Mad-houses : observations on the Act for regulating mad-houses, and a correction of the statements of the case of Benjamin Elliott, convicted of illegally confining Mary Daintree : with remarks addressed to the friends of insane persons / by James Parkinson.

  • Parkinson, James, 1755-1824.
Date:
1811
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Mad-houses : observations on the Act for regulating mad-houses, and a correction of the statements of the case of Benjamin Elliott, convicted of illegally confining Mary Daintree : with remarks addressed to the friends of insane persons / by James Parkinson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

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    excuse for admitting the case in the following quo- tation from a former volume by the author of these pages, that it seems to illustrate this part of the subject, and serves to show, that the difficulty of decision in cases of this nature, is such as ought to induce the legislature to take the office from those, of the competency of whose judgment they have no pledge whatever. A gentleman farmer was brought to a house for the reception of lunatics, his friends grounding the necessity of his confinement on his conducting his affairs in such a manner as must soon bring him to ruin. On speaking to the patient, he said, if his friends could state any circumstance which he could not defend on principles of reason and equity, he would consent to be confined for the rest of his days. He was then asked, Do you not give more wages than other farmers ?—Yes. Why do you ? Because I am of opinion that the standing wages of labourers is much too small; and the neigh- bouring farmers agree with me in that opinion, but have not integrity enough to follow my example, although they know their labourers to be almost starving. But have you not had it clearly demon- strated to you, that this proceeding must terminate in your ruin ?—Yes, but—a question in my turn, Am I to be deemed a madman because I will not save myself from ruin by starving a number of my fellow-creatures ? Well, but your friends say, that you have thoughts of leaving your farm to your