The Sun.
London, England, 1841-02-12 00:00:00

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

, s (Continued from our Paper of yesterday.)
Mr.
.... After a discussion on the point of order, in e hien
Pt Goes
IlVanes, Mr, LAURIE, Sir J. S. LILLIE, and
leirralother Vagistrates took part, and in which almostthracter peakers expressed their !egret at the personal cha-
which the justification of the Visiting Justices was
assuming.
Mr. Ivies said that as the case of Fanny Ayton had
n
!lot 46,
brought forward as a charge he would abstain
of making any further allu=ions to it. The next class
o' cases to which the Rev. Gentleman had referred were
*hat had been called the stone-floor cases, in which the pa-
tients had stripped themselves, and thrown themselves upon
thebe.eoldist.ones. The first case Was th at ofJoseph Lye, who bad
eseo 'lammed in August, 1840, and who had been seen by
"r• Button during the absence of Dr. Begby, the other
. beinistallt• Tie patient was a man of great muscular
noes From the private journal it appeared that he was
dressingsgt,olvleinhnabwleer—e h h t re off his clothes and the
tapplied too the various ulcers he had
°,..° Ilia body--that his habits were so filthy that his room
ilas °hliged to be changed four or five times a-day, and ,oet heeontinued in this state until the 7th Dec., when
be te
e le& Now Dr. Begby stated in answer to this that
kid. patient was the worst patient in the house—that he
eeunacrctal ulcers on his body, and a large
e etta on the gluttons muscle, which pre-
et-ebetit ed Lis sitting or 1) ing down; that had h
dead Put under restraint he would have been
to Much sooner, and that for three or four weeks before
a death he had bconstantly in bed. Now it had been
• chm, , . Ceti .
Rea in this case that the patient was constantly lying
Partly in bed and partly on the floor.
it'v• H. S. TRIMMER—When be was shown to me he
- Was lying partly on a mat and partly on the fl tor,
tot; Tuias—Hyatt, the keeper, states that the statement as
he. room being changed four or five times daily is incor:
se. and it a eared from the statements of others that he
Wm a It PP
1,,,, an of such great muscular power, that he could_
s.v.e.!orn a straight waistcoat. The next case was that of
lee uni'll^P Hardy, admitted in 1839. It appeared from
-etton's first journal, and from the statements of
one -•
be et the keepers who had since left the Asylum, having.
sr" lent for. with some others, by Dr. Button, to the in-
-414604 in Dorsetsbire, which was now under his superin-
eneence, but this man had been in the habit of stripping
,itittiself naked and lying all night on the cold stones; of
; °eking himself about, in consequence of which his body
4:4, bel4C viand blue from the bruises he had received ;
Was naked
remained five minutes in b:d ; and that he
4 11! "ked day and night. Now nothing of that statement
eNared in
, Dr. Button's public journal, in which, had any
inite e'renmstarices occurred, it was his bounden duty to
detaierscorded them. Now Norman, the infirmary lee( per,
says the exaggerated eXaggerated statement of Dr. Button. He
itt-10."tre:fr. matt Once fell out of bed and cut his forehead, but
in his b trig a manner that Dr. Button did not mention it
that he°h'i.t3' In the private journal, however, it was stated
st4ttch, ea cut his head open;the
and it appeared from
Wee 7,ent of Norman that it was only occasionally that the
ratert,,,°Ot Of bed so that the case was greatly exagge-
lite he she next Case was that of Harriet Andrews, who
Pe her
an inmate f. h • Asylum twelve years. It ap
welsh lasts
she bad 'ill Paroxysm of insanity on. 12. h May
hie , aated till August. Now it was stated in the,pri-
aelf jairsal under the date August 3, that she threw her-
-4 %,-4 yut her room' and stripped herself stark naked ; not
He.'" about it, however,' appeared in the public journal..
journals that to show the candour of keepingto
1)041, one so much at variance with. the other. Missni.
Harriet • tone 5o
had been examined as to the case ,
tike Li Andrews, and she stated that in Dr. Millingen s
tight et Andrews had always been under restraint at
des r.', rtild almost always during the day ; that while un-_ tkeuetstpiint she was always violent; that since she
had
taken Ilea out of restraint a marked improvement. eln
451 te P ace in all her symptoms. That in consequence
had to tint to which she had. been subjected, she ,
all y i., the use of her hands, which she was now gradu- '
..rtiett ereTring. It had been brought forward as a grave I,
resonepee,°' charge in this case, that seven nurses had been
Ras required tput Andrews into a bath. Naw this charge
played roost extraordinary—that seven nurses had been em-
regeeadhi.nan jder to prevent violence.
.Why, if seventeen ,
• burst "e beer, necessary to prevent violence, seventeen '
that theatight to have been employed ; but the feet was, i
It esoni4heth.room would not actually bold seven persona. 1
'Nil:" seem from that statement that a spirit of exag• i
'aid ;1,"11 ran through the whole of the charges. It was 1
woe Patients pafients were allowed to stand on the cold stones, 1
lest,:', the fact was there was no such thing in the whole ,
G .sitatu3n, for Mr. Wilson could have informed the Hon. ;
Iteettlwttrrnan that the whole of the building was heated by ,
eileseter pj„es,
of e runving underneath the floors. The next '
ere the; esSell were those where the patients were said to
Emily '7l. own filth and the poultices; and the first was
1839, dohnston, a patient admitted on the 13th October, ,
rent i al!cl died on the 15th May, 1840. She was ineohc- ,
Ind
had
ner
ea , language and manner, had general paralysis, ;
to the' frequent tells when walking. Now, with respect
NI ''' Person and others of the same class, it might be '
wit? id that they came into the hospital but to die. They
of foodePtralytic cases, and among the worst ones were refusal ,
oneol and disordered eppetites, and Emily Johnston was .
oil the 3d eases. She was admitted into the Infirmary !
Curses Q of April, and was observed by the Chaplain and ;
befitthte bite her flesh and eat it. She
.was also stated to ,
see
ease 0 habit of pinching and scratching her flesh, and
the wts brought forward to shew the inefficiency of ;
vent %tern of non •restraint, inasmuch as it did not pre- ,
disAn tei Patients doing injury to themselves, and committing !
a charge Shafts Hear, hear.) Added to that there was ; 10 -ge tnat the system was expensive to the county at ,
dikesitcrre:teat!smuch as it was alleged that there was I,
quantity of glass broken and clothing
altPer7ol,",,' ailed on the whole it went to show the ,
trespect-; or the system of restraint. Now, with '
elute, t!
'c'irell to the cast, the evidence of the matron, Miss.h
was, that in May, 1840, the chaplain, Mr. Ti - , pet EmilItd asked her if it would not be more humane to !
Isen‘eirY Johnston under restraint than to have her bite :
wrist • She then saw the patient, who had a sore on her '
writ(and had her nails very long. She bound up the :
a
Ron_ W:lth a linen rag, cnt her nails, and put on a bed- ;
whichwith long sleeves, instead of one with short sleeves, ,
sle,e she was in the habit: of wearing, and sewed up the ;
raw sever her hands. The result was that the patient
t(geevr 00 further attempts to bite or injure herself.— ' had
not hear ,
) When the matron asked why the case
Quit h bee)
reported to her in time, the reply was
so el. button knew of it, but he had never attempted
bonsai it. Now he asked whether that was fair, or '
seem ' or honourable conduct on his part ? It would
alienidas if he was far more anxious that these cases
7L).they, tar for the purpose of founding a charge_
I;),.. „ern, than that they should be prevented. Ia
Public journal there was a statement that
That'lleot bit her flesh, but he suggested no remedy.
the 11tl"rt would observe that there was only one place in
bit etlei tton's public journal in which it was said that she
vetie eat her flesh. That case was subsequently in-
elie,r.ted before tho Committee, when Mr. Tibbutts, the
li, r
81:a, stated that he had seen several bites on her arms ;
Butt; eked /3r. Hutton ;shy she was not restrained from
ee wg her arms to her mouth, and his reply was that
sat (Zs not allowed to do that. She used to
the tame poultices arid other filth. During all
in al': ° Dr. Button knew of the patient acting
of it, h Ras),"' without informing the matron or others
Was ini; a party to the injury the unfortunate woman
Itltg,o leting on herself. Dr. Button was the assistant
In
ittettes°, f the institution, and it was his duty to state the
Ai!: order that it might be prevented for the future.
to fll, Buenas rose to order. He thought it very unfair
I:o4,:indr..bh,
il:l3onunntatnodnu,nwtho was absent, to make such comments
Neils" !4•it vindicated his right to refer to Dr. Button's
'453',.1.,h
gentleman.
that gentleman.
as all the charges were brought for-
inee„. investigate thought the matter could not well be
eirlgved withnitt some reference to Dr. Button. . he, th plutat resumed—The next case was that of Eliza-
Jul -araPbell,• November 1839 and died in
, y itoe who came in ~
journal
y refers The charge in Dr. Ba'ton's private journal
eh), 6itielrenee to that patient, was, that she used to eat
tinned th the could lay her hands on. He had ascer-
Arge • -"4t in the same class of patients in every
the lnstitution the same propensity was observed, and
',sect/tete-0n
regretted that she had not heard of it in time,
I pot. o‘uldkhinadvenfprderreestsi.ted it by making the patient wear
..t,tr.iettniar
Ate, °uBs---That is restraint.
°Pirtioesi,.etl4C--It might be so in the Hon. Gentleman's
QaNlienuttt it was of a very slight description. What he
%liens. to of was that Dr. Button was throughout more
Lire en ° get up cases than to assist the other medical
- is Ms, LPPIYine• a remedy, _
l'heli't .-12clitas objected to their frequent references to an
the g ludirldual. Why not bring a dit act charge against
kr, u'li'!„°° at Once ?
1. Mr, 14144 e-I do bring a charge against him.
''htttle by. (u,ru regretted very much to hear the statement
Leer° to- Cl' Hoe. Gentleman in his zeal. They were
;-awer °L., the statement of the Committee, end theird
-arling wooltuese allegations, and he trusted his own good
racy d Prevent him from proceeding in such a
The ,
to No, .taiemAN did not think Dr. Button was entitled
plseaino"B:?duleenee at the hands of the Magistrates. It
r;; groat
jottln)Proeer in him to have kept a public and a
w.,..k, 44'4 containing different statements —(
,El.ear• )
fr'fliela it tt,l4( then referred to the cases of inanition, in
eretluell "11 alleged that patients were permitted to sink
eoriteudY wahout any attempt to administer food, which he
l'he wits fully *ustified by the eircurnstances of the case.
ill he cases w j
th'aer bath, ere those of the improper application ofn
e fee, • One patient who had struck the matron i
the ei. ' and had refused to express her regret had had
end °Wer bath
and It. wat a.pplied.. Her hands and feet were secured,
nohe ~ CO..inued till the patient was led away pale
ne ailit'lsg. Now, with respect to shower baths
rstl rß.y' , he would observe that both Dr. Conolly
atltee 4cittiiblel, the Celebrated French physician, had
4l(!st. at nothing could be better than the
It4te of hirt of the shower bath when the patient was,i in 4'4— "Cit., ant.M,Aticeplieatic.. lo fact, some patients some..gi e I
41;c, rity of the
surd they were never applied without the
:h
pliers, it
" a"eged.'h4t
one
patient,b
i.t, , NI, there s. had had four baths in one day,
._
.eeaiet,d _
e. 7ere four baths uncharged on her, she only
‘e'l,
.s•iotisun
~at I,as she had ittruggled and escaped on other
• etllee • No where there eves a d,ff,,enee h•twcen th'
tee .I,' Ow 1,1- . •
wi 1 •
.„
a fa.t.,„ - l'. ie and i.nvatp journies i respe,,. ,o
t...,-tiurn,,,:..'1c:.:,:,..10,
it the the patient was punished with
..the
,134te Nitty
th",.Zti>eearetl to him enough to show t a.ttin.tus
ei I" to oio , g h ; and such teas the case ;,,t 1 i •-
41.4,,,:.}1\z,rt..,rie.,
4,..rse_s_atintiatns tbityle cf the female patients. The next
patients upon nurses. and upon coo
-'-44,,i ""
generiilly to be observed that when patients,
ttlek,ates, ,liorees the nurses were in fault, for they argued
expertted irritated the Patien'e_that of course was to be
!trete i e from the class of persons from whom the nurses
1:)3.xl,lit,:!totlacs:I1(1,ii.lt110lIgh the greatest pains. had been taken
, et, ey the a different mode of proceeding, ne regretted
.43, -sY 'kits!. rt • • , •S Cf,Le., ~?1, et ceery instance seconded by the
'''''l.'(4ie ,;::,' aied.cal officers. —( Hear, hear.) , The
,first
'ineiee '3 'IR OVA , 1 tea velliares, a very powerful
Afie =-o'hei waesi ' '.' 'l4
1 ' April 23, the
4 rge was ~, des of dll the nurses.
_
t.w.40 ...at she slept in a room with an unglazed win.
4 Pill
f°lll4l in the Muraiag very violent, and knock-

ing out bricks. Now it appeared that Dr. Conolly had
previously noticed, in terms of reproof, the circumstance
of the windows being unglazed, but he compl2ined that so
far from Dr. Button having made a representation of that
to Dr. Conolly, he had merely mentioned it to the chap-
lain.

A MAGISTRATE said, there were several charges of break-
ing glass, and he wished to know if any precaution had
been taken to prevent the recurrence of these cases.
Mr. TULK sa;d for several months past the windows
were in the course of being secured with wire guards.
Mr. Sergeant HALCOSIBE referred to the 28th of April,
where it was stated by Dr. Button, that the same patient
had secured the door with her bedstead—that it required
two carpenters to force open the door—that she was armed
with a large iron bar, which one of them took from her
after a severe struggle, in the course of which she bit
and kicked desperately—that a sheet 'was thrown over
her head and twisted, and she was then carried by nine or
ten porsons to the shower bath. _ _ .

Mr. Sergeant ADAMS said the en'ry in Dr. Button's
public journal of that date was, " very violent, the shower
bath applied;" and the following day, " passed a quiet
night, much better in the morning."—( Hear, hear.)
Mr. Tutiut said the next class was epileptic patients,
and the inference to be drawn from Dr. Button's remarks
upon them was, that if they had been placed under
restraint they would not hurt themselves in the manner
they did—there were not less than sixty female epi-
leptic patients in the hospital, and in the course of
eighteen months there had been ouly thirty-four cases of
accident—not two in the month. He would now come to
the Rev. Mr. Trimmer's observations, and the first was
with regard to a female patient named Brown, whose fore-
heed and eyes were dark and discoloured as if she
had received a severe beating, but that on inquiry
he had learned she was in the habit of lying on the
cold stones, with her forehead pressed down, and that
s'le was subsequently attacked with epilepsy. The infe-
rence was, that the epilepsy had been caused by her being
permitted to lay on the cold stones; but the medical man's
opinion was, that the epilepsy had no reference whatever
to that circumstance.

Mr. H coups liumins would suggest, ns amicus
that as the matter must end in the appointment of a Corn•.
mittee, why not agree to the appointment of a Committee
at once?

Mr. TULK hoped it would not so end, After the
statements that had been given to these charges be trusted
no such step would be resorted to. If the matter was
taken out of the hands of the Committee, and placed in the
hands of another party, it would show that the Magistrates
had lost confilence in the Committee, and in such case
he would say for himself that it would be difficult to get
gentlemen to act as Vi,itiog Justices.—( Hear.)
A MAGISTRATE hoped the matter would be somewhat
curtailed, as the patience of many present was becoming
exhausted.

Mr. TULK hoped he would be allowed to discharge his
du,y in his own way.
AllOthel MAGISTRATE did not sec how they could avoid
a Committee. It was difficult to say where the truth lay
betA een these statements and counter-statements.

Mr. Tut.x resumed —There were charges, also, of
noise and quarrelling in one of the rooms, but he under-
stood that these scenes were got up for the amusement of
the Reverend Gentleman. .

In answer to Rev. Mr. Trimmer, Mr. Tem said he
had heari that statemynt from Mr. Wilson. _

Mr. HUGHES said the nurses cught instantly to be die-
miss.d. It was most disgraceful conduct.
A NIAGISTRATE—Surey, after the statement that has
just been made by Mr. Tulk, it will be admitted that tome
inquiry is necessary.
The Hon. Gentleman read from the Report of Dr. But-
ton in 1839, in order to show that testraint was then, in
his opinion, absolutely necessary.
Mr. H. HUGIIES said that three hours had already been
wasted; how long did the lion. Gentleman intend to go on?
Mr. TULK said the duty had been cast opoia
him—it was too laborious to be taken up volua-
tarily ; but the Committee bad heard all the charges
against the present system—would they then deny the
Visiting Justices the power of making such a defence as
they thought necessary ?
Mr. H. HUGHES—By going at such length, you prevent
the possibility of any reply to your statements.
Mr. TULK —ln fairness you must allow me to answer
the charges made against us in the best manner I can. I
am sorry to detain you so long, but your proceedings have
rendered it necessary, and your interruptions only entail
upon me the necessity of going more at length into the
cases. The Hon. Gentleman went into the details of
many eases in order to show that the present system of
non-restraint had been productive of great and good re-
sults. He felt bound to say that the visits of the
Reverend gentleman to Hanwcll did much mischief.
He went among the nurses and the wardsmen and created
much ill-will by the frivoulous complaints so got up against
the Visiting Justices, who were honestly doing their heavy
and responsible duty. The Rev. Gentleman must either
be made a Visiting Justice, or in eclicacy lie must abstain
from his visits; or the only alternative was, that the Justices
nominated to visit the As) lum must give up their charge.
Sir J. S. LILLIE was of the same opinion now that he
was throe weeks ago, that it was impossible the public
mind would be satisfied without a full inquiry being entered
into by Justices who were entirely independent of the par-
ties on both sides. It was impossible that the Justices at
large should consent to tax their constituents for an
experiment the value of which they were unable to find
out without a full and free inquiry. Even the cases
pointed eut by the Chairman of the Visiting Justices
did not prove the correctness of the Report which
had been sent round by that body they did not
prove that non-coercion had been of any benefit. The
worthy Knight read a letter be had received from Dr.
Button, denying that it was either kind or humane
to allow insane patients to do as they pleased.
Restraint in many cases was absolutely necessary.
By means of restraint many patients had been brought
to health and reason, who without it must have
died. In his opinion it was as practicable to abolish
medicine from our hospitals as to take away the means of
coercion from our lunatic asylums. He, therefore, thought
the Rev. Gentleman was right in bringing the cases before
the Court, and he trusted the Court would grant a com-
mittee of enquiry. He would, therefore, move that a
committee be appointed to inquire into the complaints made
by the Rev. Mr. Trimmer.
Mr. H. ilubries had much pleasure in seconding the
motion ; lie was a warm friend of the non-coercion system,
but he would begin to doubt the soundness of his opinions
if the Court should decide that it could not bear inspection.

Mr. Winsosi thought inquiry was absolutely necessary,
but he thought it should be by some tribunal from
which the Justices of Middlesex ought to be ex-
cluded, or otherwise party spirit would enter too
strongly into the enquiry. He admitted the principle
of non-coercion, but be could not help thinking that it had
been carried too far. What he would suggest was, that
they should get one of their county Members to get a
Committee of the House of Commons, where the inquiry
would be conducted in the best spirit and manner. An
inquiry they must have, and ho thought the tribunal he
suggested was the proper one."
Mr. Sergeant ADAMS was happy to hear the sentiments
of the Hon. Magistrate—no gentlemen were more anxious
to have proper inquiry than the fifteen gentlemen who had
been nominated as Visiting Justices—they were most
anxious ter inquiry, but let it be by a proper tribunal—
they would never submit to be superintended by any Com-
mittee of their brother Magistrates. After going at length
into several cases alluded to by the complainants,
he entreated tho Court to grant the system of
Dr. Conolly the fair trial of a few months, and
if it did not then satisfy them let them alter it.
The Visiting Justices were most anxious that there
should be an inquiry, but let it be a public one. Since
his spec ch in October, the fetters had been struck off
more than half the lunatics throughout the country, and he
thanked God that he had made it, for he had not the slightest
doubt that the humane system would restore many persons
to their reasoning faculties. He implored the Magistrates
that they would not appoint any superintending Com-
mittee, but let them go, one and all, and demand a Par-
liamentary inquiry into all the asylums of the county.
The debate was then adjourned till Tuesday next.

SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS