Star. — London, England, 1815-09-02 00:00:00

.. • :, N 1111 D 110USAS. BETHI.EhI HOSPITAL. EXTRACTS FROM THE EVIDENCE GIVEN BEFORE A COMP SUTTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. Xi. George Walla, called in, and examined. What is your situation ?-1 am Steward of Beth lem Hospital. How long have you been steward ?--It is about three months since I took possession of the situation ; 1 was elected in January. Do you happen to know any thing of the medical treatment ?—No, it is not in my department. Who is the :Physician to Bcthlem ?—Thc:e is only one. Dr. Monti). _ How often does Dr. ltionro attend ?--I believe but sid.sas ; but my avocations are sl numerous, that I ma) be eta of the way when he comes s I hear be has cot been round the house. but once these three mouths; he may have been there without my know lftlge ; he has been at the Hospital more frequently, but hot round the gallery ; the matron always being in the galleties, would answer that question more Pointedly than myself. You are now speaking of the female wards ?—Yes. How many keepers are there at Bethlem ?—There are two men and two females, and an assistant male , keeper. What is the proportion of female patients to male ? I think the ftmales are sixty-eight in number, and the men Si ty-t*o ; the females were 62 on Saturday, and 52 men. Do you ciutsider two male keepers and two female keepers sufficient for the number of patients in the Hospital ?—As they are situated at that Hospital, it is probably sufficient, because they are .211 put to gether. Are there any other attendants besides the keepert ? No. How large are the cells ?—I cannot exactly say ; they are large cells at the old Hospital, larger than at the new, they are a full size. Are the windows glazed ?—Not generally; they are partially giazed. Have you ever been there during the winter ?—lt was in February when I took possession. Since yeti have been in your situation at the Hos ci-al, have ynu easerved that the pati'ents have suffer ed much from cold ?-1 have not observed that : the weatimr has been generally pretty open since .1 have been there. Have they fi res at present in the sitting room ? Yes. . Do they crowd round the fire?—Some do; others preLr being in the ;1411eriess How many galleries are there ;=Two for the men and two for the women ; anJ there is a place called the slips in the attics, for the women. How many arc there of patients ?—About -26 in each, men's gallery ; and the half of 66, Ss, in the women's. A:-e the smells in Bethlem very offensive ?-17here is a room called the Infirmary, which is sometimes very offensive, particularly when crowded. Is it not offensive also from the sewers ?—I have not been sensible of that; I think it proceeded more from dirty patients, What is the allowance of food ?-On Monday they have for breakfast a large bason of water-gruel, with two ounces of bread in it; for dinner they have a quart of milk porridge, and seven ounces of bread, two Cronies of cheese, aorta quart of beer ; for supper they have seven ounces of bread and the same•quan. city of cheese ; that is what is called a meagre day. How many meagre days are there in a week ? Four ; on the three meat days they have for breakfast water•gruel ; eight ounces of meat (after tieing dress ed) for dinner, Lt.tven onoces of bread, about a pound of . potatoes, and a quart r•f* table beer. How often does Mr. Haslam attend the hospital ? He atten d s generally very regularly every day. Does he go regularly round the hospital every day ? He frequently goes round, passes along-the galleries; if.there is a patient he has a particular desire to see, be sees that posou. Does he in his visits examine every cell ?—I can • not say he dims. So it might happen that months and months might elapse witi.out his seeing the different patients in the hospital ?—lt pinbably might happen ; but as I do not. go round with him, I do not know. Wh,:re does Mr. Haslam reside ?..A.t Islington. • At what time does he generally come, and hoie long does he generally stay ?—He generally comes about eleven o'clock, and stays half •an hour, or sometimes longer than that. In case any person should be taken with a fit, what medical or sufgicalattendance'have you ?—None but Mr. Haslam ; it he has leave of absence for a day or two, he eerr..rally leaves word, if an accident happens, to send for a person. Has Mr. Had= been absent many days together?, lie has never been absent above three days, and then he had leave of absence from the Treasurer. Since you have been in your situation, has,it ever; happened that a person was ill, and you were obliged to send express for Mr. Haslam, the patient wanting his ass'stance ? : —That has never been done since have been steward of the ° . Have rill ever ge.tra that has happened have beard that application has been made from the ma tron to the apothecary, and lie has thOught they would die•probably, and it was not necessary to give medicine ; but that is only hearsay. Have you ever heard it has been the practice in . Bethlem to give medicines in the nature of a puuish meat ?L-No, I ntver have. • Were you acquainted with Norris ?—I knew him for that period, ten days. He died on the 2Sth of February ?—Yes. • Do you know how long he had been ill ?—He died of a consrmision, I understood. . • I Did yen ever know Matthews ?—No. 'What aas the situation you found Norris in, had • he any chains upon him ?—No. Had he permission to walk about the gallery ? Yes. • Did he do that ?—No, he was not well enough ; be was in a dying state when I saw him. Was be peaceable and tractable I—Qiiite so. From what you have heard - sirice you have been in the hospit4; do' you believe that any other persons -beadel Norris have been treated in that or a . similar trriativer have. heard so kten the late surgeon, 44. r. Crowtlig. . .• Did he give yea any particulars at to the any which any other persons had been treated i+ .He told me that s man had died of constipated bowelsi , that Mr. Lawrence dissected the body and found that "e the case; he found the intestines burst, in consequence of the long state of constipation, it having remained so long. ' Did he attribute that to the neglect of medical at tendance ?—Yes ; I think •he mentioned it in a book he published upon that subject, which was an answer to the reviewers. Did he mention any other case to you ?—Yes, elm the case of a man who had an iron collar round his neck, and a chain to it, which chain was passed through the wall into an adjoining cell. • Did he mention any other ?—He spoke generally of the neglect of the medical officers, that medicine was not given them in the way it ought to be. Did Mr. Crowther ever ment ion to you, that he considered it necessary for the security of Norris, to fasten him down in that manner ?—He said it was not necessary. I heard Mr. Crowther say, that the keeper went into the cell to restrain Norris from some act of violence, or making a noise; and that he struck Norris, that Norris retaliated, and the conse quence was, Norris being a very powerful nian, he got him down, and would have murdered him per haps with a shovel, but that one of the patients went to the assistance of the keeper, and that Norris stab bed him with a knife ; I believe he stabbed both the keeper and the patient, and that was the reason of Norris being solitarily confined. The keeper was in a state of intoxication. Who are the physician and apothecary of &thins Hospital?—Mr. Haslam is the apothecary, and Dr.' Monro the sole physician. • Since you have been in your situation, have you made much alteration in the internal management of Bethlem observed a- good many patients were kept in bed; I desired they might be taken up and dressed, and taken to the fire; I mentioned it to the apothecary ; he thought it proper it should be done. I believe the women were kept in bed very much. Is it your practice now to make every person that is not confined by illness, or in a state of extreme violence, get out of bed and dress himself ?—Yes, I rp round and see it done. Have you effected any other improvements in Bethlem, besides making patients get up, who are otherwise in bed ?—No; I do not think I had it in power to do more than that, and having them washed. Have you inspected the building of the new Beth km in St. Geor4e 6-fields ?—Yes. Do you concetve the construction of that building good ?—ln many points of view, I think it superior to the old one the patients will be kept separate, the dirty ones from the cleanly ones ; it will allow of the convalescent dining together at a table ; the rooms are not so spacious, nor the galleries so wide; airing , grounds are vrantiqg in Bethlem; these airing grounds are very good. Is there any garden ground allowed ?—Yes. So that the convalescents may be permitted to walk ?—Yes; I think that practice will contribute very.much to amuse their minds and piomote their general healtb. Do yoU not believe that enabling the patients in look out at the windows in the new Bethlem would 'be a considerable source of amusement to them ?—I am convinced of it, because many of the patients said, they had heard they were so-constructed ; that they hoped it was so; they asked me whether it was soar not; that it was a great pleasure and amuse• ment for them to look out. Did you observe . how the new Bethlem is venti lated ?—Not particularly; it is to be ventilated by . having thexasements opened. Are there any additional ventilations since last year ?—Not that I know. Are nieans taken to warm that hospital by steam ? —Yes, the lower galleries only, the basement store ; then, I believe, flues are carried to the dining-room, but not in 'the gallery, I believe. From your experience in the treatment of these persons, have you any - doubt that they suffer sensibly Irons cold ?—Certainly. Of course in the Old Bethlem - they must have suf fered considerably in the cold weather.?—Certainly. Do you use the warm bath at the old ? --It has never been used since I have been-there; I never beard that there was a warm bath there. Do you know whether there is any building erected af the new Bethlem for criminal lunatics ?—Yes. Can a communication take place between the cri minal lunatics and lunatics of another description ? No.' Can they communicate in the airing] grounds ? —No. Is it your opinion that intermixture of dangerous '.unatics with the others has a tendency to pri,duce much mischief amongst all of them ?—Certaialy ; we have an instance now in Bethlem of a man of the, name of Banister Trulock, who, whilst he was sut. fere4'to be in the galleries, was perpetually creating insurrections, and persuading patients to commit acts of mischief. They were therefore obliged to 'shut, him up io a separate part of the building. Where was Trulock confined I—ln a part of the building which is taken down. Is he in personal confinement ?—No, but he is not allowed to intermix with other patients. Was he shewn to the visitors of the Hospital last year ?-1 do not know ; he is generally, 1 believe, forgot. When the Governors go round, they do not see him. What is the nature of tho inspection of , the Gover nor ?—Merely goes round occasionally. The Bethletn Sub• Committee, I see by the rules, should go round once a month. • Do they, in point of fact, go round ?—Not as a body, they do not; but some members of that Com. mittee g o round more frequently, When they make that inspection, either in a body or individually, do they see every cell, and examine every part of the hospital ?—Yes, generally. Is there any (oom for the reception of dead bo dies ?—They are removed from the galleries to the cellar. Are they removed immediately.after their death ? —ln the courseof the day. • How king do they icinain in the cellar before they are Iniried?,—They Are niver buried before the fol lowing day, or the day after f they more frequently i temain three or four days. . - .ITROCIOUt MtI.RDZR. ' !Per the following particulars respecting a delibe rate murder, committed in the County of Durham, on *Monday night last, we are indebted to the Editor of the Durltans County Advertiser : " Miss SMITH, of Fast Herrington, near Hough. ton-le-Spring, a person possessed of considerable pro- petty, but whose penurious habits may very justly be compared to those of the celebrated miser, F.t.wfts, having occasion to go from home on the 19th ult. left her house in charge of her servant, Is/tem./4 Yours% who had only been in her employ a few days: This unfortunate female, who is understood to have conducted herself with the utmost propriety in her new situation, had been alarmed two or three nights; dining the absence of her mistress, by persons at tempting to open the doors and windows of the house, and had requested of a neighbour, on Monday last, to allow her daughter to sleep with her as com pany, which was refused. " On Tuesday morning, about two o'clock, the house was discovered to be on fire, and the neigh bourhood being alarmed, the people flocked to render assistance, when they found the poor girl had bezn most savagely murdered ; her skull was dreadfully cut and fractured, apparently by an axe or other sharp instrument, her eyes beaten in; and her jaw-bone and teeth broken. She had not the least signs of life when discovered.. It would appear that the villains who committed this foul and bloody deed, had ex pected to possess themselves of considerable wealth from the coffers of the pat simonions Lady (but in this we understood they wr uld be disappointed) nand the un fortunate servant having probably interfered or known some of the robbers, they had come to the fiend-like re. solution to destroy her, and the better to obscure their guilt, had set the house on fire, in hopes to consume the body and give the whole the appearmnce of acci dent. HEAVEN, however, ordained it otherwise, and the murdered corpse was rescued fa out the flames, as evidence against the inhuman mongers. The house was almost entirely consumed, little excep t the walls now remaining. A reward of Une Hwulred Guineas has been offered for the discoveiy of thc perpetrators of the horrid deed, and we underst Ind there is reason to suspect they are not far from the spot where the murder was committed.." The only circumstance likely to lead to the disco very of the murderer, rests on the evidence given by HANNAH CRIMSON before the Coroner.-- She sometimes assisted in cleaning the house and furniture, and deposed, " that about a week since, when the deceased and she were cleaning the pewter at Miss Smith's, a man, dressed like a pitman, came to the door, and being admitted by the deceased, came boldly in with his hat on, and sat down without being asked, saying,. he wanted to see Miss SMITH. to ' take a colliery of her ; to which the witness re pemedly replied, she was sure Miss SMITH would not let any ; he still kept up the conversation upon that subject, saying, that be could manage little odd things, but that he could not procure horses, and upon this the examjnent saying, that they could • not spare time to gossip with him, he said they might alt ways spare an hour or .two to talk : witness asked him where he • came from He said near Durham. Slie did not think from his appearance that he was a man likely to take a colliery, and pressed him more to know where lie came from, upon which he varied his story, and said he came tram Nesham's colliery, and said he had a lame arm, which she did not per ceive ; he was sober, and staid nearly an hour ; he tasked for 'something to drink, witness said, they had .eiothing but rain water for hins ; witness thinks she has seen Mm somewhere before, and believes idle would know him again it sac should meet with him, and said, that the deceased and she expressed to each other, atter he was gone, their dislike to his appear ance, and because he first denied and prevaricated at to where he came from : he was a tall man, Of long, pale, smooth visage, and shabbily dressed. The Jury returned a Verdict of Wilful Murder against some person or persons unkno•sti. DISIRACTAD STAY! OF PALGIUM. We lament to have to announce, that the aspect of affairs in Belgium is very unsatistaeOry. The decision of the King with regard •to the New Constitutionlhas excited great opposition, and theresis every reason to tear that a very unsettled state octbittgs is beginning in theNetherlauds. The press teems with inflammatory and revolutionary documents. Among other productions, there isi one entitled— •" An Address from the People of Belgium to the. English Nation," in, which Belgium is made to claim its inde pendence as the result of that struggle which has given independence to Europe. It ,; complained, that the persons employed iu the 'Belgic' provinces are all Dutch, or partizans of Bonaparte, and strangers to the love of country.. The Belgians therefore protest against their union with Holland with the new Con stitutional Act, on four grancrpoints : Ist. Because it wilt render their National Repre umtation illuso r y. • a . ,•. 2diy. Because it will g i v e them .iiiiistitution de re:Wing on the mere veils (Wilt ilezisting Goveriiiiient: 3dly. Because it will render them tributary to Hol.. 'l4in i d • and . . 41.ti1y. Because it will deprive the Belgic' Church , o: its liberties and privileges. The following are the most striking passages of the important Papers which have reached us on this. subject : “ Contending that the system now acting upon,, with respect to them, ii similar to that of Bonaparte, they state % in support of their first position (see above) that the Provinces which compose holland contain about 1,400,000 souls—those which form the Belgic Provinces 3,600,06 G. Hence they contend, that of 100 Representatives 72 ought to be returned from Belgium and 28 from Holland ; while the Articles of the Constitution, 79 and 80, give Holland a in. periority is this respect. This they loudly arraign, and set in the front of their grievances. The second point they argue on the supposed excellence of their former Constitution, which the Emperor Leopold It. described to be perfect, and worthy to be taken as a model for all the other provinces. . On the Sd point,4 they urge the great disparity between the public debts cif the two Counties, in opposition to their being poked. Of this 'they suppose the Allies could not be sightly informed, and they trust that England is too generous and too just, not 40 endeavour to redress the evil. - On the fourth point,- the difference between the doras of the two Churches is brought forward, and a hope h expressed that the English will ;nten..4 themselves in the cause of those who hare h te , lt i .o witnesses of their victories, who have coutiihotm tq them, and who hoped to see their liberties G cmi t , dated on the principles laid down by the t t ii 44l Chiefs of the Allied Armies." FRENCH PAPERS. PARIS, AUGUST 20. The Electoral College of the department Seine was admitted yesterday to an atiiience of t‘,. King. All the Members of the College had assen4], l in the gallery ot aana. Mcinsiiir joined them the mass, and conversed with them with the en. affability ; being informed by the Grand M the Ceremonies that the King expected the Li . College in the Hall of the Throne, Meaisient noured the Members by proceeding at their he id present them to his Majesty. Mor.r.leur appra.L!-.1 the King, and addressed his Maje., , 7 in these te!: 11 51111—.Contornia:dy to the permii.ion whL.i your '•.I. has had the Izio.loeil to er:ML, the Elntural Coll, ge of pat tment of the • cite conies to deposit at t Yo! foot of •he Thr.-• the homage of its profound respect And it. unalter.ible q witness of the sentiments which animate the Members uf l •. : blegtoral College, it is equally agrecabie atl d hat ic ri•ig t v ate tu h-! at this moment their organ, and to attest ro your Ma' •s•-•, •;;-• their th.votion to your sacred person, and their oh t ,! laws of the realm, vial have no bounds but those of tenee. The assemblage of the Members which roar about to convoke, will animated w.• h the s . .le see and ilea more critical and *whit the cis u•nsralices at the'titure attentive Yurope - will admine and res2eat the efforts of a great nation, Inspired by love for ,its and by.its gratitude fur the laws and iii-titutions, by ran the happy Emit of your 34;1-ty's wichrin, and of )oat gown cw.'l - The King answered— " The choice that, nude of you, my brother, to pre the F.!ctoral College of the Departauent or the Seine, greatest proof tinit I could give you of my love ; I am rt, it by the love shown to you personally by the Me:nbera Colege. i am very st•rsible to the sentiments of fide:it' you express to m; itrateir name. The elections which made are the guarantees of those sentiments, as well pink happiness. 1 have the most lively satisfaction lay my approastion of them." SPEECH OF VISCOUNT CHATEAUBRIAND AT OF THE ELECTORAL ‘OLLEUE AT ORLE 1! 66 GENrtiAtex-.-When Louis XVI. of s tn lamented memory,, assembled the Stares. he wished to .r,anedy an evil which Fratve time contrived instil:portable, but which w' day, since experience has rendered us b.racr OvSrs..M. Le.i441.1 1 -Atatort mintier ofimskilful physicians, we have cur 'r4o an ..nrnrAle riiste fir. Ififfit tlitsTeM - fily 'itrirdlltilitcireTt or r.; , .0..rt but the times traded it along. Pos , es , .ing but more boldness, the Legislative Aisembly the Monarchy itself, which the Convention st in overthrowing.. : :rlie two Ccmocils.were by their own very factions. Under the Tyr people were silent, 'they only' recovered tit under their legitimate Monarch. On the I Bonaparte . the Convention .seemed to start him from the tomb; the two phantoms have into the abyss together, leaving as an er r their apparition innumerable calamities, 'and foreigners on the soil of France. - " Gentlemen, if we reflect only upon the . those assemblies, we may feel discouraeetnery our errors ought to instruct us. The momet rived when we may employ, for the consolie the Mocarchy, that same popular force whicl instrument of its overthrow] never were the of the nation asseint led in circumstances more , The King himself has rentinded.us of the itn, 'Of those tuoctions which they will be called discharge, by 'draWing the people more closet throne; by honouring several Electoral Colter , the patronage, of the Priactes of his fare:ly. 1. if But we must not disguise the fact. Gent that every thing depends upon the choice. whir' shall mow make. Europe watches chic, mir riment; she has come (if I may be permi:tt pressiors) to place herself in the midst of ti be present at the formation of those resolt which her repose, as well as ours, will be The French people is going to behold Kin in the halls cf its councils. Af to having j' • Princes of the earth * it will be judged by turn. The point of interest will be to I_ are to be declared incapable of Seine those tions which we bought through so m , torm. successes are to be regarded-as the sport of and our calamities a deserved punishment; fining nut-selves within a regulated freed..m, to preserve the lustre of oar glory, and the cit our misfortudes.. • diWhit must we do, Gentlemen, to ail List object ? A thing very f easy : we must the good, remove the wicked; destroy the dt that spiriw. talent, and* energy are monopt those who have failed in their duties, ant aim* is clever who is perverse. Let Franc her assistance good men and France shall Europe will not feel itself completely at shalt he.tr our orators, too long bewildered dOetfines, profesi thole prinCiplei t f justice gion, which are the basis of all society, and . selves shall not regain our weight in the pl . ',lance till we resume our rank in the moral Permit me, Gentlemeo, to address y9l frankness of the country where I was born not the time to observe a delicacy which fatal. Unquestionably we must extinguish we must eicatrise wounds, we must • throw failings of our brethren the veil of Christian forbid all indulgence in reproaches, r..cre and vengeance, and after the example of pardon the injuries which we have stale: Gentlemen, there is a wide space between sary indulgence and that criminal impartial" being obliged to choose,. would select the ' its choice from the good and the bad alike, no distinction between principle" and opinions, and words. If in the ultimate resnit it were the same to have committed r not to have committed •• to hoc kept or -violated an oath; if when is met we offer the mune treatment to him excited and him whit his allayed ki if. bo th the same degree of confidence and share - the same dignities Ancthonoars, would not of integrity be cii,couraged t L e t us JIM path of duty so revolting. .Are we a nxious , the disasters 01 Our country i Let us not silo who profit by otir ref e r e es to persist in cacallingtheP"/"Ii" ea eiviteat-a scornful expression " sd II intac t becu th o ihut NI 1 4 es! to ue tt's l44l oc ne hi cr r. cii !it tif re be ice of se. ur hem ;:' •- fa e M to wi nsiettr fa it he id or te!;ls ca cif , th "le e &kW,. q re liners VI:: : tO ry Joe is 31 .r. Cleir 11 : ✓ 1- sentimeur. ; dl ki tilt. tames, he t7,061.7t.',i CI s )otet,- ; ;!•, rhe tt 4:kr persot 111 tr ;gr . dill •a•lr if ne, was rep lid i e tt nbers lit ti e Si ale:it y w!ki.S theT !: eit a., c, • 111 t: :E s tad rl ;e at 111 , t a wz at 1 ; ; .241$ L..; :FT ly succce&l destr , - 'yriint, de tlicir rut* 6: trt up lita re raiiine . .l !.v idel,c: of nd COO,OTJ 1 le resulted enteru s oat malt icli w.s he be de, , cts re we,..hty. importance iipea osel y to ex lieges W.:l „ye^ ntiemen, iich FrAnce it List e:ye• :ted t!ie es. us, And to litutious by dicidel,— :rigs seated judged the :lens in its taow if we ow institil• mims, if oat . of tortuce, ; or if, the digest! ailaia 6:5 lust noose. de!usion-- eporc;ed by Ind that be ncz tall to IL he awe• t ease till it j in g 1 .00n 3 9 ice add R:.• ,nd iolitical ba• it system. on with the :orn ; this is :h might bg th dieions iw over tie , cr imipAtiN r our Kl er, cl. rb ibis n"c: , 114 wh 4 , - - ) C nijectS , " ions, art° same tbiq, v d A crall e ' m the st eri im who IP' both oil e eq . " 117 ,ue the it 0 126 ' 4 1: ,us to eV : allow the