The Sun.
London, England, 1846-07-02 00:00:00

HANWELL LUNATIC ASYLUM.

For some time back considerable discussion has taken
place amongst the Magistrates of the county of Middle-
sex, assembled in Quarter Sessions, upon the subject of
the additional Lunatic Asylum proposed to be erected at
Hanwell. The Court having determined upon erecting
the new edifice in the vicinage of the present asylum, and
actually purchased a piece of groued for that purpose,
plans and elevations of the proposed asylum were pre-
pared and transmitted to the Metropolitan Commis-
sioners in Lunacy, who had subsequently taken these
propositions into their consideration, and made their re-
port thereon, signed by Lord Ashley, to Secretary Sir
James Graham, in which they totally disapprove of the
proposed plan, with reference to the building of the new
asylum at Hanwell, and express it as their opinion that
the new edifice should be built as near as may be to the
centre or mass of the population of the county of Mid-
dlesex. The whole of the correspondence, together with
the special report of the Committee of Visitors of the
County Lunatic Asylum, were laid before the Court on
the last county day, when they were ordered to be
printed and circulated ; and as they contain some valua-
ble information respecting the increasing wants of the
county, we subjoin the following extracts from the re-
port from the Commissioners in Lunacy to Sir James
Graham, upon proposal, &c., for erection of an addi-
tional Lunatic Asylum for the County of Middlesex, at
Haswell
"It appears from the documents transmitted to us,
that the Committee of Visitors propose to erect a new
(or second) asylum at Hanwell, at the distance of 100
feet only from the present asylum for the reception of
1,010 pauper lunatics, and to make various alterations
in the existing offices, with the view of rendering them
applicable both to the present asylum and to the asylum
proposed to be erected. And it is estimated that the
cost of the new asylum will not exceed 85,0001.
" Supposing Hanwell to be the most convenient place
for a lunatic asylum as regards the western division of
the county (a fact, however, not established), it is ob-
oli
viously exceedingly inconvenient as regards the eastern
division. There can be no doubt, we apprehend, but
that an asylum built at so distant a place as Hanwell
t)he must metropolis,
gorpeatlys, more especially
increase the (thi (instead teeaasdt e r
np
of beingart
ex-
pense and difficulty of transferring pauper lunatics to
and from the eastern parishes and unions; that it must
add to the inconvenience, and lessen the frequency of
the visits of parishes officers ; and
must, in effect,
almost wholly preclude the poorer friends of the patients
from visiting them at any time during their confine-
ment.
" We are satisfied that the asylum at Hanwell at
present contains more patients than it is capable of ac-
commodating properly, and more than should be en-
trusted to one superintending or controlling power. It
is the opinion of every medical man of eminence, conver-
sant with the subject, and, amongst others, of Dr.
Conolly -himself (the visitingi physician, and, until
lately, the superintendent of the Hanwell Asylum),that
not more than 900 patients should be assembled in, any
one curative establishment for lunatics ; and the Hanwell
Asylum already contains nearly 1,000 patients.
" It is desirrble, we think, on this account, that there
should be no further congregation of lunatic patients at,
or near, Hanwell.
" In regard to the question of expense, adverted to by
the justices in their published address, we consider:the
sum of 85,0001. as far too large for the objects proposed
to be accomplished by the outlay. And we are disposed
to think that several of the items specified in the address
as savings, are peculiar, or unnecessary instances of ex-
pense ; and that any saving reckoned upon by the jus-
tices, will be more than counterbalanced by the erection
of a new asylum, at a moderate and reasonable cost.
" A reason for placing a new asylum in the eastern
division of the county, lies in the facility with which
the patients might in such case be visited by their
friends. It is a great source of comfort to a large pro-
portion of persons afflicted by mental disorders to receive
occasional visits from their relations and friends. These
friends and relations belong for the most part to the