New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1903-08-22
LAX IN CARE OF INSANE.
Old Methods of Treatment Still Used
in France.

Paris. Aug. 1O.-The thirteenth congress OF
nerve and brain doctors using the French Ian
guage opened at Brussels on August l. and the
programme of the fortnight's work-an ex-
haustive one-includes a visit Of inspection to
the two principal lunatic asylums OF Belgium
Following closely as it does upon the re-
cent sensational arrest and sequestration in
Charenton Asylum of Mr.. BERTHE Marriott, an
English journalist, a naturalized resident in
Paris, which has drawn the attention Of the
public to the subject of the treatment Of the in
sane, the doings ofsthe congress will be watched
with special interest. 1t has long been felt that
the administration of the French Lunacy act of
1888 and the internal management of the va
rious asylums in France left much to be desired,
and the proceedings being taken by Mr.
Marriot against DR.. Fere will be made the oc-
casion Of an investigation into the working of
the law
Mr.. Marriot's case is this: On the strength
of a brief interview with that gentleman, at the
instigation, as he believes Though the point is
not clear) OF his own wife a certain DR.. Fere
pronounced him to be a dangerous lunatic and
wrote out certificate to that effect. The pre-
feet who was then applied to. instituted SONS
perfunctory inquiries, chiefly Of concerges, dis
missed servants and the like, and then handed
MI Marriott over to the asylum of Clarendon,
where he would probably have remained to this
membered that, though naturalized liz France,
L was born British subject" and accordingly
made an appeal to the British embassy
On the fifteenth day of his detention there
the house doctor, having seen him daily for
lew minutes, gave a certificate In which he
stated that he found no signs Of insanity in his
patient Thirty days later the same doctor
signed a second certificate. declaring that dur
ing the forty-fve days that Mr.. Marriott had
now been under supervision he had shown
signs Of madness, and he CDR. Chr1stian) con-
sidered that he might safely be set at liberty.
In spite Of these two certificates, however the
management professed itself totally unable to
dismiss a person who had been handed over to
the establishment as lunatic. and but for the
admirable organization Of the British consular
service it is probable that Mr.. Marriott would
never have escaped from his painful position.
After hfty-seven terrible days OF tension he was
at last released by the exertions Of his friends.
and is now bringing All action for "dommages ct
intGrets' against Dr. Fere
Mr. Marriot's experience shows up the glaring
defect in the Lunacy act of 1883, which places
the liberty of the Individual entirely in the
hands of a single medical practitioner, who
may or may not be wholly disinterested. and
who may or may not have previous acquaint-
ance with his patient. reform has been sug-
gested which would give the sole power of de-
cision in such cases to a select committee to
whom the doctor, in the character Of an expert,
would merely make his report, and although it
Is obvious that under no system could all pos
slplIlty or mistakes be entirely precluded, in
this way they would at least be minimized
Forty years ago France was in advance of all
the nations of Europe in her treatment of the
insane. She was the first to recognize in lunacy a
disease. and while in other countries the luna
tics were treated criminals and placed in
chains, she built hospitals for their reception
and treated them as sick.
To-day the asylums of GERMANY are +bA host
organized and the best managed In Furone
There the French system Of classification. the
Ehgllsh principle of no restraint the open door
OF scotland, the substitution Of individual for
collective treatment, the abolition OF solitary
conhnement-these and many other improve
ments nave been adopted and perfected. While
the asyluns Of France are to-day exactly what
they were forty years ago, in Germany, Switzer-
land and Italy radical changes have been made.
Both German provinces and Swiss cantons
spend more in the service of the insane than do
the French departments The cost day to the
State of each lent is considerably less in
France than in either of these countries. The
average varies from l franc to 125 francs
which is obviously too low figure while in the
eastern departments it falls as low as 80
confines day! On the other hand, in the
Rhenish province the average is 241 francs
Another department in which admirable work
is being done in Germany is that Of epileptic
patients. In France this branch is in the rud-
mentary stage only The sole satisfactory way
of treating epilepsy has been found to be in
special settlements, where, during lucid inter-
walls. the patients enjoy their liberty This
system has been adopted at Bielefeld and Ber-
lin, with the best possible results
There is, happily, every reason to hope |
for some distinct reforms in the French Seques- |
tration laws. Medical congresses. the scientific |
press and public meetings are all In turn helping
Forward the movement. Independent thinkers |
are making war on obsolete routine and by |
comparison of the work now being done IN |
France with that of other countries they are |
conclusively demonstrating the fact that from a !
pioneer the nation has fallen lamentably behind |
all her neighbors c. l. B.
NnTTc rrYr1