Report of the Royal Commission on the care and control of the feeble-minded, Volume VIII.

  • Great Britain. Royal Commission on the Care and Control of the Feeble-minded.
Date:
1908
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Licence: In copyright

Credit: Report of the Royal Commission on the care and control of the feeble-minded, Volume VIII. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    lEELAin). Introduction. THE EOYAL COMMISSION ON THE CARE AND CONTROL OF THE FEEBLE-MINDED. PART XIII. Ireland. CHAPTER XLVI. 1041. Under our original reference which included Ireland, we were empowered Reference to the to consider the existing methods of dealing with idiots and epileptics, and Commission. with imbecile, feeble-minded, or defective persons not certified under the Lunacy- Laws ; and in view of the hardship or danger resulting to such persons and the community from insufiicient pro-vision for their care, training, and control, to report as to the amendments in the law or other measures which should be adopted in the matter, due regard being had to the expense involved in any such proposals, and to the best means of securing economy therein.” 1042. Our extended reference, which, however, related to England and Wales Extended refer- only, enabled us to enquire into the constitution, jurisdiction, and working of the ence as to Central Lunacy Authorities, and to advise whether any other system of super- England and vising all mentally defective persons should be adopted. Wales. 1043. We are of opinion that the general principles which underlie the con-General principles elusions at which we have arrived with regard to the mentally defective classes of our Report as in the rest of the United Kingdom, should be adhered to in Ireland, although England and there are important local differences in Ireland which would make it essential that in some matters of detail the methods of treating the problem there, should be different. 1044. Although we are debarred by the limitations of our original reference Advisability of in relation to Ireland from definitely recommending the establishment of one strong Central Central Authority for the super-vision, protection, and oversight of the accommo- Authority, dation and maintenance, education and training, care, treatment and control of all mentally defective persons, we would earnestly call attention to the recom- mendations of the Report of the Committee appointed by the Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland on Lunacy Administration (Ireland) [C. 6434] which was issued in 1891. We would suggest that the inspectors of lunatics in Ireland, together Recommendation with the Lord Chancellor’s Registrar in Lunacy, should form the nucleus of the Central Authority. 1045. The Report referred to used the term “ lunatic ” throughout “ in a Report of Corn- generic sense, to cover all forms of unsoundness of mind, whether congenital mittee on Lunacy or acquired, including, for example, idiots and imbeciles as well as maniacs, melancholics and dements.” The Committee, in fact, used this term “ lunatic ” p 67. as equivalent to the term “ mentally defective,” used by us. They made a oareful and prolonged enquiry into the question of Lunacy Administration in Ireland, and arrived at the same conclusion as we have done with regard to England and Wales, as to the need of the establishment of a strong Central Authority to deal with all classes of mental defect, and our evidence shows that the general problem in Ireland is essentially the same as in England and Wales, and that the need of a strong central control is as necessary in Ireland as in England. In Ireland we only find two inspectors of lunatics with com- paratively limited powers, and it is ob-vdous that these inspectors, even though strengthened by the addition of the Lord Chancellor’s Registrar in Lunacy, would need additional help if their work is to include the supervision of all classes of mentally-defective persons as suggested by us. This additional help might be secured by the appointment of inspectors from time to time as the business increased, to work under the direction of the Central Authority. 1046. We visited Dublin and Belfast in March, 1906, and inspected numerous Evidence heard institutions in the localities, including the Stewart Institution for Imbeciles, etc., by Commission in and heard the evidence of the chief officials of the Government Departments • concerned, and of others having experience of the classes referred to in our reference.