Lunatic Asylum - Lancaster

[Lily]

I have established that my great great grandfather died in the Lunatic Aslyum in Lancaster in 1912 aged 33 of 20 month paralysis. Can anyone advise me of where to go next to establish why he was admitted? And how long he was there for? We have contacted Lancaster Records Office only to be quoted the 100 year rule but they have confirmed that it is him off the family information I have been able to quote.

Any info appreciated....

[Cornish Maid]

Hi Lily


Do you actually have his Death Certificate, or is the cause of death just what you have been told by someone?

Sorry to have to be the one to tell you this, but the commonest cause of death by paralysis in a Lunatic Asylum (the death cert should say GPI or Grand Paralysis of the Insane) is from untreated syphilis.

Hope I am wrong in your case!

Cornish Maid

[Lily]

Thanks Cornish Maid for the information. The death certificate does not give that amount of detail. Just death after 20 month paralysis. At least that is another possibility to follow up, albeit not a very nice one!

[Cornish Maid]

Hi Lily,


No, not a very nice possibility, however you may draw some comfort from the fact that GPI was the fourth most common cause of death in 1995 (yes,1995) - the most recent year for which figures are available. Only cancer, heart disease and stroke are more common than this.

Makes a bit of a nonsense of the Aids scare, doesnt it - Aids featured somewhere below 100th commonest cause of death in 1995.

And of course, your ancestor may have been paralysed for many other reasons - meningitis springs to mind, or indeed an accident. Syphilis does not usually prove fatal until late middle age.

Good luck in your search and let us know what you find.

Cornish Maid

[Lily]

Hi Cornish Maid

Thomas did father four children none of whom had any deformaties and his wife went onto to live until the ripe old age of 88. So it is possible he had some other sort of problem. Will just have to hope the patient records once released solve the mystery!

Thanks

Lily