74 OBSERVATIONS ON INSANITV 



desirable to have corrected, but it would undo all that which quiet 

 and care had effected, by rousing every inmate to fear or fury, and 

 thus realizing the delusions which sleep so often weakens or eradi- 

 cates. 



Mr. Browne is of opinion that mental anxiety and disturbance in 

 the insane are produced or aggravated by the oppressive, harsh, inde- 

 licate and derisive conduct of keepers, and he holds it up to well-me- 

 rited condemnation. For this kind of servants, but with proper dis- 

 crimination, he would substitute convalescent patients : nevertheless, 

 he does not lose sight of the important duties necessarily entrusted to 

 such attendants, or of the difficulty of procuring well-educated per- 

 sons to undertake their immense responsibility. 



This lecture is completed with judicious and instructive remarks 

 on the seclusion of lunatics, and their desertion by friends ; on the 

 unfitness of asylums for the reception of the rich ; on luxurious and 

 indiscriminate diet ; on solitary meals ; on the public prejudices which 

 present obstacles to improvement in the economy of such institutions ; 

 and on the means by which these obstacles may be removed. To 

 accomplish this last end, Mr. B. concludes, it would become neces- 

 sary that all asylums should be public, and under the control of 

 government or of parties incorporated by charter for the purpose. 

 The great object in such a change would be, that all the proceedings 

 of those immediately entrusted with the insane should be open to the 

 public and to the legal authorities, and under the management of a 

 body whose sympathies are engaged in favour of the patient rather 

 than of his attendants. Render County Asylums perfect, elevate all 

 of them to the rank which a few now enjoy, give them the means and 

 the reputation of curing ninety instead of forty-two in a hundred, and 

 increase their opportunities of affording protection and happiness to 

 those who cannot be further benefited, and then the number of pri- 

 vate institutions would speedily decrease ; and, if the improvement 

 were pushed sufficiently far, they would probably cease to exist ; or, 

 should this result not ensue, they must adopt the system pursued by 

 their rivals ; and, this 1 eing done, it would effect all that is desired 

 or desirable. 



Lecture the fifth demonstrates, clearly and perfectly, " What Asy- 

 lums ought to be," according to Mr. Browne's judgment and experi- 

 ence. He requires that the character of a physician to an institution 

 of this kind, should be distinguished by benevolence, conscientious- 

 ness, courage, and high intellectual attainments highly cultivated, 

 which he enumerates with amazing truth and eloquence. In his 



