If then, these houses serve these various purposes, who is best able to judge when such purposes can be best served? The exact moment lost can never be regained! a wrong word, or even look, may unhinge, and bring on a relapse! It is a species of discipline like that of a nursery;—children commit some fault, and are removed from the objects of their affection as their punishment; and no punishment is greater or more effectual. Some of our circle break out into passion, or give way to some strong propensity; they are told it won’t do, and are removed: they soon promise to behave better, and return. The causes are sudden and unexpected, and sometimes trivial; and this mild medicine, instantly administered, has a wonderful influence. Sometimes the attendants will be better suited for some specific cases at one house than at the other; and it may be injustice to other patients to change them, but great justice to change the patient on their account. When I state to patients’ friends these matters, and the difference of these houses, I say decidedly, that in those cases to whom our attention, and the comforts of the domestic circle may be useful,—those friends should, if they possess the means, prove, by a corresponding remuneration, that they duly estimate such delicate attention; particularly as they do generally acknowledge that it is not in the power of money to compensate for the expenditure of so much feeling, and being subjected to so much annoyance. In all cases where it appears this attention and placing them in our domestic circle, will contribute to their comfort or their cure, we, as a matter of feeling and of duty, treat them with equal kindness and attention, always giving considerations of comfort and of cure, the first place. Besides, most cases are improved by association with those of a different character. I have seen many old torpid cases, and a still greater number of recent cases of suspension of mind, cured by being placed occasionally among those who were in a more lively state, and this after every other means had failed.—And it is reasonable, for nothing can exceed the comic effect of the strange and laughable speeches and manners of some among this class of patients; and, in the case, the treatment of which was altogether mistaken or mis-represented, there was surely nothing incredible or unreasonable in saying I preferred, that this lady should have the chance of being roused out of her torpid state, by remaining at Leopard’s Hill Lodge, where of course, she might have these means occasionally put in force; for all the females were then at that house, and at the same time, she did possess the advantage of every possible delicacy of attention from Mrs. Allen, who was, with her children and an additional number of servants, then living altogether at that house.