Thirty-first annual report of the directors of James Murray's Royal Asylum for Lunatics, near Perth. June 1858.

  • James Murray's Royal Asylum for Lunatics
Date:
1858
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirty-first annual report of the directors of James Murray's Royal Asylum for Lunatics, near Perth. June 1858. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    session a concert was given by the class, whose progress and proficiency were duly attested, alike by the teacher and by a number of strangers present at the demonstration. The interest taken in this class by the pupils was intense and genuine : the class-nights were looked forward to and remembered with no ordinary pleasure : the singing was marked by an energy, vivacity, and correctness as surprising as refreshing : and the whole experiment was set down by the patients themselves as a decided triumph. One patient acted with great acceptance as Monitor monitor—giving the key note, copying the exercises and chants for his companions, and making himself “ generally useful.” The other class was for drawing, under the tuition of Mr Aitken Stiell of Perth: Rawing as in the former case, it met once a week, in the evening : each pupil in the class [consisting of 20 pupils], had proper drawing materials, and was supplied with copies : and exercises were prescribed for the inter¬ vals. During the session the tables of the high and mid male galleries were seldom without drawing books and copies, exhibiting every degree of proficiency. A wonderful facility was evinced by some ofRipyT5 patients, who were previously supposed quite incapable of any such exertion. Some of the copy books would do credit to any drawing academy in the kingdom ; and the productions of a few of the pupils have been framed, and now adorn our galleries. The Sabbath even¬ ing class has more than doubled its number of pupils, who now amount Sabbath x 1 evening to upwards of 30 persons of both sexes, and of all ranks in society. Class- It has been conducted—under the supervision of one of the officers of the establishment—by a patient, who superintends and keeps a register of all the exercises. At the close of the winter session a soiree was Class Soiree given, at which three medals were presented to the most distinguished pupils during the session. This class has been found peculiarly bene¬ ficial, not less from the inherent value of the exercises engaged in and the habits inculcated, than from forming a pleasant, as well as profitable, break in a day, which is unusually sombre and monotonous in an asylum. It may perhaps be supposed that emulation among Prize systenj ,, . . _ ... among the the insane must be productive of injurious results. This is, however, insane, speaking generally, a great mistake. Patients who are likely to suffer from competition or emulation are not admitted to such classes Or Emulation . . _ and exercises ; but m those who have been pupils at the various classes competition