Cópy.
QUEEN MARY HOSPITAL.
Mr. R. A. D. Forrest, ageà 48.
331
On instructions from Hon. D.M.S. I took an ambulance and
brought Mr. Forrest from his home and admitted him to hospital in the
early afternoon of 12.3.41. From friends I obtained a history of
extreme over-work and worry, of strange behaviour with possibly
suicidal threats that morning. On admission the patient was
profoundly stuporose just short of coma, as a result of taking
amytal (7 6 grains).
-
At 3.00 p.m. he was still stuporose
general condition
good.
At 4.30 p.m. he was awake and rational, though somewhat
slow in speech and slightly confused.
Shortly after this he became noisy and demanded to be
instantly discharged from hospital, and brushing aside all protest
he ran to the front steps of the hospital clad only in his pyjamas,
where he remained, despite all persuasion, for an hour and quarter.
I then formed the opinion, in view of the events of the day and the history of a past nervous breakdown' with a supposedly suicidal attempt, that he was not in a sufficiently balanced state of mind to be allowed out of hospital, and determined to restrain him - if
necessary by force. In this opinion Dr. Selwyn-Clarke concurred.
He was taken back to his ward and then lost all vestige of self-
control and became violent and destructive, necessitating a heavy
sedative.
On 13.3.41 he was quiet and reasonable and consented to
stay in hospital for examination.
On that and subsequent days I found no physical signs of
disease, but obtained a history of insomnia over a considerable
period and the administration of large doses of barbiturate
hypnotics. I attributed the incidents of 12.3.41 to profound
nervous exhaustion.
Mr. Forrest was examined by Dr. Wilkinson, who found no
physical signs, and the results of his laboratory investigations
are appended.
Mr. Forrest was discharged from hospital on 16.3.41.
(Signed) D. Smith, Medical Officer.
21.3.41.
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