The Sun.
London, England, 1845-07-11 00:00:00

AS LUM FOR THE INSANE OF
THE MIDDLE CLASSES OF SOCIETY.
egos ,
A public meeting took place yesterday at the Freemasons,
Hall, Great Queen-street, for the purpose of considering.ol
the establishment of an institution for the insane of tn!
claeeee. Among those present we noticed—Lord
Monteagle, Lord Ashley, M.P., Lord Ebringten, Sam
1.
Esq., Thomas BOW!), MD, it. B. Cebbell, Esq.': •
F.R.S., John NVilks Esq., Dr. Chardrie, Frederick Cole,
M.D., W. Dimes, 'Esq., Dr. Conolly, Dr. Hamilton, 1.
Southwood Smith, M.D., Arthur Stilwell, Esq., Alderill:
Wm. Tite, Esq PALS., Joseph Toynbee, Esq.,
Forbes Winslow, Esq.. M.D., Wm. Thorriborrowe
John Forbes, M.D., F. 1.5., Dr. Phillip, M.D., Sze 8:e , k_
Lord Ashley was to have taken the chair at one o'n," '
but, in consequence of being detained at the House of Co'""
MODS, his Lordship was not present at that hour.
•
Shot tly after one o'clock Lord MONTEAGLE, accompanied by
Lord Ebrington, Mr. Samuel Gurney, Mr. Tite, and severe
other gentlemen entered the room, when
Mr. SAMUEL brURNEY, addressing the meeting, said theet
he greatly regretted that Lord Ashley had not yet arrn(r..!
he was sure, however, that every one present must at nne
be convinced, that a nobleman who was ever doing
.goocl
for
his fellow-men, must have been prevented from being taer
at that time by being engaged in some good work!. _
( Loud cheers.) He was happy, however, to inform tll,u_
meeting, that they had a most favourable alternatisn
in his Noble Friend Lord Monteegle—( Loud cheers)'
who would take the chair till Lord Ashley arrived, who, e
had just been informed, was obliged to attend to particular
business in the House of Commons.
Lord MONTEAGLE, on being called to the chair, was re;
ceived with great cheerig. noel eaid tat on every acconn
he regretted the absence f his Noble Friend, Lord AshieL,'
who he was sure was prevented from being with them at
hour appointed by the performance of some act of betlel
knee and goon.—(Cheers.) He regretted that his .1`101:)11°
Friend was not present, because he would have been much
more competent than himself to explain anything that
was necessary. He begged it, therefore, to be under,'
stood that he only took the chair until his Noble Frien,
arrived, and lie trusted that every excuse would be made
for any errors he might commit in opening the meeting.
(Cheers.) Tim object of the present meeting was a trail
laudable and benevolent one—(Cheers)—it was for the II;
nefit and the comfort of their fellow-men, and vitiate/1;s
might have been done in former times for so valuable an °Os
jeer, he was sure that of late years the current of public bone'
volence had more and more directed itself; not only to n,
poor, but to the superior classes of society—(Cheers)—wZ;
tnight require the interposition and guidance of knowlenns
to assist them in the performance of their duties.—(Clieers(
The affliction of insanity, he should say, in that class which
it was the object of the society to relieve was Pec„n;
liarly distressing : they might imagine themselves au°.
receiving gratuitous or eleemosynary relief, and such bell;
the case there was no asylum or place of refuge towhic
were
they could send any of their friends or relations who
,
afflicted with temporary insanity. From some institutionr;
they were excluded by not having property, and from othe
from a feeling for their friends.—(Cheers.) What, hen,
was the result ?—why, delay took place—delay, which lvsof
i
of all things, the most fatal in insanity. It vci
well known that skill and benevolence, when applied,lo,
time, produced a result totally different from the same ~4.`
or even greater, from the same benvolence, or even greatcor
if the period of the application of either one or the other ‘,-
delayed. The mischief of delay in the case of temporarYlZ.„i
sanity might be traced to weeks, as well as to 111011`o
and years, and it often happened that from that delay te.
being, who was only afflicted temporarily with insanity, bee
came a confirmed lunatic. It was to prevent these (hit),
that the establishment of the asylum was proposed, Itiets
would at once give, not only effectual, but immediate as to,
ante to the unfortunate objects it was intended to cony
and, if possible, restore them to society and to hapnille,sot
\Vith these few observations he would leave the differ'
nel tters connected with the Society in the hands of thli
who were more competent to explain them, and he evo
now conclude by requesting the Honorary Secretary (100
E Conolly) to read the prospectus, which stated fully
object of the meeting.
PROSPECTUS.
The attention recently paid to the management of the ref
sane, whilst it has led to a great and general amelioratiol? 0
their condition, has also made it evident that the injudilto
treatment, and most of the evils to which they have hitt] r„,
been ands are in many cases exposed, have arisen fr°"i
the poverty of many so afflicted, and from the predornilte
regard to economy in the proprietors of establishinen
adapted for lunatics in better circumstances. • atis
By the establishment of county asylums, the pauper 1101-•
has been to a great extent provided for, and the public!on,..
given to the details and results of management in these,„'n
stitutions has tended to modify and improve the sY,s`,.-Lis
pursued in asylums for the rich. But there is still 'no
class of persons in this country, neither Wealthy enotifT ire ;
resort to a good private asylum, nor so destitute as to c_l`'tbe
the privilege of paupers; and to patients of this class in
benefits of efficient superintendence, and of enlightenedistlig
philanthropic treatment, have not yet been extended. Jar
for such persons that the advantages of the proposed Ins°
tion are especially and exclusively designed. oA
Those who are practically acquainted with insanity .sties
the great amount of complicated distress and anxiety 'f
falls upon such unhappy persons, when any member of thetils
families is attacked with mental derangement. Industri(Ais
and regular habits are often interrupted some time beforeis
nature of the cause is suspected ; propriety of conduict4 ;
disregarded ; the character is injured ; employment is 1°
a'
every comfort is gradually sacrificed ; and complete destl a
tion is sometimes iecurred in a vain attempt to overcool°
conceal so serious a calamity.
Innumerable instances of this kind might be adduced 0.°6111,
families whose resources, in the beginning of the at! of
woulditave been sufficient to afford the patients a chance
cure in an asylum admitting patients on very mode_er,
terms, and presenting advantages which would have on' au
come the repugnance of relatives to sending them to slinnero
institution. In such cases, at present, the patients Fenton
receive early or efficient attention ; and when at length Non
have fallen into the class of paupers, and are sent t°
county asylum, they go there in a state of confirmed feala
and with very diminished chances of recovery. Even w°,1,0
a cure happily follows, the associations into which 'n;
patients have been forced often leave a disastrous impress")„.
they regain their former station and feeltugs with difflea;:e?.
and are exposed to such anxieties and distress as not tal"- .
quently produce a relapse. te'is
The afflictions which follow in the train of insam so
families of a class above that just spoken of, and net n
wealthy, are perhaps still more poignant. Persons of ptiocr.,
family and of small income, officers on half-pay without
Ja-
tune, clerks in the public service, or in offices of varionseer
scriptione, with salaries dependent on their continued entr
tions, tradesmen of small property, or retired with a sc,griteo
independence, clergymen with small incomes, men °' up-
other learned professions who have no other means of.stio,
port, tutors, governesses, and many others whose nnslton
does not require to be specified, but who in ordinary etre „no
stances enjoy all the comforts of respectable life, are at °ally
involved in pecuniary embarrassment, and often event% of
reduced to absolute poverty and want, by the occurrelle,
insanity in themselves, or in the person of a child, a nn es-
parent, or some dependent relative. For such cases, twente
isting establishments hold out -the exclusive and immen'i'o,
relief which could alone save them from the fast accOnt
lating miseries consequent on a visitation to which the fillon' s
and most active minds are liable in common with the h°
blest.
In some asylums a limited number of patients are renelros
on moderate terms, but richer patients and' also patlPsr.inet
tbwts arereceived into the same institution—an arrange" eye
which has many inconveniences. In others, those wto.
mental disorder is complicated with epilepsy, or with Ilnoe
lysis, or in whom the disorder is considered incurable, 00
altogether excluded; although the burden of these cases
the relatives of the patients is always the heaviest. et)'
Those who are most conversant with the wants of soltna
are, it is believed. unanimously of opinion that some as)'
is urgently needed in the neighbourhood of the metrentier,
fur the reception of penons of the middle classes only; °,,,er,
ins;, ll;11* moderate payments, all the comforts suitable t°
sone of their habits of life, and combining all the advantsn'es
and resources enjoyed in the best institutions for the elsstne
already provided fur, including many improvements in ri.
method of treatment yet but very partially adopted in a
vats asylums, and quite unknown, perhaps impracticablel.i,
the domestic management of single cases in private IT'
dences. h
The situation, the construction, the organization of sec the
asylum, the opportunities for its systematic inspectiev,, of
occupations and amusements provided, and the mead be
moral and intellectual improvement afforded by it, sh°lliierSr
such as to comprehend and insure every advantage at° torn
to recovery in curable cases, promotive of solace, nennle•
co
ea
amendment in cases incapable of perfect cure, and sea
ducive to the welfare and health of all the patients real
into it.
'l°l3l
The varied advantages can only be combined in an e.)la.
of a certain magnitude; and experience shows that th,e. tech
nanagement of insane persons is in many respects facilitti_h
rather than obstructed, by the size of an asylum being st'eri.
as to supply a variety of objects capable of attracting a,,tis.
tion, exeit mg interest. and stimulating to exertion and ""fie'
tion tion ; the of which not only renders small estee"oie
ment oppressive by their dulness and monotony, but lila
tively retards the cure. By good arrangements, trannon is
may be secured in any establishment for those to whom ribs
indispensable ; but variety and cheerfulness can onts' re-
commamted where the inmates are numerous and the r
misee are extensive.
Beyond certain limits, however, the increased size of er.°l
asylum does but add to the difficulties and anxieties of slob
intendence, and counteracts the uniformity of system 'I/ t is
ought always to prevail. The most convenient extenson -
Probably that of an asylum containing between 200
400 beds.
•rtr
With the views and objects thus briefly stated, it is PO,
posed to establish, in the immediate neighbourhood of Ifre.
don, an asylum adapted to the middle classes, capable °,ebe
ceiving 309 patients, but admitting of some extension. :4.
cost of about twenty-five acres of freehold land, with s 7 re,
cient buildings, and every possible provision for coating
cies, is calculated at 30,000 L „ful
This estimate of 30,(X)0/. is based upon the most ca 000
calculations ; hut it is proposed to purchase land and
e"'
go'
silence the building as soon as 10,0001. are raised, and '`-'nech
large the design afterwards according to the amount reeenlins.
It is believed that in a house containing 250 or 300 Pairs"
payments not exceeding 255. or 30s. per head per we ore-
Cover all the current expenses. This is less than is tis
sent usually paid in any private asylum, in which a Prop
expected after the expenses are paid. „ ese
very donation of 501., or annual subscription of nn. to
will constitute the donor or subscriber a governor, eligilizoit
the Committee of Management, which it is proposed ten "rip,
to 25 persons ; every donation of 51. 55., or annual sub me'
tion of 1/. Is., will constitute the donor or subscriber a le. of
ber, having a vote in the election of the ConfinitZed
Management, but ineligible as one of that body ; Pr°' nee
that no governor or member shall have more than„otbs
votes, and that a subscriber must have been so for six mn is
before the privilege of voting in respect of his subscripttoo
exercised. onv
Governors will have the exclusive privilege of recitlis
mending patients for admission, subject to the decision e
Committee of Management. tint
It is further proposed, as an integral part of the nlall,l',e
there shall be established in connexion with the as) 0
coos
Charitable Fund, raised by means ofdonations, subscrin
and bequests, for the exclusive benefit of the more distrret is
among those for whose relief the institution is destined.6l,,..
intended that all sums received under this head shall op'
mediately funded in the names of trustees spenia"):,eir
pointed, and that the interest alone be available for th r
poses of the charity.
relief °f The interest of this fund is to be applied to the ren_ed, to
certain number of persons of the classes alreadn- deacrn?_ eft'
bt elected or nominated, from time to time, from the!: ;01
dents who have been one year or more in the asYluiu„wentt
placed on the list of patients received for a lower Pan
say for fifteen or ten shillings per week ; or even
payment whateven •
By this means, in addition to the general relief ano niznien
the nature of the asylum, the supporters of it will be en
to ext'ntsl a most e.,l•+•-it 'hie and timely sasistance e•-e
I. To families ‘.. . slot circl;l:,,ssnces, who hip's:
great ext: t ;ors C,. f.:: Lain u,4l paynieins
tint a.; ;.. '.I;;;! ~‘•ln,
has ;
s cud'
2. AU V,tllCll tile ecurrencee of insanity woo
denly and wholly deprived the sufferers or thou' faint
4