Mary Doughan (6649)

Admission Details for Patient: Mary Ellen Doughan (6649)

Gender: Female Age: 26
Marital Status: Married Religion: Church of England
Occupation: Housewife
Address: Bethesda, Carnarvonshire

Date of Admission: October 23, 1905
Date of Discharge: February 19, 1906
Discharge Category: Recovered

Disease: Puerperal Mania
Supposed Cause: Confinement

Medical Certificate:
She is suffering from delusions, fancies that she is chloroformed and that her clothes and food are full of chloroform; she told me that she had seen her mother who has been dead for years and that she had given her some papers and that she had to see three solicitors concerning them, she talks almost incessantly with fits of violent excitement and gets quite uncontrollable; her manner and conduct are quite at variance with her usual habits. John Doughan, husband, informs me that she is dangerous to herself and others and on one occasion she threatened to stab him with a knife; also her baby had to be taken away from her as she was threatening in her manner towards him. She refuses to take food saying it is poisoned. Dr. W. S. Pritchard, 6 Ogwen Terrace, Bethesda.

Approximate duration of present attack: 10 days

Number of Previous Attacks: 0

Number of Previous Admissions: 0

Number of Subsequent Admissions: 0

Total Number of Admissions: 1

Relatives affected:

Epileptic: No

Suicidal: No

Dangerous: No

Clean Habit: Yes

Food Refusal: Yes

Sleep Habit: Bad

Destructive Habit: -

Disposition: A very respectable girl

Education: -

Physical/Mental State at Examination: Health good. Patient is a labourer's wife and was confined of her 2nd child 19 days ago and about 10 days afterwards began to show symptoms of Puerperal Insanity. The labour was natural.

Current Diagnosis: Post partum disorder (F53.3)

Additional Diagnosis: 32.3

Case Notes

1905 Oct 25 - A nice looking woman of average height and build, well nourished and apparently in good health.

Breasts engorged. Some discharge. She is quiet and beyond being noisy at night shows no excitement.

She shows no delusions beyond thinking her husband is also here and at first had to be pressed with food thinking poison had been put in it.

She is in bed in Hospital.

Nov 1 - Much improved. Takes her own food and sleeps well. Is now up daily and a very nicely spoken and well behaved girl. Dec 1 - This patient's progress has been disappointing and has belied the expectation formed.

She has become unsettled, tried in the Laundry but was too troublesome. Believes her people are here.

Grumbles about everything and quarrels with the nurses. Is idle and lazy.

1906 Jan 20 - Has of late made great improvement and may be said to be now recovered. A very useful worker. Has become quite stout. Feb 19 - Left today with her husband in the best of spirits.

A nice merry little woman who had become a great favourite here.

Medications/Treatments:

Additional Notes

Noted in the Case Book:

This poor girl threw herself under a train at Bethesda the Saturday after her discharge. It is said that nothing amiss had been noticed and the verdict was of Unsound Mind. She had probably done so on the impulse of the moment, annoyed it may be at hearing something that had happened during the time she was here.

Her husband had, against her wishes, moved to a new residence and closer to his people, who she did not care for.

The news of her death was received here with surprise and the greatest regret by all who knew her.