VPRS 18366 Medical Journals

Full description

This record series comprises medical journals from the beginnings of Ballarat Asylum until 1952. It was soon after 1952 that the record keeping system relating to individual patients changed from a system of patient clinical notes to one of patient information files.

The first journal dates from 1891, because it belonged to the Yarra Bend Asylum (VA2839). It seems that the journal, together with the patients were transferred to the Ballarat Asylum (VA 2839).

Each Hospital for the Insane and Licensed House was required to maintain a Medical Journal under section 21 of the Lunacy Act 1867. Every week the superintendent of the Asylum was to enter, or cause to be entered in the Medical Journal a statement showing the date, number of patients of each sex in the asylum, the name of every patient who had been placed in seclusion or under restraint since the last entry, the reasons and length of time of the seclusion/restraint, names of patients under medical treatment and for what (if any) bodily disorder, the condition of the institution, and every death, injury and 'violence' to patients since the last entry.