A few notes on lunacy in France suggested by a recent visit to French asylums : read at the annual meeting of the Medico-Psychological Assoc., July 26, 1878 : also, the proceedings of the International Congress of Mental Medicine, Paris, August, 1878 / by D. Hack Tuke.

  • Daniel Hack Tuke
Date:
[1878]
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A few notes on lunacy in France suggested by a recent visit to French asylums : read at the annual meeting of the Medico-Psychological Assoc., July 26, 1878 : also, the proceedings of the International Congress of Mental Medicine, Paris, August, 1878 / by D. Hack Tuke. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    now attracts much attention in France, and there is consider- able difference of opinion in regard to it. With the excep- tion of the Securite at the Bicetre, where a few lunatics are confined who have been sentenced to a short term of im- prisonment, no separate provision was made for criminal lunatics until two years ago, when certain buildings at Gaillon fEure), connected with, but isolated from, the House of Correction, were appropriated to this purpose, accommoda- tion being made for 130.* Provision is required for about as many more for the South of France. Gaillon only receives those who have become insane while in prison ; in this respect differing from Broadmoor. In the opinion of M. Lunier and the other Inspectors of Asylums, this was the proper course to pursue. It involved little expense, and from the information which was at the time obtained regarding the construction of Broadmoor, they did not feel encouraged to recommend the erection of a similar building. Some of the French physicians oppose this conclusion, and take exception to having any special institution of this kind; others hold that enough has not been done, and that it would have been better to erect a building with arrangements as complete as those of Broadmoor, and altogether independent of a prison. A paper was read entitled “ IStatistique de Vinfirmerie specials de Gail- lon,” by M. Hurel, the physician, which contained valuable information in regard to this attempt to provide for lunatic criminals. We shall give a resume of it in a future number. We cannot do justice to M. LuniePs paper, but may ob- serve that after pointing out that criminal lunatics (alidnes criminels) include two distinct classes—those who become insane after their condemnation, and those who have been recognised as insane with or without trial—he stated that those who have escaped punishment on the ground of insanity are, in France, sent to the ordinary asylums, a course ad- mitted to be injurious, on account of the mixing with other patients and the want of sufficient surveillance. M. Lunier, therefore, wishes them to be placed in some asylums or quar- ters of asylums, specially adapted for very dangerous lunatics, “ qui sont la teiTeur du personnel de nos asiles.^’ He thinks there is much yet to be done in regard to the admission and discharge of criminal lunatics. When an accused is the * It would be possible, we understood, to provide if necessary for 200, but at the present time there are only about 80 inmates. This asylum is only for those condemned for more than one year. No provision has yet been made for female criminal lunatics in France.
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