The Express.
London, England, 1848-06-03 00:00:00

COMMISSION OF LUNACY.—SINGCLAR
DELUoIONS.

An inquiry, under a commiwion of lunacy, was on Wed-
oeaday proceeded with at the Andover's Ford Inn, near
Cheltenbam, before Mr. Commissioner Winslow and 18
special jurors, relative to the state of mind of Margaret Ed.
wards, a maiden lady, aged 57, posse•ind of personal and
ireebuld property, lately rtaiding at Uchydun, county of
D, nbigb, but now at Saialywell. park, an , itemise domain,
recently converted into a private lunatic usylum, by Dr.
Witch, of Gloucester.

•
Toe ciommission, which was unopposed, was taken out by
a sister and five nieces of the unfortunate lady. In its sup-
port appeared Mr. Weinyie, of (Amid ster, u solicitor.
The medical and other testimony adduced tended to show
that, although in her ymnger days she was bright, cheerful,
and pleasing, yet, about sixteen years since, subsequent to
the death of her parents, her mind became imbued with the
delusion that all her servants hail conspired against her
through the agency of an enemy whom she did not know;
from this bad sprung a variety of others of an extraordinary
kind, under the influence of which she had been guilty of
evravagantly strange conduct, and threatened to destroy the
lives of others u well as her own. Amongst her delusions
were that it was absolutely necessary tor her to marry some-
body, tieing always on persons already married; that,
although she had formerly kept a carriage, with a large
establotiment of servants, she ought to discharge all and live
alone. She imagined that her hands and other parts of her
6,4 were covered with large black spots; that she could
not open her eyes by venison of a disorder, d conscietice; that
she had lain nine weeks without sleep; that she could nut
bear tie light ; that her system wit constantly throwing off
evil, whin' hod produced an eeploeion in and bunting of
her brain. Under these delusions she kept only one servant,
a female, and the result was that the horse. were nearly
starved, her house, grounds, and term left entirely neglected
and running to decay; an t although she had laid in largo
stores of beet, bacon, cheese, and other provisions, she
alowed them to remain uncorsumni fur nearly gee yeah
while she frequently kept her bed for weeks tooth, r,
scarcely taking any food, keeping bre head and face eutirey
enveloped in flannel, with a view, as she email, to keep out
light and clear her brain, and all, as she alleged, by retain
of " the enemy and the conspiracy."
The unfortunate lady, by her own desire, eat by the side
of the learned commissioner throughout the inquiry. Iler
personal appearance was cominandiug, with traces of former
bcsety; and her manners, deportment, and address indicated
that she had been educated as a I idy. She paid great atten-
tion to the proceedings,' occasionally putting tome very
shrewd and pertinent ipiestions to the witness. s, but her re-
plies to the learned commissioner's queries proved that me
.tall laboured under the delusions described, and fully con
firmed the foregoing evidence.
The jury, M accordance, returned a unahimous verdict,
da lag the unsoundnese of mind from the let of June, 1845.