The Sun.
London, England, 1818-12-26 00:00:00

LITERARY REVIEW.

A I,F.TTER to the GOVERNORS of BEIIILEM HOSPI-
TAL; containing an Account of their Management of that.
Institution for the last 40 years : elucidated by original
Letters and authentic Documents; with a correct Narra-
tive Confinement of James Norris by Order of their
Sub-Committee; and interesting Observations on the Par-
liamentary Proceedings. By JOUN HASLAM, M.D.

The olject of this Letter is to demonstrate to
tl,e from accredited facts and Uncinestion-
.ithle doctoneots, that the Author has experienced
front the Governors of Betitiem hospital treat-
tro'ht as tmjustifieble as it was unmerited ; and
this-point he has supported with becoming !no-
siesty, correct feeling, arid convincing arguments.
The first subject of discussion is the case of 3 sates
NoitElls, aft unheppy and mischievous maisiac.
whose prowess and ferori'y rendered him au ob-
ject of terror to all eho came near hint ; and the
peculier construction of whose did not al-
low him to he secured rn the-nsuel manlier. After
ti idittan had repeatedly attempted to destroy
several pctsons, and in one instence bad needy
eirected Isis purpose, the Author, for ale protec-
tion of the p4rients, seevatos, sod inspecting
tiovernora of the Hospital, made application to
the Sub- Committee that some further security
should he adopted; Ist the same tittle' pi.oposiug
tt p!dn for the attainment of this object, as mild
•and humane as it Was Oft'etire, And which W.,(0(1
nor have sithjecird hint to any petsoual him)).
braises.. By this cow; ivance:he woOld pace been
allowed I wo ipattuients, with every reqeisite con-
trilmtose to health, cleanlinesa, and comfort.—
llto this Seri-Committee, rejecting this lenient
security, and armed with that authority which
enables the igeorant to oppose science and con-
trwl experience, sent for their smith, and gave
Itmi explicit directions to fasten this miserable
o 'etch some way, that he should do tor pet -
sou a nil-chief." The snith, of course, when he
had received his orders, proceeded with his work,
(111(1 rskh appropriate tools in due time rendered
him a fixture. Dr. Ilesevet observes, that " this
itoti machinery, which the tiub-Consmittee had or-
dered and approved, was so complicated, that it
employed the smith, with tiling, bolting, screw-
ing, !stammering, clinching, and basilling„ nearly
two hours iu adjusting it ; so that, it a tire had
occurred, he most have perished in the flames,
and his hones would base been calcined at the
Stake which held .biro. Under this ponderous
and formidable restraint the lunatic coutiutted
nearly ten years, visited monthly by the Sub-
Committee who bad sanctioned the apparatus
which fixed and envirmied him, After the know-
ledge of the condition of this mattiac lied been
&fettsed, and publicity had ended in universal
te-
probation, the Secretary of State, etaidt that wis-
dom and humanity which confer digeity out office,
interfered, and " made a regular 0111C1,11
cunimu-
iocation to the Governors on the subject." A
Cononittee of Governois was then summoned,
which exam'ited the officers and servants of the
establishment, and deliberated on the circum-
stances of the case. This Committee drew Hp a
Beport, which was afterwards confirmed by a
Geoeral Coml. In this Report, which Dr.
Haslem has inserted at length in his letter, it
appears that this Committee acknowledged the
former Sub-Committee to have been the sole
authors of this coercion ; but more, they even
justified its necessity in the following words
However nnsigloly in itself such a method of
restraint as that now under consideration may be,
and however piinful may be the reflection, that
it should in any single instance become necessary
to employ it, this Committee is, notwithstanding,
of opinion, that the peculiar nature of the case
byfot e them did justify its application in this par-
ticular instance." This report was the official
reply of the Governors to all the calumnies w hich
bad been levelled at their body, and in due for-
mality it was afterwards confirmed by a General
Court. But, mark what became of when its
doctrines were discovered to beompalatable, when
it appeared, it any culpability, or flagrant neglect
had existed, that it was to be attributed to the
Governors; themselves, what did they do ? They
sopptessed this Laity vindication,—they buried it
at night without the decent ceremonies, like a
felu de se, or a still-born bastard in the strong
box at Bildt:well. The concealment of this docu-
ment was the precursor of other manceuvres,
eceually creditable to this sapient anti chartered
body of Governors. It is generally known, that a
Parliamentary-inquiry was instituted to discover
the abuses which prevailed in the receptacles for
the insane, in order !hut it Bill might he framed
to ameliorate their condition. To this tribunal, 1'
Dr. Llaslam was summoned, and the result of his
.examination was so satisfactory to the Governors
of Befblent, that at ()He of dirkr public festivals,
the present Lott' Mayor of Londou proposed,
that his health should be dvank as a testimonial
of their approbation of the firmness, and perspe-
entity with which his evidence haul been delivered.
The Doctor very properly remarks, that to 11b. At-
kins lie was whoFy unknown, and that the enco-
lniton he received was nek her the produce of solici-
tation nor the tribute of frieedship. As the con-
cealment of the official defence of the Governors
could not he supposed to have diminished the
public flattery concerning the treatment of Norris,
they had 'tow recourse to another expediept in
the plenitude of their power, and in the vainity
of their judgment, they ordered their Medical o.lN-
cers, Dr. Mourn and the Author, to search the
Perliamentaty Evidence, and therefrom select ac-
cesstions against themselves ! ! This was a suf-
ficient presumption that the Governors had no
charges to bring against them. Dr. Haslam thns
characterizes this transaction :—" On this me-
morable occasion you seemed to have entirely for-
gotten that you were nu assemblage of Eftglish
Gentlemen, living under the salutary influence,
and guarded by the prdtection of equal laws,
which, in their parental embrace, comprehend
alike the meanest and most elevated, and of each
individual secures the property, the character, and
the life. From your respectability as it body,
ft am the nature of your education, anti from your
situation iu life, you could not be strangers to the
practice of English Justice. Now, permit me
in ask you, if in this country, in all • its various
Courts, Civil, Criminal, Ecclesiastical, or Mill-

tory, a reece:letif 'can be fe,ind to eninp,i a til3ll
to become the assassin of his own charaeter, in
order to defend himself against the absence of an
accusation ? Coold you, after die solemn charge
which has admitted 'you to become Governors of
the Royal Hospitals of Britlewell and Beadent, a
station of great honour 001 trust, and which will
afford you many,opportnnities of prompting. the
glory of (4041, and the welfare of your fellow-
'cleatures—roilld you, with this sacred injunction
still vibrating in your ears, proceed to an
_act
which was repugnant to every principle of jus-
tice, and IA mockery of her decent forms ? If the
reports of the Mad-House Committee had con-
tained any proofs of the misconduct of your Me-
dical Officers, such delinquency most have been
evident to your Committee, who are the manag-
ing Governors of tlte Hospital, and whose they it
is to examine into the conduct of its offieers and
ervants ; these Gentlemen, after they had pe-
rused the Padiamentaty Reports, if they could
have fixed any chat ge of misconduct, Or neglect
or duty on their 11edical Officers, would., doubt-
less, hate selected the specific articles of accusa-
tion, and sillnmoned such persons before the Com-
mittee or Court, to defend themselves against such
allegations ; it tway even be concluded, it any
culpability attached to these Officers, that the
Coonntiliee, which is denominated responsible and
efteclire., would have discovered their mlsconluct,
independently of the Parliameotary Reports. And
if they could, front their Own ,rgilatit inspection,
or from then perusal of the Parliamentary Re-
ports, have fixella charge against them, is it at
all likely, without suppo,iug an act of despera-
' lion, that they would order the Medical 'Officers
to accuse themselves ?"----The finale of this oblitpie
and unprecedented transaction was the non-elec-
tion of the Medical Officers, and with a few re-
marks on this subject, we shall conclude our Re-
view-of the present 'interesting and satisfactory
Plblication. All persons who bold offices under
the City .of London, are sunjected, as a matter of
established form, to an annual election, and the
same custom prevails in Bedilein Hospital. It
therefore appears 'when tie Governors, in their
examinations relative to Norris, found themselves
to be in the wrong, and dial, in their second at-
tempt to make ,the Medical Officers eliminate
themselves, there only remained for their escape
the secret avenue of non-election, to bolster up
their reputation and to maintain their charter.—
When the Reader reflects that Dr. Haslam, who
justly holds a high rank in his profession, who
has published many Works of considerable merit,
and. who must be conscious that lie possessed the
advantage of peculiar experience in one of the
most lamentable of human maladies, was thus ex-
chided from a lucrative situation, far front being
surprised that he sometimes expresses his feel4tgs
with warmth, it is rather surprising that he could
so well command his temper wider the conscious-
' 11C9f1 of severe ill-treatment and injtu y.