517

THE LANCET.

LONDON: SATURDAY, JUNE 4, 1853.

THE NEW LUNACY BILLS IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS.

THE Lunacy Bills of Lord ST. LEONARDS were read a secondtime, in the House of Commons, on the 19th May, at a verylate hour, after an exhausting political debate, and, as a neces-sary consequence, in a very thin house. Thus no fair oppor-tunity has yet been afforded, or taken, of discussing the pro-visions of measures, the leading features of which are to con-solidate and perpetuate a vicious system of legislation, deeplyaffecting the liberty of the citizen-a system that renders

nugatory the Habeas Corpus Act, and has been condemned,not only by public opinion, but by the emphatic declarationof the Chairman of the Lunacy Commissioners himself. No

independent member has hitherto lifted a protesting voiceagainst a measure which it is the peculiar duty of the Houseof Commons to scrutinize with jealousy, to amend, if it admitof amendment, or to reject, if in its principles and operationit be proved to be injurious to the interests of the insane andopposed to the rights of the community. And yet the expe-rience of past legislation in matters relating to lunacy is notsuch as to inspire the House of Commons with unboundedconfidence in propositions emanating from the House of

Lords. We need but mention one example:-In 1845, theclause by which Bethlehem was exempted from the opera-tion of the Bill then before Parliament was erased in the

Commons, and, notwithstanding that manifestation of opinion,it was re-inserted in the Lords. The Lords have now undone

their own work, and the repeal of their exemption-clause isperhaps the solitary feature of their recent enactments whichwill be recognised as a beneficial proceeding.Since the second reading of the Bills in the House of

Lords, and subsequently to the analysis to which we sub-jected them in this journal, (see THE LANCET, March 5th, and

I

subsequent numbers,) some alterations of detail, not withoutimportance, have been introduced. The principle in all itsenormity, has been left untouched.We will once more state, what we will never cease to

repeat, until effectual reform shall have swept away enact-ments so pregnant with danger, the radical vice of the lunacylegislation which it is now proposed to perpetuate.

Private individuals are licensed to keep houses for thecustody of persons alleged to be insane. The first duty of theState-one which too sanguine patriots fondly imagine to bepeculiarly respected in this country-the care of those of itsmembers who are presumed to be unfit for the enjoymentof personal liberty, is made over to private traders, whohave to make a profit by the imprisonment of their fellow-citizens. This is not all. Every safeguard which protectsthe citizen from unjust confinement ; every security which isprovided against undue prolongation of confinement on anyother ground, is thrown to the winds before an accusation ofinsanity. There is no trial, no warrant, no appearance beforea magistrate, not even the intervention of a public officer toeffect the arrest. The unhappy man who is alleged to beinsane is at once cut off from every prospect of escape. He

is not allowed to communicate with his friends or legal

advisers previously to confinement. He is not allowed to

see the allegations made against him, and the evidence uponwhich they are founded. And, when confined, he has no

appeal to any kind of open trial, no freedom of intercoursewith his friends, his attorney, or even with his ordinarymedical adviser. Let him offer every reasonable appearanceof self-control, every mark of correct deportment ; let him dis-

play every positive indication of the possession of a sound mind,and evince every negative proof of the absence of mental alie-nation ; still, if he seek for release, he will find obstacles anddifficulties on every side. He may wish to consult with his

friend or his attorney; he may appeal to the decision of someindependent medical practitioner; but his friend, or his.

attorney, or his physician, will not be permitted to see himunless it please the person under whose order he is confined,the proprietor in whose custody he is placed, the Commis-sioners, whose proceedings are not controlled by the force ofpublicity, the Lord Chancellor, who relies upon the Commis-sioners, or the Secretary of State, whose other duties areinnumerable.

Those who are ignorant of the proceedings in lunacy will con-clude that surely if a man be liable to be so incarcerated, and soshut out from appeal, at least abundant precautions are takento verify, beyond the shadow of doubt or suspicion, the fact ofinsanity in the first instance. It would, however, be impos-sible to point to any instance in which the deprivation ofliberty is effected under the ordinary course of law in which

! proceedings so liable to be wrested to serve private ends, so-inadequate to the requirements of justice, so unsatisfactory,and so secret, are tolerated. Some person, who has an ostensi-

, ble right of guardianship, gives an order to the proprietor ofsome asylum for the reception of a person whom he alleges to.be insane. This order has all the force of a legal committal,.although the person signing it may be ignorant of what con-stitutes insanity, or be interested in making a false allegation.But then there are the medical certificates. It is true that

the fact of insanity has to be attested by two medical practi-tioners. We shall be acquitted, we are sure of any intention;to discredit or depreciate the members of our own profession,but it is no imputation against the professional skill, or th&

integrity of any one, to maintain that it is dangerous and un-constitutional to surrender to any private individuals, whether-they belong to the medical or to any other profession, thefearful and almost absolute power of depriving their fellow-citizens of liberty. It is no idle fancy, no vague apprehen--sion, no theoretical imagining, that compels us to protestagainst an enactment which is not only opposed to the jealousspirit of English law, but which offers a dangerous facility for-the perpetration of the most unrighteous deeds.

It will scarcely be contended that the facilities for incar-ceration on the plea of insanity are not already great enough;but, with surprising indifference to the danger of abuse, in theoriginal draft of the Bill, Lord ST. LEONARDS proposed stillfurther to relax the existing requirements. The present re--

quirements are, as we have seen, an " order" and °° two medical.certificates;" but, under special circumstances, one certificate-is admitted as sufficient to authorise the confinement of an

alleged lunatic. In this latter case it is requisite to pro-cure the second certificate within three days of the receptionof the patient. When it is remembered that until the.

second certificate has been obtained the spirit of the law, lax

518 THE POOR-LAW BOARD AND MEDICAL OFFICERS OF UNIONS.

as it is, has not been complied with, it will appear that threedays are quite long enough to keep a person in durance whoseinsanity is at best but imperfectly established. Yet Lord ST.

LEONARDS proposed to extend this interval to ten days. Againstthis relaxation we protested on a former occasion, and we areglad to find that an extension of time so unjust to the persondetained, and so unnecessaay for any legitimate object, hasbeen abandoned. We are not unwilling to recognise a fur-ther alteration which has been introduced into this clause as

some additional security. Instead of one certificate beingrequired, as heretofore, as the clause now stands, it is requisiteto obtain two additional medical certificates after incarcera-

tion upon one certificate. We accept this quantum valeat.We observe several other alterations and additions to which

we think it desirable to direct attention. By clause 30 thecommissioners are empowered to depute any competent per-son to visit and report to them upon the mental and bodilystate of any lunatic or alleged lunatic. This is a power which

may be usefully exercised, and we take it to be an admissionthat the commissioners are sensible of their own insufficiencyfor the purposes of inspection.By clause 31 the governing authorities of every registered

hospital are required to submit their regulations to the Secre-tary of State; and by the following clause the commissionersare empowered to make regulations for the government oflicensed houses. At present the commissioners complain, webelieve, that they are compelled to witness irregularities ordefects, without the power of enforcing reform.But provisions such as the above are at the best but of in-

considerable importance; they may be improvements in

matters of detail, but they offer no substantial mitigation ofthe injustice of the principle, nor can we discover in them, orin any other feature of these Bills, the slightest reason fordissenting from the emphatic condemnation of Lord SHAFTES-BURY, when, in 1851, he declared his conviction that" nothingcould be more defective."

We yet earnestly trust that the Government, or some in-dependent member of the House of Commons, will perceivethe necessity of subjecting these measures to a rigorous ex-amination before they are permitted to pass through the re-maining stages. That measures so important should slipthrough Parliament without challenge, is not creditable tothose whose duty it is to watch narrowly every propositioninvolving the rights of property and personal liberty. It would

confer lasting and well-deserved honour upon any memberwho shall signalize himself by pointing out the defective,dangerous, and unconstitutional character of the existinglegislation relating to lunacy, and by arresting the deliberateattention of the House to the fact, that the present Bills haveiiot for their object any important reform or amendment ofthat legislation, but simply its consolidation and affirmation.Our present limits preclude us from stating the further ob-

jections we entertain against the Bills now in the charge ofMr. WALPOLE; but if they be not unduly pressed, we shallhave other opportunities of suggesting measures calculatedto mitigate their evil tendency.

THAT numerous and important class of the community, theUnion surgeons of England, have been placed in a most un-pleasant and difficult position. The services rendered to

them by the poor have been, with few exceptions, charac-terized by attention, humanity, and skill. What has been

called remuneration for their labours has been scanty, nig-gardly, and often doled out to them accompanied by insult.Oppressed on the one hand by the "little tyrants" who hadthe power of election and dismissal, on the other they had

nothing to hope from the Poor-law Commissioners. An

"appeal" to Somerset House was at best a solemn farce,as "the judgment of the court below is confirmed," was theinvariable verdict. We have battled on many occasions, onbehalf of the Poor-law surgeons, both with guardians andcommissioners, and those functionaries have not always hadreason to rejoice at the result. Had the profession beentrue to itself, what might not have been achieved? î For

once we find ourselves placed in the unusual position of

commending the conduct of the Poor-law Board. Our praiseis rendered the more willingly, because the conduct the

Board has pursued in reference to the cases to which allusionwill be made, it is to be hoped, is the promise of betterdays for union surgeons. At all events, in the two cases tobe mentioned, the Board has done its duty, and in oppositionto the guardians. To that extent, then, it is entitled to the

hearty commendation of our professional brethren. Some-

short time since it was announced in this journal that theguardians of the Bishops Stortford Union had determined,without any assigned cause, that the salaries of the surgeonsof that union should be diminished fifteen per cent. This

was determined on, too, after a solemn engagement had been

entered into, that, before any final arrangement should become to, a consultation on the matter should be held betweenthe surgeons and their tormentors. No such consultation

was held. The guardians, in utter defiance of their promise,passed the resolution. The surgeons, stung by this insult

and injury, with one exception, very properly and almostof necessity resigned in a body. Yes, with one exception.How much is that exception to be lamented ? It was thedeserter from his brethren, carrying the sinews of war intothe enemy’s camp. He has, however, like other deserters,received his reward; he has been appointed to one of themost extensive and best paid districts in the union. The

reward will scarcely repay the sacrifice. The wreath of the

victor gives no honour to the brow of a renegade. The

guardians advertised for officers at the reduced salaries. But

these jacks in office did not represent the worth and intelli-gence of the union. The nobility, the clergy, magistrates, andthe chairman of the Board of Guardians himself, memorializedthe Poor-law Board, expressing their deep regret at the:

attempt to enforce a lower scale of remuneration, and re-

questing the Board to reinstate the old officers. The Board

refused to sanction the reduction of salaries; but had, how-ever, no power to reinstate the surgeons, the election unfor-

tunately resting with the guardians. Foiled in the attemptto injure and insult the medical officers, the petty tyrantsseemed determined to take their revenge. Instead, therefore,of acting graciously, by offering the appointments to theirformer officers, they now advertise for new men at the presentrate of remuneration ! Is this the consideration they havefor the poor under their care? Is there one word of com-

plaint against the gentlemen they ignore ? Are they not allmen of experience and integrity, and have not they donetheir duty ! 3 We have the testimony of all the first persons

519THE SANITARY CONDITION OF THE MILLINERS AND DRESSMAKERS OF LONDON.

in the union in their favour. The poor join in that testimony.Guardians of the Bishops Stortford Union, have you done

your duty ? Have you acted towards those under your chargewith that degree of consideration and humanity which areexpected from your office? We say you have not; and

further, that, by injuring and insulting a body of surgeons,who in defence of the poor and of themselves have stood

,against your petty tyranny, you have inflicted an injury uponboth. Thanks to the Poor-law Board, however, you havebeen prevented from succeeding in your paltry and wretchedattempt at parsimony!The other case in which the Poor-law Board has acted in

support of the profession is that of Mr. J. B. BUDGETT, lateone of the medical officers of the Reigate Union. This gen-tleman had held his post for many years, in a district contain-ing 11,350 persons, the poor of which were much scattered,disease rampant, and some of the roads, in winter, wretchedand almost impassable. Finding that he really had beenworking for nothing, the medicines supplied almost eating uphis miserable stipend, which was but X43 per annum, Mr.BUDGETT memorialized the Board of Guardians for an increase

of salary. He founded his claim not only on the amount ofwork which he accomplished, but on the fact that his re-muneration was only in the proportion of one-half of thatof the other surgeons of the Union. In his letter to the

guardians Mr. BUDGETT concludes thus :-111 I profess to discharge my duties promptly and efficiently,

and I defy any man to say to the contrary·,-nay, I shalldeem it a favour, if any question or insinuation should ariseon those points, to meet it before the Board; and thereforeI feel myself at this moment to be under a degree of profes-sional degradation, whilst I receive less than half the pay ofmy professional brethren."How did the guardians reply to the just and temperate

appeal of their meritorious, hard-worked, and ill-paid officer?Why, by suspending him from his duties! Yes, by suspension! ’,

A word of comment is unnecessary. But it appears that the

sapient and humane Board were annoyed that Mr. BUDGETTadded a little to the miserable pittance he received by vacci-nating too many of the pauper children at ls. 6d. per head !Yes, they sent their relieving officer to ascertain how manyMr. BUDGETT had vaccinated, notwithstanding his written

report in the vaccination-book. Annoyed, probably, at thenumber Mr. BUDGETT had rescued from the small-pox, thePoor-law functionary, with a view, perhaps, to avoid futureeighteenpenny charges to the Union, is said to have madethe following sensible remark to the poor under his super-vision:-"You bean’t abound to have your children vacci-

nated." This most justly relieved Mr. BUDGETT from thedegradation of the " suspension."The Poor-law Board removed the suspension of Mr. BUD-

GETT ; but, as was anticipated, that gentleman has since

resigned his valuable appointment.

THE attention of the medical profession may, we think, beusefully directed to a species of slavery in this metropolisthat destroys the physical frames, deadens the moral capacities,and exacts an unceasing servitude from young and delicatefemales. It is, in truth, a system of slavery almost as dark andappalling as that which exists amongst our brethren in theUnited States.We allude to the harsh and merciless treatment of the

apprentices and others in the employ of the city millineryand dressmaking establishments, as recently exposed in

the columns of a daily contemporary. The writer statesthat these young persons are required to work for no lessthan 8sixteen hours a day, for six days in each week, duringthe whole of the year, from January to December, withoutany remission; and cites the system pursued at an establish-ment of this class with which he is well acquainted:—" The" work room, in which about ten or twelve girls work, is open"every morning at seven, a’-id work is continued, except at" 4 ’refreshment’ time, until eleven at night." Four meals are

allowed them during this period, and an interval of ten

minutes is allotted at each meal to accomplish all the func-tions of mastication and deglutition ! We are further in-

formed, that the " work-room is an apartment about twelve" feet square, entirely devoid of arrangements for ventilation," which is the more to be deplored because during the evening"these young persons have to encounter the heat and foul air

" of three flaring gas-burners right over their heads, every doorand window being shut by which a breath of pure air could pos-"siblyenter." The bed-rooms, too, are:equally uncomfortableand unhealthy. We ask, what female organization can undergowith impunity such treatment and drudgery as this, con-tinued without cessation from " January to December !" Andto add, as it were, wrong to wrong; to make their treatmentmore noisome, and their slavery more apparent,-we are toldthat these young girls " know not whether the sun shines orthe rain falls;" and then, except on Sunday, when they are, asit were, turned out to visit their friends,-in other words,expected to relieve their employers from the expense of theirkeep on the only day out of the seven in which they do notlabour,-except on that day, they are not permitted to crossthe threshold from month’s end to month’s end. Is this

not " unmitigated slavery" in its worst form? Who can

wonder that, after long hours of arduous and unremittingtoil, pursued in crowded, over-heated, and ill-ventilated

apartments; supplied too with bad and often insufficient food,while hardly time is permitted them to swallow, much less todigest it-who can be surprised that amongst these girls theseeds of phthisis should be rapidly engendered, or the flush ofhectic be soon apparent! Of the large portion of the populationwho die annually from phthisis, how considerable a numberfrom this class of females swells the returns of the registrar-general! Scrofula, cachexia, menstrual disorders, and im-

pairment of the digestive and other organs, with all their

concomitant ills, are the necessary, nay, almost certain se-

quences which want of pure air and exercise and continued

sedentary employment entail upon them. How few young

girls bear up against this ceaseless toil-how many have theirhealth for ever ruined, and then, compelled from daily in-

creasing sickness or positive illness to leave their employers,have to rest all their hopes upon the uncertain chance ofgaining admittance into one of the wards of our metro-

politan hospitals, or else in despair seek and often wasteaway under the scant relief of a parish union? Can any onetrace the slow but certain inroads upon their constitutions- the pitiless and destructive drudgery of these " cleath-

shops"—without feelings akin to indignation and horror ?

Now although the present is one of those topics not strictlywithin the pale of our province, we have summoned attentionto it in order that the excessive hours of labour and painful

520

toil required by the City millinery establishments should belessened and removed. For this object we give the subjectevery publicity in our power, and entreat our readers to dowhat they can to lighten the harsh treatment of this suffering.class. The demands upon the physical capabilities of these.helpless sufferers are so perfectly monstrous, and the hoursof work so many beyond, even under favourable circumstances,their health and strength would endure, that we feel sure,before long, employers at these establishments will be com-pelled to revise their system; and we think that this resultwill be more effectually thrust upon them by the moralweight of public opinion than by having recourse to legis-lative codes or penal enactments.

The British public-and we do not know that the medicalprofession is an exception-are much too fond of expendingtheir sympathies, and directing all their aspirations to dis-tresses which exist amongst nations and classes removed

.from their observance. We trust, however, that our country-men will set themselves to remove this "blot on the metro-

polis ;" and so relieve the sufferings, and diminish the "sixteenhours’ daily drudgery" of the City dressmakers. The aid of

.the profession in promoting a labour so truly noble and

,philanthropic will not be solicited in vain.

THE

ANALYTICAL SANITARYCOMMISSION.

RECORDS OF THE RESULTS OF

MICROSCOPICAL AND CHEMICAL ANALYSESOF THE

SOLIDS AND FLUIDS

CONSUMED BY ALL CLASSES OF THE PUBLIC.

"" To attack vice in the abstract, without attacking persons, may be safefighting indeed, but it is fighting with shadows."

BUTTER,AND ITS

ADULTERATIONS.

As the method of making butter may not be known to ’many of the readers of this report, we will proceed, beforeentering upon the consideration of its adulterations, to give avery brief outline of the manner in which butter is usuallyprepared.

Butter is made for the most part from cream; the creamis collected from time to time, and placed in a coveredjar, until sufficient has been obtained, when, having becomesour by keeping, it is submitted to the process of churning.

Butter is also prepared in small quantities from sweet,cream, and this kind is esteemed a great delicacy. Veryexcellent butter is likewise sometimes made from full or

.entire milk; the disadvantages of this method are, the largequantity of fluid to be acted on by the churn, which rendersit necessary that steam or some other powerful mechanicalmeans should be had recourse to, and the length of timewhich elapses before the butter forms.As soon as the butter has formed, it is removed from the

churn, and well washed in water, it being kneaded at thesame time until as much as possible of the adherent and in-corporated whey is removed; this is known by the waterceasing to become turbid and milky. If intended for salt

butter, the salt should be added as soon as possible afterchurning and washing, as, left for any length of time, thebutter is apt to become rancid. Great attention should bepaid to the quality of the salt used; the best descriptions arerock salt, and that prepared from salt springs. Sea salt,generally, is not so good, on account of the presence of sul-phate of magnesia, which renders it somewhat bitter, as wellas of chloride of calcium, which has a strong affinity for water,even attracting it from the atmosphere.

It would be out of place in this report to enter into thepractical minutiae of butter-making, such as the temperatureat which the cream or milk should be churned, the best kindsof churn, the methods of churning, &c., all points of thegreatest importance.The oily or buttery part exists in milk in the form of

innumerable, very distinct globules, of various sizes. Theeffect produced by churning is to break down these globules,which then run together, and thus form butter. The ope-ration of the churn is therefore chiefly, if not entirely,mechanical.

Referring to works treating on Food, we do not meet withany facts relating to the adulteration of butter. We will nowproceed to give the results of the analyses which we haveinstituted.

RESULTS OF THE MICROSCOPICAL AND CHEMICAL EXAMINATIONOF FORTY-EIGHT SAMPLES OF BUTTER, BOTH FOREIGN ANDHOME-MADE, AS IMPORTED, AND AS PURCHASED OF RETAILDEALERS.

FOREIGN BUTTER AS IMPORTED.

HOLLANDS.

18t Sample.Analysis.—100 lbs. or parts consist of 17’07 water, 1’97 salt, and

80-96 parts of butter.2nd Sample.

Analysis:-100 parts consist of 17’69 water, 1°53 salt, and 80’78bv,tter.

3rd Sample.Analysis.--100 parts consist of 24°34 water, 4’37 salt, and 71.29

butter.4th Sample.

Analysis.—100 parts consist of 18’89 water, 1’60 salt, and 78’51butter.

5th Sample.Analysis.—100 parts consist of 18°02 water, 3’94 salt, and 78’04

butter.Bosa.

6th Sample.Analysas.—100 parts consist of 8’48 water, 3’31 salt, and 88’21

butter.

This sample, as well as samples 7 and 9, were not submittedto analysis until some time after they had been received, andit was evident., from their dried and contracted appearance,although contained in a wooden box, that they had lost aconsiderable part of their water. This is also shown to havebeen the case by the results of the analyses. These analysesare instructive, then, as showing the loss of weight whichbutter sustains by keeping.

7th Sample.Analysis.—100 parts consist of 916 water, 2°50 8alt, and 88’34

blttter..8th Sample.

Analysis.—100 parts consist of 15’60 water, 1.59 salt, and 82’81butter.

OSTEND.

9th S’ample.Analysis.—100 parts consist of 4’18 water, 2°32 salt, and 93’50

butter.TRALEE.

10th Sample..A nalysis.-100 parts consist of 0’25 water, 4’53 salt, and 95’22

butter.AS OBTAINED FROM RETAIL DEALERS.

SALT BUTTERS.

11th Sample.Purchased-of T. Hunt, 108, Whitechapel-road.

Analysis.—100 parts consist of 1’’74 water, 4’94 salt, andI 79’32 butter.