Reform — The Jamaica Lunatic Asylum

Abstract

Any hopes that measures adopted in the wake of the Kingston asylum scandal would resolve the problems of managing Jamaica’s insane were initially dispelled. The new lunatic asylum was surrounded with difficulties from the outset. It was quickly evident that a new building, even if properly finished and fully equipped, was not sufficient. A complete change in approach would be required to all aspects of the institution’s operation. The skills and expertise to accomplish this, however, were not available on the island, and the colonial authorities accepted reluctantly that they would have to be imported. Once that happened the Jamaica Lunatic Asylum began a remarkable transformation. By the late 1860s it had emerged as a model institution, providing an example for emulation throughout the British Caribbean. The achievements, though, proved difficult to sustain. Toward the end of the century there were critical challenges, familiar enough in Britain, related to ever-growing patient numbers and increasingly inadequate facilities.