Obituary. Sir James Coxe
“VVniLST the Report of the Commissioners in Lunacy for Scotland was passing through the press one of the most eminent members of the Board was carried off by death. Sir James Coxe died at Folkestone on the 9th of May last, as he was on his way home from a holiday of a few weeks on the Continent.
He was born at Georgie in 1811. He was the son of Robert Coxe and nephew of George Combe, author of the ” Consti- tution of Man.” The entire family seem to have been gifted with considerable talents. Both he and his brothers distinguished themselves in their respective vocations. Sir James was educated at Edinburgh, Gottingen, Heidelberg, and Paris. When twenty- four years of age be graduated M.I), at Edinburgh, and subse- quently practised there. In 1841 he married the daughter of Robert Cumming, Esq., of Logie. He now devoted much of his leisure time to literature, chiefly in connection with Mr. George Combe’s works. In 1855 a Royal Commission was appointed to investigate the state of Lunacy in Scotland. Sir James (then Dr.) Coxe was a member of this Commission and, in consequence of the representations made by him, showing the wretched con- dition of the insane in the country, an Act of Parliament was passed establishing the General Board of Lunacy for Scotland. In the doings of this Board Dr Coxe always took an active part. To provide a better system of managing the insane he frequently visited both Continental and English asylums. His experience and the attention he gave to the subject enabled him to sug- gest several practical reforms. These reforms excited strong opposition from the parochial authorities, inasmuch as they clashed with the local views of economy, and an attempt was made in 18G2 to prevent the continuance of the Board, which by the Act had been created for five years only. The attempt happily failed, and the Board was allowed to go on with its good work. In 1863 Dr Coxe was rewarded for his services with the honour of knighthood. The annual reports of the Commis- sioners for Scotland, with the exception of the last two or three, were all drawn up by him; and they form a most valuable series, showing the progressive improvements and the reforms that have taken place within recent years. In 1877 Sir James gave evidence before the Dillwyn Committee ; and in the present year he published an able pamphlet on “Lunacy in its Ilelations to the State.” Looking on his life as a whole, we find that the good work he has done in regard to some of the most pitiable members of the community mark him as one of the benefactors of our race.
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