Admission Details for Patient: R O R (9439)
Gender: Male Age: 29
Marital Status: Single Religion: Calvinist Methodist
Occupation: Farm labourer
Address: Gaerwen, Anglesey
Date of Admission: May 20, 1920
Date of Death: April 22, 1975
Cause of Death:
Disease: (Dementia)
Supposed Cause: Heredity
Medical Certificate:
Simple and silly, cannot give a coherent account of himself. Confused and incoherent in his statements, rambling about all night. W H, farmer, Friddoedd Farm, Bangor: Came to my farm and took away a mare, saying that it belonged to him. He had been very peculiar in his ways for some time.
Dr. Charles william Owen, Bangor, 20th May 1920.
Approximate duration of present attack: 5 weeks
Number of Previous Attacks: 999
Number of Previous Admissions: 0
Number of Subsequent Admissions: 0
Total Number of Admissions: 1
Relatives affected: Father (J R) an inmate several times
Number of Previous Attacks: 999
Epileptic: Not stated
Suicidal: No
Dangerous: Yes, threatens violence
Clean Habit:
Food Refusal:
Sleep Habit:
Destructive Habit:
Disposition:
Education:
Physical/Mental State at Examination: Good health. Believed to have been an inmate of Denbigh Asylum once or twice before. (Although no record of admissions on the database - possibly out of area at the time he was admitted). Very depressed. States his name is just R O. Answers very slowly. Memory very poor. Quite confused at times.
Current Diagnosis: Schizophrenia (F20.0)
Case Notes
1920 May 25 (copy of official report) - He is depressed and self absorbed, takes little interest in his surroundings and is unresponsive and slow in replying to questions put to him.
His memory is defective. There is a certain amount of mental confusion and he is unable to give any clear account of himself.
He states that he has been in the Army but is unable to give any details regarding his period of Service.
He seems of rather poor intelligence and says he only passed the first standard in school.
June to Oct - No change.
1921 Jan to April - No change.
Apr 31 (copy report) - Suffering from Dementia.
Very dull, slow and stupid.
Walks about aimlessly at times talking to himself. No interest in his surroundings and unable to employ himself usefully. Memory becoming defective.
July to Oct - The same .
1922 Jan - Unchanged. Apr 20 (copy report) - Suffering from Dementia. Dull and stupid and unable to converse in an intelligent manner.
Disorientated as regards time and place and is dirty and destuctive in his habits but is now beginning to improve in the latter respect.
July to Oct - No further change.
1923 Jan - Unchanged.
Apr - Dirty and destructive. 1924 Jan - Demented, dull, stupid.
Apr 29 (copy report) - Dementia. His memory has become very defective and he does not now seem to understand questions put to him and goes about talking a lot of nonsense to himself. He has occasional attacks of excitement when he becomes impulsive and dangerous to others and recently his habits have become unclean.
1925 Jan - Now in a poor state physically and although his symptoms point to Pulmonary TB, it is imposible to diagnose him clinically as he lies like a log in bed and refuses to do anything asked.
Intake of air into lungs inaudible for stethoscope.
July - His physical condition has improved by open air treatment. Still in bed. Takes food better now.
1926 Jan - Lies in bed like a log. Obstinate with food now.
July - The same. Aug - An improvement inasmuch as he will now talk quite nicely. Takes his food himself and gets up every afternoon.
1927 Apr 21 (copy report) - Suffering from Dementia.
He is in an anergic state, shows little initiative. He has recently been in a state of stupor and has been troublesome as regards taking his food. Suffering from Tuberculosis of Lungs but improving physically.
Aug - No interest in his surroundings.
Bodily health now satisfactory.
1928 Apr - Keeps well.
Mentally very apathetic and will go for days without speaking unless spoken to.
1929 June - Extremely lazy and apathetic.
1930 Jan to July - No change.
1931 Jan 10 - A case of simple Dementia Praecox. Apathy marked. He leads a useless existence. Further notes record various minor injuries resulting from fights with other patients but indicate little change in his mental condition and a Special Report, dated April 1957, reads: He is a chronic schizophrenic whose condition alternates between noisy, aggressive restlessness and a quiet self absorbed state.
Emotionally flattened and quite content in hospital.
By this time he was being treated with Largactil and thought to be 'improving' (see Additional Notes below).
O R R died in care from Pneumonia in 1975 after sustaining a fractured femur.
An inquest recorded a verdict of Accidental Death.
Medications/Treatments: Largactil, Notensil
Additional Notes
O R R started 'Special Treatment' with Largactil 18th January 1957 and on 15th April:
Definite improvement with Largactil. Instead of swings every 2-3 weeks he remains quiet and much more steady.
Will converse better, listens to what is said and gives correct answers to a large extent - ' 40 years here'. Correct names. Does not know date.
In June 1957 he was switched to Notensil after "Sun + Largactil > red puffy face".
After 3 days on Notensil he was reported as manic and talking loudly and incessantly.
Largactil was resumed and in December 1957 it was noted:
Improvement maintained with Largactil. Is however either too weak or too disinterested to work.
Seems to understand the meaning of questions but his replies are seldom informative.
At the end of January 1958 the Largactil was discontinued. Largactil Syrup resumed in August 1959 and continued at intervals thereafter until 1974.
Shortly before O R R's death his niece wrote to the hospital:
"Having visited my uncle, I realise how ill he is and, of course, taking into consideration his age. I would be grateful if you could give me any information regarding burial expenses.
As the family burial is at Llangefni Anglesey and we would like in the event of his death to bring him back to Anglesey.
Could you please let me know if any fund is kept for long stay patients as my uncle has been in your very good care for the last 50 years."
No reply on file.
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