The alleged increase of insanity and the hospital treatment of mental diseases / by John Carswell.

  • Carswell, J. P. (John Patrick)
Date:
[1893?]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: The alleged increase of insanity and the hospital treatment of mental diseases / by John Carswell. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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

    1/10 (page 283)
    THE ALLEGED INCREASE OF INSANITY AND THE HOSPITAL TREATMENT OF MENTAL DISEASES. By JOHN CARSWELL, L.R.C.P.E., &c, Lecturer on Mental Diseases, Anderson's College, Glasgow ; and Certifying Physician in Lunacy, Barony Parish, Glasgow. In the annexed report the question of the alleged increase of insanity is considered from the point of view afforded by the experience of the Barony parish of Glasgow during the last four years. The Barony is the most populous parish in Scotland, and it is almost entirely urban; for these reasons, and also because the policy of the Board of Managers, in relation to the insane poor, has always been. generous and forward in the adoption of the best means for securing the comfort and curative treatment of the patients, it may be assumed that the experience of the Barony parish and the con- clusions to be drawn therefrom may fairly enough be held to be applicable to the rest of Scotland. All the considerations that influence people in sending their relatives to asylums as pauper lunatics are found in a large urban parish, and so the differences that exist, as between urban and rural districts, and between one rural district and another, are counterbalanced. The erection of well appointed and conveniently situated asylums throughout Scotland by the District Boards of Lunacy has been one of the chief causes in inducing the relatives of insane persons to place them in asylums as pauper lunatics. The Barony parish has received the full effect of that influence, their excellent asylum at Lenzie being suitable as regards com- fort, and convenient as regards situation; further, it was opened for the reception of patients just when public opinion was beginning to move in favour of placing all unusual private and family burdens upon public institutions and public rates. In view of the fact that the figures relating to the disposal of applications annually made to the inspector of the Barony parish, on behalf of supposed insane persons since 1889 have been carefully recorded, I have endeavoured to indicate the conclusions to be drawn from a review of the statistics, especially in relation to the question of the supposed increase of insanity. Last year I indicated in a general way the results of our investigations, and this year I have reviewed the four years and indicated the results in detail. These results are, briefly, that while the number of applica- tions made to the inspector for the removal to the asylum of