Hartwood Asylum abandoned

Описание: The Asylum
The Lanarkshire County Lunatic Asylum opened its doors in 1895 in Hartwood near Shotts, described as a self-sufficient and secure hospital for the 'mentally deficient'.
The first patients that arrived here were from workhouses; these poor people had been kept for too long in a completely unsuitable environment and most arrived in a very poor state of physical health.
Patients ranged from age 10 to 80 and included people who were mentally handicapped as well as those with mental health issues such as melancholy and hysteria. Dr Clark, the Asylum's first physician, took a very different stance to care than was common at the time - rather than punish and deprive those that were unable, he prescribed fresh air, clean surroundings, nourishing food, mental stimulation and, of course, acts of what was considered kindness.

Treatment
There has been controversy over various treatments given to patients at the asylum during its history, including the administration of shock therapy without anaesthetic. In the asylum's early years, before mental illness was considered treatable, inmates would simply be restrained and left in rooms, many of them until their deaths.
Hartwood evolved into an NHS psychiatric hospital, but it eventually became unsuitable for mental health treatment so the wards shut in the mid-1990's and its services became what we now know as care in the community. The building itself became a teaching college, but finally closed its doors in 1998 .

Facilities
The modernising of mental hospitals affected not just medical treatment, but encouraged greater focus on occupation and entertainment. By the mid-1930s, mental hospitals across Scotland had cinemas, hosted dances and sports clubs as part of an effort to make entertainment and occupation a central part of recovery and rehabilitation and Hartwood was no exception.
At the centre of Hartwood Hospital was the large hall, located on the first floor, an ornate and formal entertainment space which could accommodate 1200 people for musical performances, and dances.
Mental hospitals appear to us today in a state of ghostly dereliction, after years of neglect and a generation of bad press. But behind these images lies a history that is rich in everyday efforts to make institutional life more liveable. In the early years of operation, each ward had fresh flowers and a supply of books that was changed every fortnight. It was not unusual for mental hospitals during this era to have their own sports teams, education departments and art and music classes. With mental health continuing to receive more attention than ever before, perhaps Hartwood’s history of care and community can help guide future treatments.