Duffield House, Derby
My Lords and Gentlemen,
On the 7th instant when visiting the Bradford (Yorkshire) Workhouse I observed a woman named Susannah Bower in the female Lunatic Ward with severe bruises on her arms. Upon enquiring I found she been admitted to the workhouse four days previously and that it had been twice found necessary to restrain her from doing injury to herself by placing her in a straight jacket, and ^as^ after examining the Nurse, Medical Officer, and Master of the Workhouse, I was unable to satisfy that these bruises were all upon her person previously to her admission, as stated by the Master, or that no unnecessary violence had been used in restraining her, I wrote to Mr Darlington requesting him to bring the matter under the notice of the Guardians, and to cause an enquiry to be made of the Relieving Officer and relatives of the patient by whom she was brought to the Workhouse as to the condition in which she was previous to her admission – I at the same time pointed out how undesirable it was that a person in her state, obviously requiring restraint at the time of admission, would be detained in a workhouse for upwards of four days, as altho’ a Certificate for her removal to the Asylum had been signed by the Medical Officer previous to my visit she could not be removed before the next day at soonest, when in point of fact she was removed to Haydock Lodge Asylum then being no room for her at Wakefield, and I urged upon the Guardians the propriety of appointing additional paid Nurses both in the Lunatic Wards & at Hospital so that there might be at least one paid Night Nurse always on duty in each. – I at the same time drew their attention to the impropriety of the Master of the Workhouse employing an imbecile Male pauper to assist the women in the Laundry and Washhouse. To this letter I have received a reply from Mr Darlington, of which annexed is a copy, which appears to me satisfactory, as I can place the most entire confidence in Mr Darlington, who would I am sure have told one if he had not been satisfied with the enquiry thus instituted – I have written to thank the guardians for the attention they have paid to the several matters I brought under their notice, and if the Board desire to see the Evidence taken by the visiting committee in the case of Susannah Power, perhaps they will ask for a copy of it, otherwise I think further notice need not be taken of this matter, which however I have thought it right to bring to the knowledge of the Board –
I have the honor to be
My Lords and Gentleman
Your Obedient Ser
U Corbett
Poor Law Inspector