The Express.
London, England, 1859-02-02 00:00:00

TILE LAW OF LUNACY.

Last night a public meeting was held at Exeter
Hall, for the purpose of taking into consideration the treat-
ment of the insane, both in public end in private asylums, and
the existing erste of the law with respect to lunacy generally.
Mr. BENJAMIN BOND CADDLLL occupied the chair.
Mr. Clor Lc INU read a statement founded on the report et
the Comtnisatuaere of Lunacy, front which it appeared that
there were in June last in public lunatic saylume 15,163
inmates; in Bethlehem and other hospitals, 1,761; and in
private institutions, 5,720. Independently of these there
were in public asylums, 17,572 pauper lunatics ; and of the
same class of patients in private institutions, 4,612. Of
the total number there wore 295 Chwicery lunatics de-
clared insane by inquisition, end 633 criminal kinetics;
the majority of whom were in Beth:ahem. Observing
recent admissions it was found that last year these
had been admitted to public asylums 4,780, or 31 per cent.
upon the whole cumber ; whereas the admissions to private
adablialtruents had beets within the scene time 2,324, or 44
per cent. upon the whole number. There had been dis-
charged within the year from public institutions 1,854, cc
a per cent. cured, whereas the diecbarg.s of recovered
patients from the private establishments for the same period
had been only 672, or 28 per cent. With regard to the
discharge of incurables, the proportions were still more
strikingly in favour of the public establishmeate. The in-
curables seat out of the public asylums numberalati
634, or four and a half per cent. ea the number
The private asylums discharged 1,032 as Wearable, or 19
per cent, on the number cuetined. The mortality in public
asylums was summed up in 12 cuts of dimmer, or less then
one in a thousand. The deaths in private asylums had been
nine, being more than two in the thousand. Then were
the general facts of the abatement, which also entered into
details, comparing the efficient working of Cheadle, Han-
well, and other public institutions, with that of certain
notorious private asylums.
Admiral SA CLAMEZ, in moving the first resolution, to the
effect that, under the existing law, persons may be confined
as lunatics without any previous inquiry, and eubjected to
acts of cruelty, and that females were treated with violence
and indelicacy, said that the principal reason why lunatics
were treated cruelly was bacasee the care of them was com-
mitted to a elms of persona unfit for the trtst repoeed in
them. It was a painful fact that pauper lunatics ware on
the increase; and therefore, if it were only to save the rotes,
the public aould bestir themeelves and sea if it were not
possible to meat the program of insanity. After detailin
several acts of cruelty which he knew had occurrd
in private asylums and wetkhouses, he proceeded
to say that the whole trick of their tavatment
was to make them mad, and then keep them so. With
regard to the Chancery lunatics, of whom there were
551, they had between theta an income of 300,000/. per
annum • bat as ths Masten
is Chancery, in default of the
neat of being able to give the enormous security required
Ly law, namely, two sureties In double the amount of the
lunatic's annual income (and he would here remark that few
of them could obtain such security), generally gave the
committee of the peoperty to • solicitor, the whole of the
man's estate soon pawed away from him anti his family In
law expenses. The treatment of criminal lunatics, too, wan
• matter which required to be strictly inveetigated, espe-
cially in regard to women guilty of homicide during the
period of puerperal insanity.
The resolution wee seconded by the Rev. H. Wain, sad
unanimously adopted.
The reacting was also addreseed by Mr. G. Bolder, Mr. R.
Selby, Mr. J. Perceval, Dr. Pearce. (of Northampton), end
other gentlemen, after which two resolutions were adopted.
one dedering that the supervision of lunatic asyltune wee
insufficient, and the other agreeing to • petition,. praying for
inquiry by • select committee of the How of Commons, to
be preesnrep.:=lr. Tits, Pl.l'.
The then terminated In the usual manner.