Remarks on the plea of insanity, and on the management of criminal lunatics / by William Wood.

  • Wood, William, 1816-1892.
Date:
1851
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Remarks on the plea of insanity, and on the management of criminal lunatics / by William Wood. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by The Royal College of Surgeons of England. The original may be consulted at The Royal College of Surgeons of England.

    4/72 (page 3)
    ON THE PLEA OF INSANITY, &c. &c. That some change is necessary in our present code of laws, as regards the plea of Insanity, and the treatment of what are called Criminal Lunatics, seems to be now universally admitted by all those whose attention has been directed to the subject; and as these form a large, important, and influ- ential class, and as Lord Shaftesbury has declared his intention of bringing the matter before Parlia- ment early in the ensuing session, there is good reason to hope that some remedy will be found for a system which certainly reflects no credit on our country, but inflicts a large amount of injustice without satisfying any portion of the community. I am not about to advocate the cause of the really criminal; on the contrary, I believe that much mischief has resulted to society from the too frequent admission of the plea of insanity. I A 2