Catherine Jones (6559)

Admission Details for Patient: Catherine Jones (6559)

Name Mismatch: 6559 , 2521

Gender: Female Age: 45
Marital Status: Single Religion: Calvinist Methodist
Occupation: Housekeeper
Address: Carnarvon, Carnarvonshire

Date of Admission: April 15, 1905
Date of Discharge: October 24, 1905
Discharge Category: Recovered

Disease: Acute Melancholia
Supposed Cause: (Loss of servant)

Medical Certificate:
She having attacked and stabbed her sister and brother-in-law in the forearm with bread knife also having struck her brother with a poker across the head. She threatens to kill her brother and to drown herself. She is in the habit of leaving the house in her undergarments, this information obtained from her brother. Dr. E.Shelton Roberts, Gwyddfor, Penygroes.

Approximate duration of present attack: 168 days

Number of Previous Attacks: 0

Number of Previous Admissions: 0

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 1

Total Number of Admissions: 2

Relatives affected: Several are said at times to become depressed

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: Threatened and attempted

Dangerous: Yes

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: No

Sleep Habit: Fair

Destructive Habit: -

Disposition: Respectable

Education: -

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Health good. Patient keeps house for her brother who has a fair size farm, she began to show symptoms of mental disorder about 6 months ago and the cause is said to be the loss of a servant to whom she was attached. She has several times gone to the shore to drown herself and once walked well into the sea. Two days ago she drew a knife across her arm which had to be sewn up.

Current Diagnosis: Depressive episode (F32.2)

Case Notes

1905 Apr 19 - A well built and nourished woman of above average height in apparently fair health. Sallow complexion with large steel blue eyes, pupils normal. She has no teeth. On her left arm she has an incised wound, clean cut, dividing muscles and on the ulnar side to the bone.

2.5 inches long. The superficial stitches owing to her restlessness have parted leaving a gaping wound which has been now brought together as well as possible and put on a back splint.

She is very restless and uneasy, pulling at the wounded arm and intolerant of supervision. She does not wish to get well and would rather die repenting that she had not drowned herself etc. She talks incessantly all day, repeating the same questions over and over in a maddening manner.

She is very cunning and takes up everything said to her at once.

She is under a Card.

Takes food well but is very troublesome at night.

25 - At times excited and has to be forcibly restrained from injuring herself.

Has large bruises on forehead from banging it against the ground etc.

May 3 - Requires the constant vigilance of a nurse. The wound on arm is healing satisfactorily.

21 - Decidedly less troublesome and the wound is now well. Aug 10 - Has improved very much since last entry and is now fairly well. She is very bothering to be allowed home and will probably get on better there. She is in good spirits. Has no delusions but is somewhat "silly".

She has been employed in the Laundry for some time. Has improved very much in health and looks. Oct 24 - Has been out on trial for two months and is certified to be quite well again. Discharged Oct 24 1905.

Medications/Treatments:

Additional Notes

Readmission::

1st May 1925 (No. 952) until death (from broncho-pneumonia and heart disease) on 11th April 1932. Again diagnosed with Melancholia on admission. The Medical Certificate reads:

She talked incessantly and very incoherently.

Complains of rushing pains in her head, is restless and says she is distracted and wants to run about anywhere even to the sea and is afraid of herself for want of control.

Hugh Jones, brother, farmer, of the same address states: That she wants to be put away for her own safety.

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