The Sun.
London, England, 1844-09-26 00:00:00

No. 161259. LONDON, THURSDAY NING
UN, SEPTEMBER 26, 1844.

PRICE sd.

THE SUN is Published EVERY MORNING at FIVE O'CLOCK, in Tiine for the EARLY TRAINS anti TOWN DELIVERY ; a SECOND EDITION (Evening Sun) is Published in Time for the AFTERNOON TRAINS

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\Vithout loss of time Mr. Ellery was sent for again, and
again that gentleman applied himself with praiseworthy
diligence. Every means were taken to neutralise the
effects of the poison, and, in fact, Mr. Ellery stopped the
whole night with his patient. After some time the
medicines answered their intended purpose, and there
was a considerable rallying, so that at one time there
appeared some hope of recovery. However, the pa-
tient again grew worse, and on Thursday Dr. de Vitre
was sent for from Lancaster, but human aid was of
no avail. The poor fellow lingered on through Thurs-
day night, and on Friday morning, between six and
seven, breathed his last, in a state of perfect exhaustion.
The deceased was about sixty years of age, and of
robust constitution.—Lancaster Gazette.

LUNACY AND LUNATICS.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlB,—The report of the inquiry into the state of
mind of Mr. Thomas Telford Campbell, in your
journal of Monday, who it appears has been an in-
mate, and (from the abhorrence he expressed) an un-
willing inmate of Dr. Allen's lunatic asylum, High
Beach, during the long period of 14 years, but having
gained his liberty by the decision of the jury (finding
that he was of sound mind), should not be passed
over without observation and further inquiry.
In the absence of a more able and better digested
examination of his case, allow a fellow-sufferer
of Mr. Campbell's, who two years since passed
five long years in five mad-houses, without
his having been conscious of having been af-
fected at any time with any aberration or unsound-
ness of mind, and as he is not conscious of any such
change having taken place, now that he has passed
the grand climacteric of life, he feels that if he was
insane during any period of his confinement, he must
have been so from his infancy, and which a life spent
in active, inventive, and useful employment would at
once negative. Allow me to add my testimony to
that of Mr. Campbell as to the annoyances to which
persons are subjected in such establishments, and most
loudly and bitterly would I complain of the manage
ment of four out of the five houses in which I hayo
been confined; but this might prejudice my letter,
and annoy you with denials from the proprietors, if
not with threatened actions for libel. I, therefore,
desist.

It is on the part of the many, very many (hundreds,
.f not thousands) of unfortunates not so privileged as
Mr. Campbell in being allowed out-door exercise, but
who, like myself, have been secluded and immured in
lunatic asylums, under circumstances which, from
my experience, I am free to declare that the change to
the confinement of a prison would be as great a con-
trast, and as pleasing a change as that from a prison
to a palace, and to he preferred both in treatment and
comfort.
These unfortunates, being quite capable of feeling
and appreciating the miseries of a mad-house, and the
contrasted enjoyments of free air, unrestrained exer-
cise, and a comfortable home, and who, like Mr.
Campbell, and I trust myself, are harmless.
I would congratulate Mr. Campbell and the public
on the decision of the jury, as leading, I hope, to
many similar decisions. Are we to suppose that the
shock of the death of Mr. Campbell's father has at
once righted his mind, or rather that at any period
of his confinement he would not have been willing to
submit his sanity to the verdict of a jury of his coun-
trymen ?
I should have been too happy and proud to have
submitted myself to such an ordeal, and should have
had no doubt of my having been able to have con-
vinced any honest jury, fairly constituted, that I was
not a fit subject of a lunatic asylum ; and I trust that
the first alteration of the law of lunacy will be to give,
in an inexpensive form and mode, this privilege to
every person who may be deemed to be or suffering
as a lunatic, and who may impugn the decision, the
right of a trial by a jury of his countrymen. Not that
juries always arrive at a correct decision, but that i
would tend to satisfy even the mind of a lunatic that
he had been fairly treated, and have a tendency to
promote his recovery.
I have no objection to give to medical men all the
respect and deference that their supposed education
and experience may entitle them to ; but I cannot
allow that it consists with rationality or the institu-
tions of a good order of society, that any two of them,
without incurring any responsibility, and at the in-
stigation of an interested party, should become the
medical advisers, jury, and judge, which shall have
the power at once to consign any one to all the
horrors and torments to be experienced in these mis-
called asylums. And then again, without the party
so condemned being allowed to inform a single friend
or relative of his situation, but to he severely punished
for making the attempt.
To satisfy the minds of the foreman of the jury and
one of the jurors at this inquiry, and all future jury-
men, that it is not wise to pin their faith on the
sleeves of medical men, but to trust for their decisions
on the rest of the evidence, and their own honest
judgment of the case from the conduct and demeanour
of the party who is before them, allow me to relate
the following anecdote :
At the first lunatic asylum in which I was confined
the surgeon of the establishment, a well-educated and
highly-talented man, of mature years, having been
afflicted with a paralytic stroke, his mind became
disordered, and many high fantastic tricks did he
play, to the astonishment of the neighbours, and in
the house, so that it became generally known among
the inmates that the doctor had gone mad, and in
which state he continued some weeks, during which
time two Committees of the Metropolitan Commis-
sioners in Lunacy officially visited the establishment;
each of these Committees, having two members learned
in medical science and lunacy attending them, who,
on both occasions, actually left this mad doctor at the
head and superintendence of about 800 mad patients,
not having been able to discover his insanity, although
I and another imputed madman had taken some pains
to call their attention to the fact of his unfortunate
situation. I presume they were too intent on making
out our insanity to discover anything of the kind in
the doctor. However strange this may appear to be,
the statement is easily established, as some of the gen-
tlemen have since acknowledged to me the fact of the
doctor's insanity at that time.
But do not the public rest on the belief that Acts
of Parliament have been passed, instituting a set of
Commissioners, with a nobleman highly extolled for
talent and humanity (Lord Ashley), as their chair-
man, for the very purpose of preventing such abuse
and wrong as has taken place in Mr. Campbell's case,
in mine, and in so many others ? Why these gentle-
men have not performed their obvious duties, I must
leave them to explain, and thus, for the present, close
my observations on this painful subject.
Sept. 23. ONE OF THE VICTIMS.
P.S.—I have enclosed my card for your satisfaction,
and for yours alone, not to satisfy any impertinent or
curious inquirer ; for I have two lovely children,
whose prospects I should be sorry to see clouded by
the report of their father's misfortune.

ller Majesty the Queen Dowager has forwarded
101. to the institution existing at Woolwich on behalf of
the wives and children of the men belonging to the Royal
Artillery. It is supported by subscriptions from the
most respectable families connected with the town and
garrison, and by the produce of occasional fancy fairs,
held at Woolwich. Its object is to assist the wives mut,
families of the gunners of the Royal Artillery to follow
their husbands to foreign stations.
COACH ACCIDENT.—On Monday afternoon the
Fireman coach was overturned between Maybole and
Lochmoody Toll. We regret to state that the Rev. James
Stevenson, of Newton-on-Ayr, was severely injured, but
though taken up insensible, he was so far recovered as to
allow of his removal to Dailly next morning. Cons/Aer-
obia anxiety was felt at first as to the extent of tb.:.• injury
received, but this has been greatly relieved, and there
is every reason to expect that he will speedily be re.
stored to his labours among his flock. The cause of the
accident seems to have been, that in turning a sharp
angle of the road, about two miles and a half from May-
bole, the coach suddenly came upon a cart laden with
timber, and in pulling up to avoid a collision, ran to the
side, losing the level of the road,—Western Watchman.
It is very commonly rumoured in the City that it is
the intention of Government to exclude from the Court
and from the Ministerial parties all the Foreign Minis-
ters or Chargsis d'Affaires, whose Governments have not
faithfully fulfilled their engagements with their creditors
in this country. Such a proceeding as this would create
great satisfaction. The more reasonable among the cre-
ditors of foreign Governments are perfectly aware that
our own Government cannot adopt forcible measures to
urge the completion of a private contract, but such a
plan as this, which plainly draws a distinction between
honest aad dishonest states, seems perfectly practicable,
and no more than just. A similar spirit, if report may
be trusted, has extended to some of the clubs, who have,
it is said, made citizenship in a " repudiating" state a
sufficient reason for refusing the admission of candidates,
however unexceptionable the individual character of such
parties may be. In some cases, a rule like 'this might
fall hardly on honourable and sensitive persons, but it is
no bad principle in some manner to identify an indivi-
dual with his Government, since if all the individuals of
a dishonest country were made 'to feel some practical
inconvenience, a reformation would follow as a matter of
course. If the report be true, there is no doubt that the
clubs have adopted the suggestion in the Rev. Sydney
Smith's letter.— Times.

A LEFT•HANDED COMPLIMENT.—In the list of
toasts to be proposed at a recent dinner, in a town in
Nottinghamshire, was the " Health of a certain country
gentleman, with thanks for his attendance." Some cir-
cumstance intervened to prevent the worthy squire
dining with his tenants and neighbours, and, of course,
the toast required a slight alteration. The person into
whose hands the toast was given thought it would not
do to propose it without some thanks, and considering
that so powerful a neighbour should be thanked for al-
most everything he did, proposed " The health of —,
Esq., and thanks for his non-attendance I—Lcicest
Chronicle.