Certificate reads: I (a) He appeared resentful of my presence in the house; spoke in a disconnected manner, quoting scripture and reciting hymns.

He boasted of his superiority to other people in his manner of living. II (b) John M. Jones, Pandy Farm, Tregarth, Bangor, Quarryman, said he was destructive, pulling up shrubs and throwing things about, and would have thrown furniture of the house into the road if not restrained and that he was violent at times especially towards his wife and child. Wm. Hugh Jones, Craig y Pandy, said that he went about saying he had been chosen like Jonah, to proclaim the near approach of a day of judgement and calling upon people to repent.

Discharged recovered on 19th October 1899.

On 23rd January 1901 John Griffith was readmitted once more with Subacture Mania. The Medical Certificate reads: I (a) I found him in a somewhat excitable state, he refused to answer questions I asked him, merely whistling and muttering to himself, he followed me into the road asking what my business was. Said that if I didn't go away he would throw a bucket of water at me, usually his conduct towards me is most courteous, he seems to think that he is molested by some imaginary persons whereas noone interferes with him in any way. II (b) PC Ellis Roberts, Tregarth, Bangor, informed me that he was called during the night to the above Jno. Griffith and found that he had escaped from the house to an adjoining farm and unsaddled the horse, let loose the cows and hens, afterwards hiding himself in the hen pen.

Jno. Jones, 6 Craig y Pandy, Tregarth, informed me that he was very violent, threatening to kill them all and took the poker, bellows, and his boots to bed with him saying that devils were following him.

He took the gate off its hinges and threw it some distance away.

Discharged recovered on 20th June 1901.

Readmissions:

Religion once again given as the cause of John Griffith's admission on 9th March 1908 (No. 7060). The Medical Certificate reads: I. The patient is violent in his manner and threatened to shoot me with a gun if I approached which is contrary to his usual manner towards me.

His manner and conduct are totally different to his usual habits.

II. Robt. Griffith, Quarryman, of Penybryn, Bethesda, informs me that he is irritable, quarrelsome and threatening in his manner, last night he threatened to kill his wife and she had to run away in her nightdress from him to a neighbour's house to hide, he tells the informant that the authority over the Penrhyn Estate is in his hands, that he has dismissed the Estate Agent, that he was to accompany Lord Penrhyn to the quarry and bring soldiers with him and that he was going to march in front of them.

Discharged recovered on 16th November 1908.

6th June 1910 (No. 7461) with Mania.

The Medical Certificate reads:

He is suffering from delusions, he states that he is Jesus Christ and that he has thousands of soldiers under his command leading them to a great war; by these statements I was satisfied that the patient was unsound of mind.

His wife informs me that he told her that there is a great war and that he is the general leader of the soldiers and that he will conquer and be made King, also she states that his manner is threatening. Catherine Jones, Tregarth, informs me that he wanted her as a witness in a big case that was going on against the Asylum authorities and that LLoyd George was asking for him.

Discharged recovered on 24th November 1910.

18th May 1914 admitted with Recurrent Mania (No. 8243).

The Medical Certificate reads:

(a) He is suffering from delusions, fancies he is the sole owner of the neighbourhood and that the Millennium has come, and that he and Lloyd George are going to put the whole world in proper order.

He is threatening in his manner and quite different to his usual conduct.

(b) John Clement Griffith, Quarryman, Pandy, Tregarth, Bangor, informs me that he is threatening in his manner and fancies that he is the Almighty and that all powers are in his hands.

Catherine Pritchard, Craig y Pandy, Tregarth, housewife, informs me that he fancies the end of the world has come and that all the powers are in his hands and that he has a large army under his control ready to sweep everything in front of him.

Discharged recovered on 21st December 1914.

John Griffith's last admission to Denbigh was on 10th February 1915 (No. 8391) with a diagnosis of Melancholia.

The Medical Certificate reads: (a) The patient is sleepless, restless and suffers mental misery.

He informs me that sometimes he is urged to do away with himself. He thinks that the war has affected his mind a good deal as he predicted the present war years ago.

From the above facts, I conclude he should be put under proper care and control.

(b) Jane Griffiths, his wife, Pandy, Tregarth, informs me that he is very despondent, moaning and crying, restless and does not sleep at night. Also that his manner and ha bits are totally different to what it used to be.

Edward Griffith Roberts (farmer), Gelli, Tregarth, informs me that he is very despondent, crying and moaning and at times waving his arms frantically over his head.

The patient died on 28th April 1915 after little more than two months in the asylum. The cause of death was "Stonemason's Lung" almost certainly the result of working for many years in the quarry at Bethesda and more particularly in the slate dust of the sawyer's workshop.