NRS-5031 | Medical case books

Full description

These volumes provide a chronological record of each patient's progress and treatment in the hospital from the time of admission until discharge, transfer to another hospital, or death. Symptoms of physical and mental disorders are described in detail at the time of admission; subsequent entries are briefer. The frequency of entries for each patient varies greatly, the most common interval between entries being one month. Entries are made more frequently if a patient is particularly violent, seriously ill, or approaching death; less frequently (sometimes at yearly intervals) if a patient has been in the hospital for a long period.

There are a number of indexes to this series. Some of the medical case books include an index (see shelf list). The majority of Case books have separate indexes (4/8092-135), and there are also consolidated indexes (4/8090-91) which cover the series from 1863 onwards.

The first volume (4/7652) includes returns of patients admitted and discharged, Oct/Dec 1840-Jul/Dec 1841; similar returns for the period Oct/Dec 1841-Apr/Jul 1847 are contained in the second volume, 4/7653. Patients included in these two volumes are those who were admitted as early as 1822.

Volume 4/7653 also includes at the back: Return of patients received and discharged from the Lunatic Asylum at Tarban Creek (giving number, name, age, ship, condition, when admitted, when discharged, cause of discharge and medical remarks); and separate Quarterly returns of patients received/discharged, for the period July 1846 to September 1847 (giving number, name, age, ship, condition, when admitted and medical remarks).


1839-49 (4/7652-54 formerly ML Mss 20/4-6), 1848-52 ( 4/8137-38), 1856-58 (4/10566), 1857-1925 (4/8139-99). 68 vols.


Note:

This description is extracted from Concise Guide to the State Archives of New South Wales, 3rd Edition 2000.