CHAP. xix. THE CURSE OF CIVILIZATION. 829 



So late as 1890 a new and voluminous Lunacy Act 

 was passed, and the public no doubt believe that most of 

 the dangers of the old system are removed. But this is 

 not the case. An examination of this Act shows that 

 private asylums, kept for profit, remain as before. Doc- 

 tors' opinions are still all-powerful. Under an " urgency 

 order," on the certificate of one doctor, a person may be 

 dragged from his or her home to one of these private 

 asylums, and kept there for seven days, or till a judicial 

 order is obtained, which may sometimes be delayed for 

 three weeks. This judicial order is given by a duly 

 authorized magistrate, on formal application by some 

 person interested, and the certificates of two doctors. 

 The magistrate may see the alleged lunatic, if he pleases, 

 but he may act on the doctor's and petitioner's state- 

 ments alone. Whatever enquiry he makes is private; 

 but there is little doubt that in most cases he will act on 

 the medical and other statements before him. Then the 

 alleged lunatic is confined for a year; after that for two 

 years more; then for three years; then for five years, if 

 the medical officer of the asylum reports, before the end 

 of each period, that he is still insane. 



And if, either at the first enquiry by the magistrate 

 or afterward, the patient is declared to be sane, and is 

 discharged, there is no provision for giving the alleged 

 lunatic any information as to the cause of his confine- 

 ment, or the statements of the medical men, or the per- 

 sons' names who caused him to be confined; so that, 

 really, he is still treated as a possible maniac, and is de- 

 nied redress if his incarcerators have acted illegally. 

 While confined in one of these private asylums the pa- 

 tient's letters to any official must be sent, but letters to 



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