A verbatim report of the Mordaunt divorce case.

Date:
1875
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A verbatim report of the Mordaunt divorce case. 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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    been different, but it seemed to me to be incredible that a lady within a few weeks of her confinement would have acted in that way with half-a-dozen. Was that what you were told ?—Yes. It was the circumstances, then, under which that impropriety was alleged to have taken place that gave you the idea of delusion?—It was a strong element in my consideration. Was it not the most serious of her delusions ?—It is an ordinary delusion in puerperal mania. I had evidence of other delusions, and having that evidence, and the lady being clearly insane, I thought myself justified in excluding that particular delusion. But why did you exclude it ?—Simply because it involved other persons, which I was anxious not to do ; and the lady clearly was insane. But you discovered no actual delusion ?—Yes, I did. Name one.—She had a delusion that there were dead bodies in the room. Did she say so to you?—Yes ; in this way. I was told of it by Mrs. Forbes, and asked her about it. At first she would not answer, and then said “ But there were dead bodies there.” Mention another delusion ?—She thought she had been pursued. Mrs. Forbes first told me of it. I ascertained that there was no laudanum in the room. She had also a delusion as to her husband’s absence. Sir James Alderson: I am President of the College of Physicians. I went to see Lady Mordaunt on the 6th May. I saw her, and considered her of unsound mind. I saw her again on the 3rd July, in company with Dr. Gull. She was then at Worthing. I remained with her two or three hours. She was worse than when I first saw her. I examined her bodily symptoms, and found them more strongly marked than on the previous occasions. They were : vacant look, cold, wet hand, feeble pulse, stained tongue, and an atmosphere about her peculiar of insanity. Her attitude was fixed and meaningless, and I eould not get a single rational answer from her. I endeavoured to converse with her. There was an attempt on her part to do so, but she soon lost the thread and burst out into a silly laugh. I saw several scraps of writing which she had written, but I did not see her write. That was the last time I saw her. I have heard the evidence given by the servants to-day, and it has not changed but confirmed my conclusion as to her insanity. Cross-examined : I think I could distinguish an insane patient in the dark by the smell. By the Court: It is my experience that women suffering from puerperal insanity often accuse themselves of impropriety. Sir James Simpson, examined by Dr. Deane : I am a physician, practising a Edinburgh. I saw Lady Mordaunt, at Walton, in March, and also last Satur- day. I found her last Saturday perfectly insane. W hat was her bodily health ?—She was in the vigour of bodily health; far stouter than when 1 saw her before. Had she any conversation with you ?—Yes. Will you state what it was ?—When we first entered—Lady Louisa Mon- creiffe and myself—she at once recognised us. Lady Louisa asked her if she would like to see her sister Blanche. She said, no, but she would like to see Charley. After that she wandered in her conversation, and on my leaving she asked me to be sure to send her up the book, the glass-jar, and new footman 1 had ordered for her. What are the chances of recovery in puerperal fever ?—Women suffering from it generally get well before the year is out, but after that the chances diminish. It is said in our books that almost one-third remain insane. What is your opinion of Lady Mordaunt ?—When I saw her ten months ago