Insanity From Solitary and Separate Confinement also, Mortality in Lunatic Asylums
In an elaborate paper, published by Dr Webster, in the December number of the “London Journal of Medicine,” respecting the health of the metropolis during the six Months terminating September 28, 1850, amongst other points of interest, allusion is Made to the effect produced upon the mental faculties of prisoners confined in the Various jails of London. Considering data of this description are of importance to psychological physician, and to every person occupied iu treating the insane, as also to the philanthropist, we copy from Dr Webster’s paper the following instructive paragraph; as it cannot be otherwise than interesting to our readers:
” One remarkable feature ought to be here especially mentioned, in reference to the Metropolitan prisons. However beneficial confinement in such places may really prove to the bodily health of the inmates, it sometimes appears to produce an opposite effect upon their mental condition; particularly in those undergoing solitary or sepa- rate punishment. This baneful influence is fully established by the fact, that from two London prisons?viz., Pentonville and Millbank, where only convicted criminals are confined, 61 prisoners were sent to Bethlehem Hospital during the last ten years, ^ho had become insane; 47 being men, and 14 women; besides four men who came from the hulks, but bad previously resided in Pentonville prison. In addition to the above sixty five individuals, several male and female prisoners have been also ad- mitted from other gaols as lunatics into Bethlehem hospital, although to a much smaller extent. The effect of confinement in prison upon the mental faculties, is hence very decided; and it should be remembered, that the above sixty-five cases of insanity recently sent from the metropolitan prisons, and now reported, were not persons acquitted because they were insane, but prisoners actually undergoing sen- tence for previous crimes and misdemeanors.”
Another quotation from the same document also deserves a place in our pages; seeing it bears upon a subject which equally comes within our province?namely, the Recent mortality met with in metropolitan luuatic asylums. In reference to this point, -Dr Webster makes the following remarks, which we likewise consider well worth recording in the ” Psychological Journal.”
“During the last six mouths, the deaths in the metropolitan asylums for the insane, ^nose average population is about 3,527, consisting of 1,513 male, and 1,954 female unatics, amounted to 171 ; 90 men, and 75 women; being one death in nearly every male, and only one in every 20 female lunatics, during the last half year. This seenis a moderate rate of mortality, especially amongst the female lunatics, who are so the most numerous. These facts are the more interesting, as they prove the orrectness of an observation which I have elsewhere made, and which was based P?u extensive data, that mania, although more common among women, is in them t0?re ?UTa’)le and less fatal than among men. Female lunatics, moreover, are likely attain greater longevity than male lunatics.”
B Lnwilling to extend this notice to any length, however easy it would be to enlarge . pon such interesting topics, we will only at present remark, that few subjects are so r J)ortar}t as the treatment of criminals, with a view to their proper punishment and Ration, as also the effect which confinement in jails produces upon the bodily ve i . ant*’ st’H more, the mental condition of prisoners. Hence, we have copie r atim the above two paragraphs ; and would again especially direct attention to t e . S ‘ which seems to show very clearly the baneful influence of solitary con, ? P?n the human mind; whilst the above recorded facts strongly illustrate t is v y 1IDPortant question. s 2
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