Remarks on the lunacy laws, as also asylums, of Scotland and France / by John Webster.

  • Webster, John.
Date:
[1856?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on the lunacy laws, as also asylums, of Scotland and France / by John Webster. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    12/16 (page 12)
    legal questions I have discussed, in various paragraphs of this communication. In order to give an outline of the existing lunacy cases in that country, I would therefore observe that, by the Act of the French legislature, dated the 30th June, 1838, each Department is obliged to provide a public establishment, especially destined for receiving and treating lunatic patients belonging to the district; or to arrange, under the Minister of the Interior’s sanction, with a public or private asylum in the same or a neighbouring Department, to admit their insane paupers. It is, however, permitted in certain cases to appropriate a separate division, in civil hospitals, for lunatics, should there be sufficient accommodation for not less than fifty patients. As every lunatic establishment is now placed under the direction of the Prefet of the Department, the President of the Tribunal, the local ‘Procureur imperial, Judge of the Peace, and Mayor of the Commune, and as the institution must be visited by the Procureur of the Arrondissement, at least every six months (in addition to visits made by the Prefet, with any other official persons delegated by him, or the Minister of the Interior), there is some guarantee the asylum will be properly conducted. Besides these regulations, before an establishment can be opened for the admission of insane patients, all rules for their internal adminis¬ tration must be approved by the Minister, prior to being put in force. By another clause of the same Act, it is expressly forbidden for any person to establish, or even to superintend a private insane asylum, without government authorization. Further, in such cases, it is also enacted that, every house—intended for the reception of lunatic patients—should be entirely separate from any private establishment receiving inmates affected with other diseases. Lastly, the Procureur of the Arrondissement must officially visit every private asylum in the district: at least once in three months,' at undetermined periods. According to King Louis Philippe’s ordonnance, of the 18th December, 1839—which regulates many details not comprehended in the previous Act of 1838—it is ordered that, every public asylum for the insane shall be administered under the authority of the Minister of the Interior, and the Prefet of the Department, assisted by a commission, acting gratuitously, of five members, and appointed by the Prefet. The Director of such establishment, as also the Physicians—both chief and assistants—in the first in¬ stance, are nominated by the Minister ; but if vacancies afterwards occur, the Minister appoints from a list of three candidates pro¬ posed by the Prefet. However, some modification has been re¬ cently made respecting these employments, although in effect the chief patronage still remains with the Minister: since he may add certain parties, of his own free will, to the list of candidates, and then nominate his favourite to any vacant office. Besides, as the