This encompassed a broad spectrum of therapies
that were not what we might now regard as
medical or clinical treatment. It involved some
physical activities and also aimed to promote
strict routine, good behaviour and self-discipline
according to Christian principles. In the 1890s
and around the turn of the century, the Victorian
ethics of hard work and Christianity underpinned
both the structure of society and consequently
the management of institutions such as asylums
like Prestwich. The inclusion of a church on the
Prestwich site reflected this.
Employment was a key part of a patient’s
treatment - distraction through routine or
productive work in pleasant surroundings helped
relieve the symptoms of depression (melancholia)
and promoted self-control. Where a patient was fit
and capable of light physical activities, they may
be given supervised work tasks. For the female
inmates, tasks would include sewing, making
clothes for the patients, laundry work or cleaning.
Activities for male patients might include
carpentry, gardening or other outdoor work on
the farms. The attendants who supervised patients
were often employed because they had vocational
skills such as gardening, joinery or agricultural
skills which could be utilised to help provide
occupational therapy for patients.
While the work given to patients was part of
their care and treatment, this utilisation of
what was effectively a captive labour