Great Britain. Royal Commission on Poor Laws and Relief of Distress; Poor -- Great Britain; Poor laws -- Great Britain
The only point of interest is the continuance, virtually unchanged, of
the three methods of treatment, viz. maintenance in the workhouse,
treatment in a lunatic asylum, or grant of outdoor relief.
The number of persons of unsound mind in the workhouse continued
practically undiminished, without any steps being taken to prevent their
retention among the aged, the sick, and the children, who came more and
more to make up the workhouse population.[716] There were, in fact,
three classes of cases in which a lunatic might be detained in a
workhouse. Firstly, there is the old provision, under which "the
visitors of any asylum may, with the consent of the Local Government
Board and the Commissioners, and subject to such regulations as they
respectively prescribe, make arrangements with the guardians of any
union for the reception into the workhouse of any chronic lunatics, not
being dangerous, who are in the asylum, and have been selected and
certified by the manager of the asylum as proper to be removed to the
workhouse."[717] Secondly, "where a pauper lunatic is discharged from an
institution for lunatics, and the medical officer of the institution is
of opinion that the lunatic has not recovered, and is a proper person to
be kept in a workhouse as a lunatic, the medical officer shall certify
such opinion, and the lunatic may thereupon be received and detained
against his will in a workhouse without further order, if the medical
officer of the workhouse certifies in writing that the accommodation in
the workhouse is sufficient."[718] Thirdly, if it is necessary for the
welfare of a lunatic, or for the public safety, that he should
immediately be placed under care and control, pending regular
proceedings for his removal, he may be taken to a workhouse (if there is
proper accommodation therein) by a constable, relieving officer, or
overseer, and may be detained there for three days, during which time
the proceedings are to be taken; and in any case in which a summary
reception order has been or might be made, he may be further detained on
a justice's order till he can be removed, provided that the period does
not exceed fourteen days.[719] Moreover, any other lunatic might be
"allowed to remain in a workhouse as a lunatic" if "the medical officer
of the workhouse certifies in writing: (_a_) that such a person is a
lunatic, with the grounds for the opinion; and (_b_) that he is a proper
person to be allowed to remain in a workhouse as a lunatic; and (_c_)
that the accommodation in the workhouse is sufficient for his proper
care and treatment, separate from the inmates of the workhouse not
lunatics, unless the medical officer certifies that the lunatic's
condition is such that it is not necessary for the convenience of the
lunatic or of the other inmates that he should be kept separate." Such a
certificate signed by the medical officer is sufficient authority for
detaining the lunatic in a workhouse for fourteen days, but no longer,
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