The trial of Ebenezer Haskell, in lunacy, and his acquittal before Judge Brewster, in November, 1868 : together with a brief sketch of the mode of treatment of lunatics in different asylums in this country and in England, with illusrations, including a copy of Hogarth's celebrated painting of a scene in old Bedlam, in London, 1635.

Haskell, Ebenezer.

Date:: 1869

Credit: The trial of Ebenezer Haskell, in lunacy, and his acquittal before Judge Brewster, in November, 1868 : together with a brief sketch of the mode of treatment of lunatics in different asylums in this country and in England, with illusrations, including a copy of Hogarth's celebrated painting of a scene in old Bedlam, in London, 1635. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University, through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the Harvey Cushing/John Hay Whitney Medical Library at Yale University.

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license law would be made up in the reduction of pauperism and cost in the Court of Quarter Sessions. Let the old Roman law be put in force : He that commits a crime while intoxicated shall be punished severely for the first, and more severely for the second time, and so on—it will remedy the plea of intoxication as an ex- cuse for crime and wrong doing. [I hope my readers will pardon me for wandering a little outside the track of the history of the Pennsylvania Hospital.] In December, 1802, a proposition was made to extend the use- fulness of the institution by the establishment of a Lying-in De- partment for poor and deserving married women. A donation was given by the First Troop of Philadelphia Cavalry of the revolution- ary war, of an annual income of six hundred dollars. In December, 1807, a regular dispensary for out-door patients was established. In September, 1800, the managers wrote to Benjamin West, soli- citing him for a contribution from his pencil. This request was answered by Mr. West, who suggested the subject of Christ heal- ing the sick. In August, 1810, notice was received that the paint- ing might be soon looked for. The whole community were on tip-toe. The picture when exhibited in England excited such a glow of admiration that English patriotism took the alarm, and nobles and commons, rich and poor, united in the determination to retain it in that country. West made a cop3T, which he resolved should exceed the original. The two countries were at war with each other at that time, and the copj7 of the picture did not arrive in this city until October, 1S17. It was placed in a building on the hospital lot, on Spruce street, for exhibition, at twenty-five cents admittance. The profit to the hospital was over $15,000. Various gifts were made. A marble bust of William Penn was presented by James Traquair, of this city, in June, 1802, and the leaden statue of William Penn, which stands in front of the hospital on Pine street, was presented by John Penn, grandson of William Penn, in September, 1804. Dr. Samuel Cooper left the greater part of his estate to the hospital; Charles Nichols, $5000; Paul Simeon, $2000; John Kemle, $15,000; Major Gibbons, of Rich- mond, Virginia, a marble bust of Benjamin West; Mr. John Kemle, real estate, $28,000; in 1832, Stephen Girard, $29,250. A new era now begins in the history of the hospital. The insane patients had increased in numbers beyond the means of accommo- dation. Those who bad the immediate charge of the insane felt themselves cramped. There was no opportunity for classification. This state of things could no longer exist. Either the care of the

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