Lunacy in many lands / by G.A. Tucker.

  • Tucker, George A.
Date:
1887
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Lunacy in many lands / by G.A. Tucker. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by King’s College London. The original may be consulted at King’s College London.

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    and soon after returned to Amsterdam. Departing once more from Amsterdam, I went to the Rhine Provinces of Prussia, and subsequently visited, in succession, the Asylums of the different Continental States already indicated. The Undertaking, The task to which I devoted myself, and the results of which I now have the honor to submit to you, was conceived and carried out on a scale never before attempted. In 1868 Dr. Manning, Inspector-Gener-al of Asylums in New South Wales, was commissioned by the Government to visit European Institutions for the care and treatment of the Insane, and he succeeded in producing, in a summarized form, a valuable Report. In 1871 Dr. Wilkins, of San Francisco, was in like manner commissioned by his Government, and reported in the same form as Dr. Manning, with equally satisfactory results in the appreciation of the specialty. Both these Reports ai'e recognized as standard works. The work which I have essayed differs from those of Doctors Manning and Wilkins, in being of a wider and more compi'ehensive character. It is designed as a source of reference for every institution in the civilized world of any importance. Each institution is dealt with separately and comprehensively, and the fullest obtainable information is supplied as to local situation, acreage of grounds, architectural structure, external and internal arrangements, capacity, statistics of patients, treatment followed, per capita cost, &c. I have added the opinions collected from Superintendents and others as to the care of and provision for the insane, the causes of insanity in various countries, its form and curability, and the projaer jnaximum number of patients for treatment in any one institu- tion to insure most successful management and the best results in recoveries. I also collected from various sources information as to the Lunacy Laws in different countries, and this (with other information of a similar general character) supplied me with the materials for the introductory chapter which, in most cases, will be found prefacing each set of my Reports. From such materials, drawn from all parts of the world, the causes of insanity may be traced, and conclusions can be formed as to the best means of treating the insane with a view to their present comfort and prospective cure. Difficulties of obtaining Information. In some cases the information supplied is not so complete as I could wish, but this arises from the great difficulties I encountered in eliciting all I desired to know from the Su]5er- intendents. This observation applies more particularly to certain Asylums in Europe. For the sake of facility and precision, I supplied to Superintendents a series of printed questions in English and French, Avith a request that the answers might be filled in and the paper returned to me (see Appendix A for form of questions). In many cases my request, though repeated, met with no response, and hence the lack of full information in those instances. Such information as could be gathered was collected on tabulated forms, and copies of these forms were sent for verification to the Asylums to which they related. In most instances those forms were returned corrected or approved, but again there were instances in which the forms were not sent back. Where the information has been supplied I have no reason to think that it is not reliable and truthful. The Reports. Throughout my Reports I have, as far as possible, abstained from making comments, or drawing comparisons between one institution and another. I have endeavoured to simply state the facts coming under my own notice, or supplied to me by the officials of the Asylums visited. But in this place it is proper to direct particular attention to certain of those facts, and to contrast and comment upon them, as it is upon their close observation alone that judgment and opinion can be formed. I shall deal with the different subjects I purpose touching upon, as nearly as possible, in the order in which they appear in the Reports and in the series of printer' questions above referred to.
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