Thirty-fifth annual report of the directors of the Dundee Royal Asylum for Lunatics : submitted, in terms of their charter, to a general meeting of the directors, 18th June, 1855 with the report of the medical officers.

  • Dundee Royal Asylum for Lunatics.
Date:
1855
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Thirty-fifth annual report of the directors of the Dundee Royal Asylum for Lunatics : submitted, in terms of their charter, to a general meeting of the directors, 18th June, 1855 with the report of the medical officers. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    The other illustration relates to a young man who inadver¬ tently fell from a height, alighting upon the crown of his head. He was rendered insensible, blood flowed from his ears, and there was every indication that he had sustained fracture at the base of the skull. In this case also maniacal excitement came on soon after the injury. The treatment was very different. It consisted in the careful abstraction of moral influences, in securing as much rest as possible, enjoining low diet, and following a generally depleting course. It was also followed by the disappearance of the mental symptoms. There remained, however, a degree of irrita¬ bility of temper, and a weakness of the right side of the body, indicating that a degree of permanent mischief had resulted from the injury of the head. These conditions did not necessitate a prolonged residence in the Institution, and he was accordingly discharged. A few months since the friends of Dr Smith—who was lately tried for incendiarism, and his insanity found proven—used every endeavour to secure his admission into this Institution, These endeavours were defeated, not in consequence of any reluctance to comply with the request, but solely on account of the unusual obligation which the Judges of the High Court of Justiciary demanded from the Directors of this Institution in regard to Dr Smith’s safe custody. The Directors expressed their willingness to sanction his admission as an ordinary patient, subject to the established laws of the Institution, and refused to depart in this instance from their ordinary practice as to the conditions for the reception of patients. This having been considered unsatisfactory to the Judges, his removal to the Asylum was not permitted. No scruples were entertained as to the propriety of giving Dr Smith the benefits of the Institution. It was enough that his insanity existed, and that the violent act was one of its symptoms, to entitle him to all the privileges and forbearance accorded to the deranged intellect. It has never been the practice here to make the fact that an insane act has been committed the ground for refusing to afford protection and a retreat to the insane per¬ petrator. Such an individual is called, in common parlance, a “criminal lunatic,” and a sentimental line of separation is drawn between him and ordinary lunatics. The true and only difference, however, consists in the fact, that the insane who have done