▁disabled ▁patients ▁under ▁the ▁M ental ▁Def ic iency ▁Act ▁ 1 9 1 3 , ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Bur den ▁having ▁been ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Commission ▁for ▁inqu iry ▁into ▁care ▁of ▁the ▁fee ble - mind ed ▁that ▁lead ▁to ▁the ▁Act . ▁The ▁col ony ▁was ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁leading ▁institution ▁of ▁its ▁type . ▁ ▁The ▁Col ony ▁expanded ▁by ▁bu ying ▁surrounding ▁land ▁and ▁building ▁new ▁accommod ation ▁blocks . ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 7 , ▁it ▁was ▁granted ▁an ▁expanded ▁lic ence ▁for ▁ 1 , 5 2 8 ▁" in m ates ", ▁making ▁it ▁Britain ' s ▁largest ▁lic enced ▁institution . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 9 ▁Prof ▁Richard ▁James ▁Arthur ▁Ber ry ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁medical ▁director ship ▁of ▁the ▁hospital . ▁ ▁The ▁National ▁Health ▁Service ▁took ▁over ▁the ▁col ony ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 8 , ▁which ▁along ▁with ▁the ▁smaller ▁Pur down , ▁Le igh ▁Court ▁and ▁Han ham ▁Hall ▁hosp it als , ▁was ▁run ▁by ▁the ▁Sto ke ▁Park ▁Hospital ▁Management ▁Committee ▁with ▁ 1 , 9 3 0 ▁b eds ▁for ▁patients . ▁ ▁Little ▁development ▁took ▁place , ▁with ▁other ▁types ▁of ▁hospital ▁being ▁prior it ised , ▁and ▁gradually ▁the ▁hospital ▁became ▁over c row ded ▁and ▁under st aff ed . ▁ ▁The ▁Hospital ▁Ad vis ory ▁Service ▁visited ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 1 ▁and ▁wrote ▁a ▁dam ning ▁report ▁on ▁the ▁terrible ▁conditions ▁at ▁Sto ke ▁Park