The first annual report on madhouses, made in the year 1816 : ordered by the House of Commons to be printed April 26 1816 ... / Made by the noblemen and gentlemen, who were appointed by the House of Commons, as a Select Committee, to enquire and consider of provision being made for the better regulation of public and private madhouses in England ... Consisting of important minutes of evidence ... including two letters.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Committee on Mad-Houses in England.
Date:
1816
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The first annual report on madhouses, made in the year 1816 : ordered by the House of Commons to be printed April 26 1816 ... / Made by the noblemen and gentlemen, who were appointed by the House of Commons, as a Select Committee, to enquire and consider of provision being made for the better regulation of public and private madhouses in England ... Consisting of important minutes of evidence ... including two letters. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    who was. We only followed our directions in putting on the basils, or the leg-chains, or the hand-chains ; that I consider by order of the medical gentleman, or if the medical gentleman should not happen to be there, the keeper speaks to the steward, and he would immediately send to our house, to put a staple to a bed-chain or any thing else, the same as any one would to mend a lock. Do you mean to say,, that the whole of this iron weighed only nine pounds ?—I do not count the bolts that went through the wall. What weight of iron was applied to his person ?—I allude to the waist-belt and the collar. Do you include the leg-chains?—They had them themselves there. I speak only of what I furnished at that time. You are in the habit of visiting Bethlem occasionally now ; are you not?—Yes, my father and I have been smiths nearly, forty years to Bethlem. Is it not within your observation, that there is much less re- straint by irons used now in Bethlem, than existed some years ago in the old hospital ?—A great deal less. Since what time has the diminution taken place ?—Since this new institution there never was any one, in all my memory, had ahy thing like what this man had. You have stated that there is now less restraint of irons than there used to be ?—Yes. Since what time has that taken place?—Only since the new institution, I think ; or it might be since Mr. Wallett became steward. You have made fewer irons lately than you used to make ?—Yes. You were asked whether, from your observation, there was less restraint latterly than there used to be?—Yes, for the last year or two. Veneris, S° die Mar Hi, 1816. Lord ROBERT SEYMOUR in the Chair. THE Honourable Mr. Bonnet stated to the Committee, that he had received a Communication from Mr. Lyttleton, Member for Worcestershire. [The Communication was then read by the Honourable Member, as follows': ] “ March 7 th, 1816. u EARLY in last November I visited, without notice given, or, I “ believe the least suspicion existing of my design, the Lunatic Asy- *' lum at Droitwicb, a private house kept by Mr. Ricketts and his ** son, surgeons. It is a large building, retreating a good distance “ from the street, with a court before and a spacious garden behind, “ open to the country. 1 found Mr. Ricketts at home, who imme- 44 diately and without any apparent reluctance, agreed to accom- “ pany me throughout the house, and in less than five minutes