Return to an address of the Honourable the House of Commons, dated 9 December 1852;-for, zCopies of all reports of the Commissioners in Lunacy, and the evidence presented by them last year to the Home Office as to the state and management of Bethlehem Hospital, and of all correspondence thereon:y zAnd, of the observations of the Governors of Bethlehem Hospital upon the report of the Commissioners in Lunacy to the Secretary of Statey.

  • Great Britain. Commissioners in Lunacy.
Date:
1852
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Return to an address of the Honourable the House of Commons, dated 9 December 1852;-for, zCopies of all reports of the Commissioners in Lunacy, and the evidence presented by them last year to the Home Office as to the state and management of Bethlehem Hospital, and of all correspondence thereon:y zAnd, of the observations of the Governors of Bethlehem Hospital upon the report of the Commissioners in Lunacy to the Secretary of Statey. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by Royal College of Physicians, London. The original may be consulted at Royal College of Physicians, London.

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    A. Morison, M. D. 10 July 1851. 11 o Minutes of Evidence taken before the occasion. 1253. Had she bruises or wounds on her person ?—She had slight bruises, which they showed to me. 1254. She had bruises and wounds on her person when admitted ? —Oh no! not when admitted ; I am not aware of it. I do not ex- amine them on admission. The bruises I saw were but slight. 1255. During the time she was there, did you inspect her bodily condition ?—I saw the bruises she had ; they were pointed out to me, and they seemed to me to be principally from falling down and knocking herself about; she had some on her face, legs, and ankles ; but the bruises did not seem to me to be of any importance, that I saw, when she was alive. 1256. Did you ever prescribe for her?—I prescribed a little. 1257. Did you direct any particular treatment?—I did; opening medicine, and sick diet, and a little wine. It was not a case that we could retain in the hospital, and her friends appeared anxious to get her away. She had a fit, and was unable to walk, and we thought it better to let her be discharged. I think she was only a fortnight there; hers was one of those cases that there was not any probability of recovery. I was sent by the treasurer after death to examine her body, and I gave a report. The principal thing was excoriations on her body ; she had all the lividity about her private parts of inci- pient decomposition ; the bruises seemed to be of very small im- portance. 1258. She had several wounds on her body?—Not except from scratching. 1259. What was the character of the wounds ; why do you assume they were from scratching ?—I do not call them wounds. 1260. Why assume they were from scratching?—Because she did scratch herself. 1261. When?—When she was in the hospital. 1262. Who told you so?—d have seen her. 1263. Where did you see her ?—In the basement where she was. 1264. On her face ?—I think it was on her face ; I cannot say I saw a scratching anywhere else. 1265. Do you mean to say she scratched very often on all parts of her body?—No, I did not see her very often. 1266. Because you saw. her scratch her lip once or twice, you assume she scratched the whole of her body?—No. 1267. Why do you assume that all those wounds are scratches ?— I do not know what wounds you mean; there were very few bruises; bruises I principally observed. 1268. What I mean is abrasions varying from a pea to the size of a fourpenny-pieee on her body ?—There were but few of them which attracted my notice; but Mr. Lawrence, the surgeon, can tell you more about it; he can describe those things better than I can. 1269. We have had a post-mortem examination of the appearances after death ?—Have you had my report upon it? 1270. Yes, your report came along with the rest?—1 do not remember the appearances. 1271. We want to know why you assume that the abrasions seen on