First report from the Committee on the State of Madhouses.

  • Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons. Committee Appointed to Consider of Provision Being Made for the Better Regulation of Madhouses in England.
Date:
[1815]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: First report from the Committee on the State of Madhouses. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    Evidence, pp. 12. VJ. 26. 44. 60. 62. 78. 96. 107. 110. 127. See Evidence, pp. 11. 16. 2.>. 27. 31. 34, 35. 3(i. 40. 76. 77 79. 91. 107. 125. 129. See Evidence, pp. 15. 23. 26. 29. 35. 37, 38, 39. 42. 46. 53.59. 82. 91. 93. 95. 107. 110. 112. 123. 127. See Evidence, p. 28. p. 188 to 192. See Evidence, pp. 9. 12. 14. 26. 32. 34. 38. 51, 52. 62 to 67. 82 to 91. 95. 97. 107. 113. 125. See Evidence, pp. 11. 18. 20. 22, 23. 54. 55 to 57. 114. 122. 124. See Evidence, pp. 19. 24. See Evidence, pp. 51. 68. 92. 108, 109. See Evidence, pp. 9. 20. 43. 47. 67, 68. 81. 107. 112. 121. See Evidence, pp.107. 112. See Evidence, p. 70. See pp.24. 181. 4] FIRST REPORT FROM THE COMMITTEE Ildly.—Tlie insufficiency of the number of Keepers, in proportion to the number of persons intrusted to their care, which una- voidablyleads to a proportionablygreater degreeof restraint than the Patients would otherwise be under. Illdly.—The mixing Patients who are outrageous, with those who are quiet and inoffensive ; and those wlioare insensible to the calls of nature, with others who are cleanly. IVthly.—The want of medical assistance, as applied to the malady for which the persons are confined; a point worthy of the most serious attention, as the practice very generally is to con- fine medical aid to corporeal complaints ; which circum- stance the Committee are the more desirous of inforcing on The House, as an opinion has been given, by a respectable Physician and another person of great experience, that where the mental faculties are only partially affected (stated by them to be so in seven-eighths of the cases), medical assistance is of the highest importance. Vthly.—Restraint of persons much beyond what is necessary, cer- tainly retarding recovery, even beyond what is occasioned by the crowded state of the house; of which many instances were stated to the Committee. In the course of the Evi- dence there will be found opinions unfavourable to the use of strait waistcoats, as more oppressive to the Patient even than irons; which induce Your Committee to observe, that a waistcoat has been invented, under the view of one of the Members of it, which appears likely to be quite as secure as the one now in use, and infinitely less distressing to the wearer. Vlthly. —The situation of the parish paupers in some of the houses for Insane Persons ; respecting the care of whom, when con- fined in parochial workhouses, the committee also made some inquiries, as connected with the matter before them, although not expressly included in the reference to them. Vllthly.—Detentions of persons, the state of whose minds did not re- quire confinement:—On this ground of complaint. Your Committee had very slender means of information. Vlllthly.—Insufficiency of certificates on which Patients are received into the madhouses. IXthly.—The defective visitation of private Madhouses, under the provisions of the 14 Geo. III. c. 49. The references are made by Your Committee to tlie pages of the Evi- dence, to show, with as little trouble as possible to the reader, what has been said respecting each. On consideration of which. Your Committee are persuaded, that no doubt will be entertained of the insufficiency of the visitation which has taken place, even within the limits of the district assigned to the care of the College of Physicians, from the professional occupations of the visitors not allowing them sufficient time to perform the duties required; and still less doubt will probably remain, of the utter sufficiency or total neglect of those duties in other parts of England. It follows of course, that some amendment of the law is requisite f or this part of the subject. Your Committee cannot resist observing also, that the Commissioners have not the power of withholding a new licence to a person deprived of one for the most flagitious conduct. In Ireland, the necessity of making some further provision for insane Persons, appears to be more urgent even than in this part of tin- I iiited Kingdom ; as it will be seen in the Evidence, that, with the exci ption of two public establishments, and some private houses in Dublin, thi re are no places appropriated separately lor the reception of persons in this state ill