Asylum: Gransha (HOS/17/7)
Registration Number: 5816

I am John, I live in Belfast.

My patient is Margaret — a forty-year-old woman, a servant, who was admitted to the Londonderry District Lunatic Asylum in October 1913. She was described as violent using terms such as ‘homicidal, restless, abusive and excited’. 

‘Says she is the Virgin Mary, wanted out to walk on the water, she is mad and was in an asylum 8 years ago, married and has three children’. She had left the house to ‘go into the water in the river.’

She received care in the Mullingar Asylum between April and December 1912.

The day following admission, she said she has five children and had given birth fourteen days ago. She was ‘incoherent, throwing herself about on the floor, refusing food and had to be spoon fed’. Sleep disturbed ‘slept badly, exalted ideas’. 

Six days later she is saying that she is the “Queen of Spain” and “Asylum is the Vatican”. She is described as ‘maniacal’ and ‘acute maniacal exacerbations’, also ‘restless and noisy’. Once as ‘Delusive’ and ‘Troublesome’.

The drug Sulphonal, developed in 1888, was used in her care. A hypnotic drug, it could calm and be used in smaller amounts as she improved.

Observed by June 1914 as “more quiet. foolish laugh, delusions of false identity, BH good, requires sulphonal occasionally”. Is BH behaviour?

By September 1914 she has improved and case notes describe her as ‘quite rational’ and says that she changed to no 9 division and is ‘employing herself knitting, BH is good No delusions’. September 1914 she is ‘discharged Recovered c/o Brother’.

Burned by the summer

releases her spirit

through care finds peace

Margaret had family support. It’s interesting that a drug was being used as well as caring for her that led to a good outcome. Seems that the difference now is that medication and care have made progress from this starting point.

Margaret Maguire by John Robinson

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