Dr Bob Adams FRCPsych, M Psychother,
Psychiatrist, Mental Health Tribunal Doctor and Author
A fascinating journey through 240 years of mental health care at the York Asylum, latterly known as Bootham Park Hospital. From stark 18th century diagnoses of ‘flighty’, ‘melancholic’ and ‘wild’ to modern psychiatric practice, this illustrated talk explores the hospital’s origins, controversies, reforms, evolution of treatments and eventual closure in 2015. Dr Adams’ virtual tour also captures the wider social and medical contexts that influenced these developments. Reflecting on both progress and persistent challenges, he will consider what lessons this history offers for contemporary mental health care.
Dr Adams was an NHS Consultant Psychiatrist and clinical director at Bootham Park Hospital for 24 years. Elected President of York Medical Society in 2015, he now works as a Tribunal Doctor for psychiatric hospitals across England. Copies of his popular new book on the subject will be available on the evening. You can also visit our accompanying exhibition on mental health care in York in the Tempest Anderson Room.
Vote of thanks by Dr Phil Duffey.
After the surprising revelation that whistling is Paul Blenkiron’s second greatest ability Bob Adams presented to a full house, highlights from his book Flighty, Melancholic and Wild; 250 Years of Mental Health Care in York.
To begin Bob took the audience on a visual tour through Bootham Park Hospital and its grounds. Using many of his own photographs we were reminded of the beauty of the building and the care that was, ultimately, extended to the interior, including the use of fine Italian tiles at the entrance, the oil paintings that enhanced the main corridor and meeting rooms, some of which now rest with York Medical Society, and the birds that were depicted in stained glass about the central stairwell and elsewhere.
Beyond the contemporary Bob also illustrated the situation of Bootham Park Hospital, The York Asylum as it then was, in 19th century York, the evolution of the site including loss of a cupola and chimneys from the main building, and even use of the grounds for the York Gala of 1901; when sight of a tethered hot air balloon was afterwards considered too stimulating a sight for the patients.
Bob then explored the founding and the founders of the hospital in the 1770s, the raising of £5000 and the commissioning of the architect, John Carr. It was a delight to be reminded of the exercise of philanthropy by the wealthy of York and also the obligation felt by communities towards the mentally ill in their midst. We learnt of the character of the asylum’s first physician, Dr Alexander Hunter, including his advice concerning healthy eating and his cookbook. It was also fascinating to learn about the earliest patients in the asylum, including their being committed to York from Bradford and Lincoln and also to speculate on the nature of their disorders.
These positives were followed by Bob’s explanation of how the asylum soon declined. The reasons included poor finances and staffing levels plus the limitations of medicine at the time. The death of a patient Hannah Mills, a Quaker widow, in 1790 led to founding of The Retreat, York’s second asylum where the ‘moral treatment’ of the insane, including the benefits of exercise, fresh air and activity were promoted. Bob showed how these reforms spread to influence psychiatric practice both nationally and internationally.
Finally, and by necessity, more briefly, Bob reviewed trends in psychiatric care in recent years before turning to the opaque machinations of the NHS that led to the closure of Bootham Park Hospital in 2017. Bob’s low opinion of this was shared by many in the audience and we were agreed that this might be a subject to be returned to, if only for catharsis.
Overall, a very well informed, illustrated and delivered presentation that was highly appreciated.