The construction and government of lunatic asylums and hospitals for the insane / by John Conolly ; with plans.
- John Conolly
- Date:
- 1847
Licence: Public Domain Mark
Credit: The construction and government of lunatic asylums and hospitals for the insane / by John Conolly ; with plans. Source: Wellcome Collection.
Provider: This material has been provided by University of Bristol Library. The original may be consulted at University of Bristol Library.
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![tion privately supplied by many of the superintendents; Farr ‘ On the Statistics of English Lunatic Asylums ‘ History of the York Asylum Tube’s ‘ ]3escription of the Ketreat near YorkHill ‘ On the Ma- nagement of Lunatic AsylumsBrowne’s Lectures delivered before the Managers of the Montrose Lunatic Asylum;’ ‘ Kemarks by Mr. Serjeant Adams on the Report of the Metropolitan Commissioners in Lunacy.’; RELIGIOUS SERVICES IN ASYLUMS. (^From the British and Foreign Medical Review.) The Salpetriere.—“ Although my visit to the Salpetriere was so long that it would have tired out any less kind guide than M. Battelle, I left it with great reluctance; and having the pleasure of afterward meeting the Abbe Christophe, at M. Falret’s, I was glad to have his sanction for at- tending with him the next day, Sunday, in his visit to the patients. On going into the large church of the Salpetriere, at eleven o’clock, I found it filled with the numerous pensioners or almswomen of the institution, excepting about two of the portions of the church radiating from the central altar. Notwithstanding all my famiharity with insane people, I at first experienced some difficulty in ascertaining in which of the radi- ations the patients were seated; so perfectly decorous were they all. At length I recognized the Italian patient, and then others, and placed myself near them, still often doubting whether all those around me were really insane or not; so quiet were they, and so apparently attentive and devout. I stood by them as they moved away at the end of the service, and received many kind nods and smiles of recognition ; but there were few of the patients who exhibited much eccentricity of manner. On passing o>it of the church they walked, four and four, to their own part of the establishment, with the most perfect order and decorum; and their com- fortable dress and general appearance were highly gratifying. “ As I differ in opinion from the admirers of mechanical restraints on almost every point of treatment, so I especially differ from them in my estimate of the consolation and advantage of religious instruction or con- versation by means of a chaplain, which they naturally enough depreciate. The truth is, that restraint vitiates everything, neutralizes all moral treat- ment, and reflects disgrace and even ridicule on attempts of any higher kind. It is not so where the patients are treated with uniform kindness](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21439138_0189.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
