THE "DEAD FILES"
It was fairly late in the CRCMH exploration scheme of things when we first went through the door near the toy cupboard in the Stage Room. This led outside to a lot of overgrown foliage and a few previously hidden terrapin buildings - the most northerly structures in the grounds. One of these contains the "Dead Files."We didn't come up with the name "Dead Files" ourselves. Many of the papers inside have the term scrawled across them. Boxes upon boxes of "Dead Files" - the unwanted case histories of deceased patients, some dating back to the Second World War. By law, these should simply not have been here - but they were.
It's all there - simply stacks of the stuff. We wouldn't, however, want to display a whole heap of personal information alongside details of whom it belonged. And like many of you that have contacted us, we have flicked through countless papers (including some files belonging to local celebrities I might add) - but I'd like to think that we could show at least a little dignity and respect here.
So, what you will find is a few examples of the type of documents that make up the "Dead Files." In each case the patient's identity has been withheld, but it doesn't stop these images from being perhaps the most moving part of this site. Hundreds of individuals, many halted at a tragically young age, make up the "Dead Files." It makes you stop and think of the routinely sorrowful side of the CRCMH.
9OkbPatient's Medical Record - Showing history. Note "DF" written in red at the top left-hand corner, signifying "Dead File."
8Okb
Temperature Chart - For monitoring the patient's condition day by day.
65kbElectrocardiogram - A seemingly hi-tec procedure for the 1940s.
6OkbPathological Reports - Regular dated slips.
51kbA handwritten consent form, whereby a young mother signs over the body of her child for a post-mortem. Probably the saddest and most moving image on this entire site.
71kbPost Mortem Report - Detailed analysis of the causes of death (this is just page one of a two page document).
62kbStraight from the CRCMH Photographic Dept, this is the gangrenous leg of a rather famous patient - We won't disclose whom (but Pwürg fans may very well know).
Note from the CRCMH webmaster:
If you have any knowledge that you would like to share concerning the legal etiquette surrounding the correct disposal and/or storage of confidential medical records, we would appreciate some input. As much as we have all enjoyed sifting through the relics of an abandoned building, nobody really wants to see this kind of thing occur again in the future. If we can get some kind of discussion happening here, perhaps the powers that be may stop and listen for a change.
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