Talk:Bethlem Royal Hospital
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[edit] Name of institution
It hardley seems encyclopaedic to refer to Bethlem as "the world's oldest 'madhouse'". Hence the term has been removed. --Lejend 22:19, 20 Apr 2005 (UTC)
- Hardly seems accurate to refer to a centuries old institution by the anachronistic name "Psychiatric hospital", so have replaced that with "lunatic asylum". PaulHammond 18:59, 8 April 2007 (UTC)
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- Err, I really can't see how 'lunatic asylum' is more appropriate and less anachronistic than 'psychiatric hospital'. We are discussing a description for what the hospital is NOW, so while it may have been founded as an asylum, it has evolved into a multi-service hospital and facility, with day patients and others, and a medium secure unit - from its website: "The Bethlem Royal Hospital is one of the main inpatient services run by the Trust. The hospital provides care and treatment for people suffering from mental health problems. As many as 1,700 a year are admitted for treatment, and over 800 members of staff are employed at the hospital." 'Lunatic asylum' is entirely inappropriate, and inaccurate. Martín (saying/doing) 23:18, 8 April 2007 (UTC)
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- Perfectly acceptable though in discussing its origins and history to describe it as a "lunatic asylum", as neither the term "psychiatric hospital" nor medical treatment of such patients existed at that time (i.e. it was merely a custodial place). I agree though that the introduction and description of the current hospital should only use the term "psychiatric hospital". David Ruben Talk 00:35, 9 April 2007 (UTC)
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- See history of Psychiatric hospital and section specifically on this institution and when term "patient" first used - Psychiatric hospital#Bethlem Royal Hospital David Ruben Talk 00:38, 9 April 2007 (UTC)
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- Psychiatric hospital is not a very appropriate way of describing the place either... Psychiatry is the activity of psychiatrists, doctors who are just one part of the modern multidisciplinary mental health team. There is a great deal more that goes on in mental health services than psychiatry.—Preceding unsigned comment added by 194.176.105.39 (talk • contribs) 11:38, 17 May 2007
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[edit] An inaccuracy?
I am reading a theatre play from 1622, the Changeling, and there is a place similar to Bedlam, very likely to have been taken up from the real one, and there is a passage mentioning "patients" as well as "daily visitants" who were looking at the madmen for fun. This would render the first dates of mentioning the former (18th century) and latter respectively (19th century) questionable. Malej 19:28, 5 February 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Notable patients
I've removed this entry from the Notable Patients list:
- Lady Katherine Blickley, tried and convicted for showing signs of witchcraft
I can't find anything about her online, but please add some further information if available. - Vaughan 09:43, 2 May 2007 (UTC)
[edit] Initial architect of the New Bethlem Hospital
When Bethlem moved to St. George's Fields, the building was not designed by Sydney Smirke, it was designed by John Gandy, who won the premium offered in July 1810 for the design of the new Bethlem Hospital. Sydney Smirke was not the architect for the hospital until the 1838 redesign, according to his wikipedia entry.
Reference: Survey of London, volume 25, Chapter 9: Bethlem Hospital. —Preceding unsigned comment added by RegencyEditor (talk • contribs) 06:01, 20 February 2008 (UTC)
