The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1886-09-03
Uhs lailg q ,lletin.
FRIDAY, SEPT. 8, 1886.
THE INSANITY OF GEORGE III.

the ripe ola age OF elghty-two, had
no less than five distinct attacks OF
insanity. The first attack showed
itself in 1866, after he had been on
the throne for five years, when he
was only twenty-seven years of age.
From this period until 1910 he had
relapses, amounting to five attacks
in all. He made, apparently, COM
plete recoveries from all these cN-
cept the last, which occurred ten
years before he died.
These periodical attacks of in
sanity were of short duration, the
average being six months. The
symptoms of the first were studi-
ously kept from the world at large
and from the members of his family
and household. During his illness
seven physicians ministered to his
wants. Pitt was rather astonished
at having revealed to him some i'm
portant State secrets from the King.
His condition was one of melan-
cholia, attended with shedding of
tears and much constitutional mis-
chief. He was irritable; no one
dared to oppose him or contradict
him in anything. He did not often
realize his real mental state, but
would declare that he was as well as
he had ever been in his life. He
would, without any reason, become
dissatisfied with his Ministers and
draw up a list of fresh ones. DIR.
Warren was his chief and favored
physician. This eminent doctor
was, in addition to be being the
Royal physician, also retained as
medical attendant by the leading
statesmen of the time-Burke, Fox
and Sheridan. He was considered
to be the head of his profession.
DIR. Warren, being a general ply
sician, it was ultimately considered
desirable to have specialist in at
tendance on him. The Rev. DR..
Francis Willis was chosen for this
object. In addition to ministering
to spiritual wants of his Pensioners,
he would try his skill in brain affec-
tions, and to such an extent were
his efforts successful that he estab-
lished an institution for the care of
the insane, and, having made
name in that branch of his profess
sion, was chosen as ''mad DOCTOR
to the King. Though at the age of
seventy years when appointed to the
post of medical specialist to George
Ill, he fully retained his talents and
faculties to the very utmost, ga man
of ten thousand, open, honest, daunt-
less, light-hearted, innocent and
high-minded." He took up his resi-
dence at the palace, being always in
attendance on His Majesty.
The medical treatment was ar
ranged in a morning consultation,
and it was understood by the other
doctors that DR.. Willis was not to
any decided steps IN the
treatment of his patient until after
the physicians had met, the other
doctors visiting in stated order and
rotation. Two surgeons and apothe-
carries were also retained, doing
their amount of duty as prescribed.
The medical treatment was purely
of tonic and saline description, the
remedy principally used being Gin
chona bark. AT the time of which
l write mechanical restraint occu-
pied prominent part in the manage
ment of the insane, and to this now
almost exploded form of treatment
the King was subjected. There
was nothing, however, in his con-
dition which justified the use of it,
Judging from our present view of the
matter.
The King himself did not, after
his convalescence, regard the re-
straint system as harsh; for one
day, walking through the palace,
after recovery from one of his at
lacks, he remarked: ''It is the best
friend l ever had in my life," allud-
ng to straight waistcoat, which
had not been put away. In 1888,
during his second attack, in conse-
luence of its length and the ques-
lions before Parliament being of the
most vital Importance in their issue,
t was found necessary to draw the
attention of Parliament to the desir-
ability OF providing a regency to
the state affairs. 1t was
Universally agreed the Prince of
Wales should act as Regent. There
we're, however, dissensions between
The Wings and Tories as to what
powers he should assume in his
regency.
A committee of the House was
appointed to examine the physicians,
he reports of such examination
being laid on the table. A few DAYS
after the committee sat, the follow
ng questions being submitted to the
physicians: SIS His Majesty in
capable, by reason of the present
state of his health, of coming to
Parliament or of attending to public
business? What hopes are there of
'ecovery? Is your answer on this
question founded upon the particu-
ar symptom of His Majesty's case
Dr. your experience of the disorder
in general? Can you form any iude-
nent or probable conjecture of the
III