Reports of the superintendent and chaplain of Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum for the year 1866.

  • Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum
Date:
1867
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Reports of the superintendent and chaplain of Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum for the year 1866. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The library established for the use of the officers and servants of the asylum has been well supported by them, and the books have been somewhat extensively circulated. The prevalence of measles among the children of the officers, during the year 1866, seriously interrupted their attendance at the school provided for them. The average attendance was 35 * 6, but, in some weeks, it fell as low as 20, while in the summer it ranged as high as 56. The progress made by the children was consequently not so satisfactory as in the preceding year. I should not do justice to my own feelings if I were not to give expression to the deep sympathy with the Superin¬ tendent with which, in common with the whole congregation, I witnessed the murderous assault made upon him in the chapel, on the morning of the Sunday of the 18th of March. While the office of the Holy Communion was being said, in the middle of the collect for the Queen, a patient, with a sudden yell, rushed at Dr. Meyer, who was kneeling, sur¬ rounded by his family close to the altar, and a deadly blow was struck at his head with a large stone slung in a hand¬ kerchief. The stone inflicted a serious injury, and the blow would have been fatal, if it had not been somewhat turned aside by the promptness with which the arm of the patient was seized by an attendant. I am happy to report that the conduct of the congregation was most exemplary ; there was at once a readiness to render assistance; and a feeling of thankfulness for the escape of Dr. Meyer was afterwards expressed by the patients very generally. A scene of so dreadful a character has very rarely been witnessed in a Christian church. I cannot now look back upon this occurrence without a feeling of horror; and I have never since felt able to say the particular collect which was interrupted in so awful a manner. I have uniformly received from the Superintendent, and from all the officers of the asylum, the most courteous and the most cordial support in the discharge of my duties. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most humble servant, J. T. Burt. To the Chairman of the Council of Supervision, §*c.
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