NRS-4995 | Registers of patients and admission books [Callan Park Hospital]

Full description

This series comprises registers of patients and admission books which record incoming patients at Callan Park Hospital.

These hand written registers were used for the initial registration and admission of patients who were allocated a ‘register number’ sometimes called a ‘unit number’. The registers were also used to record subsequent admissions of the patient probably using the same number. Register entries are chronological by date of admission and early entries are usually in numerical sequence, however, in later years the date of admission should be noted as patients with existing numbers and new numbers are intermixed.

These volumes are arranged chronologically and have standard, printed columns headed: date of last previous admission (if any), no. [number] on register, no. [number] for year, date of admission, name at length, sex - m/f [male/female], age, social condition - m/s/u [married/single/unknown], no. [number] of children, occupation, nativity [where born], residence, profession of religion, how sent, date of medical certificate and by whom signed, form of mental disorder, supposed cause of insanity, insane relations, previous attacks, duration of existing attack, age at first attack, date of discharge, recovered, relieved, not improved, died, time in hospital, and observations-bodily disorder, suicidal, &c.

The main run of patients were allocated single numbers and, from 1959, temporary patients were allocated a separate run of numbers with a 'T' prefix (T1-T1980).

The first register (1877-1884) mainly records the transfer of patients from Gladesville Hospital for the Insane to Callan Park. This appears to be the main Callan Park register for 1877 only, with patient numbers beginning again from 1 in the 1878 register. The back section of the register for 1956-1960 was used as a separate register for temporary patients. For 1959 to1962 the register for temporary patients was continued in a separate book.