The Express. — 1863-06-19 (London, England)

JUNE 19, 1863.  SEVENTEENTH REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONAIRES OF LUNACY.  This morning the above report, conflating of 42 pages of an ordinary blue-book, was issued from the parliamentary oeintiakoffice. During 1862 the oommireiosers paid in all 1,449 visits to asylums, hospitals, Deemed houses, and single patients and workhouses. The COMMiII6OOIIIIII say that their inqui' rice into the subject satisfied them that the cases in which removal to the new criminal asylum at Broadmoor are necessary or desirable bear • small proportion to the &gareg•te number. They add :—" In advising the retention in the several asylums of the large majority of the patients classed as criminal, we were mainly influeuced by the consideration of the comparatively trivial nature of their offences (not affecting life or person), their long residence in the asylum, their harmless and industrious character, and the vicinity of their relatives and friends. In the course of these special inquiries, our attention having been drawn to the subject generally, we have been forcibly impressed with the impropriety and absurdity of treating • large number of patients confined under Secretary of State's warrants as of the criminal class, or otherwise than as ordinary lunatics, from whom they cannot, upon any sound principle, be distinguished. We think it most desirable that the Secretary of State should be empowered (which be is not at present) to transfer such patients from the criminal to the ordinary pauper class. For this and other objects, the revision and consolidation of the Criminal Lunatics Acts appear to us to be essential. We think it unnecessary to repeat the views we have long held, and frequently expressed, in reference to the law applicable to that dam of the insane, and which were embodied, amongst others, in our eighth report. The urgent necessity for an early consideration of the subject will appear upon attention to the probable working of the present Criminal Lunatics Acts on the large and rapidly increasing numbers of criminal patients." It seems that the number of criminal patients in asylums, An., have increased in the last 19 years from 257 to 877. The number of insane or imbecile patients in convict prisons, in the criminal hospital at Woking, and in pole, all of whom the Secretary of State is empowered to mod to the now criminal lunatic asylum at Broadmoor, is unknown to the commissioners. The lunatic hospitals are highly spoken of in this report. The commissioners think that admission to them should be less difficult, "if not in every case, yet at least in those where the petitets suffer from sudden and uncontrollable impulses to commit violence or suicide, and who desire to place themselves under care and treatmeat." They think also it would be very desirable "if arrangements were trade for the reception therein of persons, of whom we have reason to know there are many, not insane, who, being conscious of • want of power of self-control or of the addiction to intemperate habits, or fearing an attack or a recurrence of mental malady, and being in all respects free agents, are desirous of residing as voluntary boarders in au institution for the insane. Upon the question whether, and, if so, in what way, such arrangements can be legally and properly carried out, the commissioners have thought it well to fortify themselves by the opinion of a conned of eminence, and accordingly submitted • ease to Mr. Webby. It seems that he entirely concurs with the commissioners in their construction of the enactments upon the subject ; that there is nothing in the statutes to prevent the admission of the persons referred to as voluntary boarders into registered hospitals ; and that there would be no difficulty in enforcing legally the stipulations and conditions of any agreement, by bond or otherwise, for their residence therein."  The commissioners again advert with strong expressions of regret to the fact that the governors of Guy's Hospital have ceased to carry out the intention of its founder, who en. Joined them to take charge of a certain number of insane patients. There are only 15 lunatic hospitals, which are really benevolent institutions, under the supervision of the commissioners, and they strongly urge an extension of this kind.): provision for the insane poor who are not paupers. Scotland possesses a great advantage over England in this respect. Ii appears that of the 833 private patient' placed in asylums lin Scotland, 6.52 are in chartered asylums, and only 231 in lieensed houses. In English hospitals, which are analogous to the chartered saylums of Scotland, the private patients amount to only about 1,000, whereas as many as 2,746 are in licensed houses.  Nearly all the lunatic hospitals in England are now well placed, and the comfort and better treatment of the patients has thereby been promoted. The removal of Bethlehem Hospital to a better site is hailed with satisfaction, and a hope expressed that St. Luke's, which, after Bethlehem, is " the wont situated and externally the gloomiest lunatic hospital in the United Kingdom," will move to • better locality. The scanty remuneration of attendants at the asylums is animadverted upon, and the temporary absence of patients for visits to their friends is urged as having • beneficial effect. Great evils still prevail in the treatment and accommodation of insane paupers detained in workhouses, the number of whom is steadily on the increase. Workhouses are not the places for such patients. But the Lunacy Acts Amendment Act, 1862, the commissioners hope, will ultimately enable them in some degree to ameliorate the condition of this unfortunate Claes. 0.  The report enters into a great variety of details respectiog particular asylums, medical oertificates, prosecutions during the year, new eoactments, !cc., and closes with some excellent remark, upon employments and amusements..