A treatise on the nature, symptoms, causes, and treatment of insanity : with practical observations on lunatic asylums and a description of the Pauper Lunatic Asylum for the county of Middlesex, at Hanwell.

  • Ellis, William Charles, Sir, 1780-1839.
Date:
1838
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A treatise on the nature, symptoms, causes, and treatment of insanity : with practical observations on lunatic asylums and a description of the Pauper Lunatic Asylum for the county of Middlesex, at Hanwell. 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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    nervous system, which may, if allowed to continue, cause organic disease ; it is evidently desirable to use the most expeditious means to restore a healthy state of action in these organs. But if the diseased perceptions be of such a kind as to render him inca- pable of the management of his affairs, or to make his conduct injurious either to himself or to others, confinement ought immediately to be resorted to. One or two instances will make this distinction more obvious. O. M., a shoemaker, 48 years of age, had been subject to fits of mania, about once in three or four months, for many years. During the attacks he was extremely violent, and required personal re- straint. In the absence of the paroxysms he was perfectly harmless, and he now works at his trade, being trusted with the knives and tools necessary to carry it on ; but he at all times imagines that he has specks floating before his eyes. His vision is not defective, and his eyes have a natural appear- ance, but he invariably complains of these specks annoying him. He is gratified by having his eyes examined, and will then proceed with his work as usual. Now, had this man not been subject to periodical attacks of mania, it is obvious that he ought not to be confined merely on account of his labouring under this delusion. A. B., a joiner, 35 years of age, became insane in consequence of loss of property. He was very maniacal in the early stage of the disease: being