At the start of the 1950s, asylums were collectively starting to remove the Victorian restraints they had inherited
(such as the demolition of boundary walls and the adoption of open-door policies) and were adopting policies to make the hospitals more humane and welcoming.
The third medical superintendent of Cane Hill, Alexander Walk, was at the forefront of these new polices. In this document, he
describes a hospital device of his design to be presented to the committee. This would replace an early Victorian monogram featuring
the interlocking initials of the hospital’s title.
His proposal was accepted almost without modification. (The suggestion of a blue and white chequered border to represent Surrey
was replaced by a red border; and the idea of a shield was never taken up). Interestingly, the hospital’s motto is also suggested
almost as an afterthought at the end of the document.
21st December, 1950
1. NAMING OF WARDS
Details of my proposals have been circulated to the Committee.
2. HOSPITAL BADGE OR DEVICE
I submit a design for a device or unofficial coat of arms which might be used as a nursing badge, on the cover of annual reports, or as decoration in the hall or elsewhere.
Mr. Cotes and some members of his class have kindly painted enlarged copies of this, which will be on view at the meeting. The copies shown are in circular form, but the device could also be shaped as a shield.
The design is in four quarters, of which two are meant to represent the districts we serve, and the other two represent our own locality and the work of the hospital.
The first quarter contains the arms of the County of London, indicating our service to London as a whole.
The fourth quarter diagonally opposite, shows what is known as the Southwark Cross, taken from the arms of that borough; Southwark being the historical centre of South London, the Cross can be taken to stand for the whole of our catchment area there.
The design in the second quarter represents psychiatry, and is taken from the arms of the Royal Medico-Psychological Association’ it consists of the rod and serpent indicating medicine, and two butterflies as emblems of Psyche.
The third quarter represents our own district here; the most celebrated features are the chalk downs, on which are numerous ancient tumuli, in which important finds of Anglo-Saxon settlements have been made. To symbolise these, I have chosen a representation of an ancient Saxon brooch, consisting of a gold circle containing five smaller circles enriched with garnets, and I have placed this in a green field with a white border, to stand for the green turf and white chalk of the downs.
Around the whole is a border of chequered blue and gold, which is taken from the arms of the County of Surrey.
I also suggest a motto to accompany the design. This is taken from an inscription in the library of Loseley House, near Guildford, where it is meant to refer to the books. It is:
"Aversos Compono Animos"
which may be translated "I bring relief to troubled minds."
