The Sun.
London, England, 1850-12-04 00:00:00

conduct. It was part of our instructions to see whether
he had made extravagant purchases which he had not
taken care of. I examined Sir Gregory in the
presence of those gentlemen three times before we went ,
down to Battlesden. The result was, my impression that
his mind then laboured under delusion, chiefly on the
subject of the dread of infection, which induced him to
avoid going to the water-closet and to shut up his linen.
He stated that his son, who had died, was murdered by 1
Mr. Green, the medical man, frens not acting up to his
instructions, and by not putting restoratives into the
child's month after its death. He said:Sir Thomas Ac-
land had been brought to life by similar means. He
became angry under the idea that the child had been
murdered, and I believe he threatened Mr. Green with
an action. After going down to Battlesden, we
communicated with Sir Gregory's counsel, who 1
were then of opinion that they could not
ucces3fully resist the commission. We went down
to Battlesden where we saw a collection of valueless
things combined with things of the greatest value, all I
heaped up in one mass and covered over with old car-
pets. In July, 1824, I saw Sir Gregory three times by I
order of the Lord Chancellor and made a report to his
Lordship on each of those occasions. When I saw him
in 1824 his disease had net in the least lessened. I
saw him three times in 1825, with Sir Henry
Halford, when he was still the same. I
also saw him in April and May, 1826,
before the trial of the traverse, when he continued still
the same; he then laboured under the same erroneous
impressions; he said his family had conspired against
him (which was one of his delusions), and spoke of his
brother as being illegitimate. I then congratulated him
on leaving off cutting his linen; he seemed annoyed at
that, and said his linen was better washed there than it
had been elsewhere. On inquiry I found he had
not been allowed the use of scissors. When
a species of insanity like that with which
Sir Gregory was afflicted has lasted so many years the
chances are very much against the patient's recovery.
If this insanity continued from 1823 to 1839 I should ;
say it was a most unpromising case to cure; and I have
known no instance of a mau being competent to make a
will after being so long the subject of insanity. Epilepsy
usually impairs the powers of the mind. After an in-
sanity of that lapse of time, and under such cir-
cumstances, I should not expect a man to con-
verse rationally on the ordinary topics of conversa-
tion; nor, if he did talk rationally on those topics,
should I say he was restored to a perfectly sound state
of mine, unless I found he was labouring under no delu-
sion. 1 never heard Sir Gregory talk of his property.
I have heard the will which has been read in court, and
boon the state his mind was in I should have thought
Sir Gregory was incapable of making such a disposition
of his property, A fit of epilepsy in March, 1841,
would not aggravate his disease, unless accompanied
with paralyses. After an insanity of such a
lapse of time I have never known a recovery when the
insanity has been followed by fits of epilepsy, Occa-
sional drunkenness would aggrantte the disease of in-
sanity. I have heard Dr. Southey's evidence, and that
has not altered my opinion.
Cross-examined by Mr. CHAMBERS-1 have ceased to
practice for ten years.
By a juryman—l have not known a person have a
lucid interval after an insanity of such duration as Sir
Gregory's.
D:. Conolly—l have been in practice about twenty
eight years as a physician. lam physician of the
Hanweil Lunatic Asylum, an appointment which I have
held for ten years. For the last eleven years my pro-
fessional practice has been entirely confined to cases of
insanity. Assuming an insanity of fifteen years' stand-
ing, and fits of epilepsy supervening, I should expect the
malady would become increased. The mind almost
always becomes weaker if the epilepsy continues. Epi-
lepsy is not at all uncomman after an insanity of four-
teen or fifieen years. I have heard the evidence in this
case as to the character of the insanity. I should think
the supervention of epilepsy after an insanity of so long
a duration was a very unfavourable circumstance to reco•
very. I have nover known insanity of such duration,
followed lay epilepsy, terminate in a cure.
Cross-examined by Mr. M. CHAMBERS—I have advo-
cated the taking off of personal coercion and restraint
from lunatics with a view to promote their recovery. Be-
fore my time a very different mode of treatment was in
vogue. By the mode of treatment adopted 'by me cases
of insanity of 15, 16, and 17 years duration have been
cured after a residence in Hanwell. I have known four
or five such cases. That has happened in cases
of raving madness and dangerous lunacy. In two or
three of those cases I found the patients were at first in
straight waistcoats, and subject to violent paroxysms.
The severe systems of restraint on lunatics has been ge-
nerally abolished, but not universally, I am sorry to say.
I believe the change of system has produced extraordi-
nary cures.

Re-examined by Sir F. KELLY—I think all the cases
of cure I have mentioned have been cases of raving mad-
ness, unaccompanied by epilepsy.
With this witness the defendant's case closed.
Mr. M. CHAMBERS was replying on the defendant's
evidence when our report left.