Transcribed from the [1837] John Taylor edition by David Price, email ccx074@pglaf.org [Picture: Book cover made from title page] ESSAY ON THE CLASSIFICATION OF THE INSANE. BY M. ALLEN, M.D. MEMBER OF THE ROYAL MEDICAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, AND OF THE MEDICO-CHIRURGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON; CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY OF LONDON, AND OF THE PHRENOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON AND EDINBURGH; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE LITERARY AND PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETIES OF LEEDS, HULL, AND WAKEFIELD, &C. * * * * * “Thou shalt not break the bruised reed.”—_Is._ “The care of the human mind is the most noble branch of medicine.”—_Grotius_. * * * * * LONDON: JOHN TAYLOR, UPPER GOWER-STREET. PREFACE. IT appears necessary to explain the somewhat abrupt commencement of this Essay on Classification. It was written, and even a great part of it printed, as a continuation of my defence in the case of Allen _v._ Dutton; but during the progress of printing, I soon became weary of this defensive attitude; and I also soon discovered, that so far from the ex-parte and perfectly false statements which were reported of the trial having any injurious influence, they rapidly expedited my success. Thanks to the zeal and exertion of all those friends who were anxious to counteract the effect which these falsehoods were calculated to make against me; they spoke from personal experience, and with all the ardour which gratitude and justice could inspire. The design, therefore, of publishing it as a part and continuation of my defence, was gladly abandoned. Many of the first sheets, however, containing no improper allusion to this case, remain: I mention this, because it accounts for that which might otherwise appear an abrupt commencement, especially to those who have not previously read that defence. On this account, I shall bind up that defence, (without additional expense) at the end of this Essay, for those who may wish to have this connexion before them. It is necessary, also, to inform the reader of the origin of this Essay, for another reason, in order that he may understand (and I trust, also, under such circumstances, he will excuse) why there is so much personal minuteness in describing our system of procedure and exertions, which could not, and would not, otherwise, have been obtruded on the public.