Annual report of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the insane : For the year 1857.

  • Royal Edinburgh Asylum
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum for the insane : For the year 1857. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    whole being* now completely so. To this result the Report of the Commissioners on Lunacy, and the subsequent passing of the general Lunacy Act doubtless mainly contributed. With reference to the general statement presented at last Meet¬ ing, regarding the urgent want, of a new Laundry in connection with the Western Department, an attempt was made shortly after that Meeting to raise the requisite funds by means of a public sub¬ scription, which was hardly commenced when the Report of the Lunacy Commissioners was made public. The strong terms in which the abuses in private Asylums were reflected upon in that Report, and the expectation which it encouraged of a general Act of Parliament embodying the views of the Commissioners, em¬ boldened the Managers to give up the idea of asking any gratuitous public aid, from which, in fact, little success was anticipated; and, after due consideration, it was resolved to proceed upon their own responsibility with the erection of the Laundry, which had become essential almost to the very existence of the institution. Plans «/ and Estimates were accordingly taken in the month of August last, and the work is expected to be completed in the course of a few weeks. As directed by last General Meeting, the Accountant was con¬ sulted with regard to the proper mode of establishing the Sinking Fund for the redemption of the Debt contracted under authority of the Act of Parliament, and a scheme thereof approved of by him has received the sanction of the Managers. This scheme, which will now be given effect to, is submitted along with last year’s accounts. The general Lunacy Act of last year, while it has effected an entire change in the prospective management of the Insane poor throughout Scotland, seems to mark an important epoch in the history of this Asylum. When the draft of the Bi]J was first pro¬ mulgated, towards the end of June last, it appeared to the Managers that many of its provisions wrere capable of amendment, and that it would not be possible, in the short interval before the rising of Parliament, fully to mature a measure for so very extensive an object. Accordingly the Managers, along with many other public bodies, considered it to be their duty to represent the propriety of