Chapters in the History of the Insane in the British IslesTuke, Daniel Hack
History
Chapters in the History of the Insane in the British Isles
Tuke, Daniel Hack
Mental health laws -- Great Britain; Mental illness -- Great Britain; Mentally ill -- Care; Psychiatric hospitals -- Great Britain
In the summer of 1845 (June 6th) Lord Ashley returned to the subject,
and brought forward in the House of Commons two Bills for England and
Wales only, although he said, "I believe that not in any country in
Europe, nor in any part of America, is there any place in which pauper
lunatics are in such a suffering and degraded state as those in her
Majesty's kingdom of Scotland." After pointing out that the then
existing law was embodied in nine statutes, divisible into four
classes--County Asylums, Licensed Asylums and Public Asylums, Persons
found lunatic by inquisition, and Criminal Lunatics, he observed that
his Bill only touched the two first classes, and amended the single Act
contained under the first class, as also the three Acts contained under
the second class, namely, 2 and 3 Will. IV., c. 107; 3 and 4 Will. IV.,
c. 64; and 5 and 6 Vict., c. 87; which various statutes were proposed by
him to be consolidated into one--"A Bill for the Regulation of the Care
and Treatment of Lunatics in England and Wales." After referring to the
state of the law as it existed under 14 Geo. III., the only law
regulating private asylums prior to Mr. Gordon's measure of 1828, Lord
Ashley proposed to establish a permanent Commission of Lunacy, giving
power of far more detailed and frequent visitation than previously, and
placing "hospitals" under proper regulation by requiring them to have
the same orders and certificates as in licensed asylums, and the same
visitation as in county asylums. The person signing the order of a
pauper patient would be required to examine him beforehand, and the
medical officer certifying his insanity was to see him within seven
days of his confinement. On admission the mental and bodily condition of
the patient, and in the event of his death, the cause thereof, were to
be stated. Injuries and acts of violence were to be recorded and a
case-book kept. A return was to be made of all single patients received
for profit.[170] Workhouses containing lunatics were to be subjected to
regular visitation. These were some of the provisions of the first Bill.
The second was an extension of the Act of 9 Geo. IV., c. 40, and was of
the highest importance, for the provision of county and borough asylums,
instead of being permissive, was made compulsory. Where insufficient
accommodation had been provided, it was required to increase it. It was
proposed to erect some separate buildings at less cost for incurable, or
rather chronic, cases. The above Bill was to be extended to boroughs
having separate quarter sessions, and to every place not contributing to
county rates. All lunatics not chargeable, whether wandering or
otherwise, were to be apprehended, and those whose friends were unable
to pay for them admitted as paupers. A quarterly inspection by a medical
man of lunatics not in asylums was required, and a list was to be sent
to the Commissioners in Lunacy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account