Observations on the admission of medical pupils to the wards of Bethlem Hospital, for the purpose of studying mental diseases / by John Webster.
- Date:
- 1842
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: Observations on the admission of medical pupils to the wards of Bethlem Hospital, for the purpose of studying mental diseases / by John Webster. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.
5/16 page 5
![present impeding the diffusion of knowledge, on this im- portant subject, and as it does not constitute an essential part of medical education, the study of mental diseases at the present day, is too much neglected, excepting by a very limited number of medical practitioners, who confine them- selves to that department of their profession, and there- fore do not usually practise in any other class of diseases. This division of labour, as it may be called, is found to be advantageous in the Metropolis, and in large towns; but any restriction regarding the knowledge of insanity, is by no means useful to the public generally, and acts injuriously on the great majority of medical practitioners in the country, who should be as well versed in the treatment of mental diseases, as in those of the chest, or of any other part of the human frame. Many are undoubtedly quite competent for the treatment of mania; but my wish is, to make that knowledge universal in the profession. But although im- pressed with the importance of the subject, should any pupil, during the usual period of his preparatory studies, wish to obtain experience and information on insanity, the path to knowledge is so beset with difficulties, that not- withstanding all the zeal he might otherwise have, the stu- dent would find it almost impossible to attain his object, unless through personal favour, or at a very great expense; neither of which alternatives, are desirable means for ac- quiring knowledge, in a liberal profession. j-I s,uPPort of the views just stated, regarding the existing difficulties attending the proper mode of studying mental df- seases,and theimportance to the medical profession.of makino- some alteration m the present system, I can scarcely pro- ^cStw^rreVld^Ce'than the following judicious remarks of Sir William Ellis, the late resident physician of the County Asylum at Harwell, who says in a recent publica- tion, It is perfectly inconsistent with common sense to suppose, that a man shall intuitively know how to treat insanity. We have seen that although in the greater num- ber of cases it is attended with the same general result, yet naZTm0StVTed friS'and g''eat ™* ™* ^iscrimi- na ion are required in he treatment; indeed, it is univer- dise'asT andT ^ ^ ^ * diffici,It *¥» ^steZs d cal stud!? fi alm°St thG °n]y °ne on the me- dical student receives no particular instruction. In his m wiT'll h°SPltf' hG Wdl' hl * Polity, have Human natu.c, at all events, his lectures will have supplied](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21946826_0007.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
