364 PROFESSOR OWEN ch. xi, 



Owen thought ' of the state of her brain and mind 

 under the miserable circumstances in which she 

 buried her infant alive.' 



The diary has this entry on the subject : ' R. 

 wrote to Sir George Grey stating his opinion that 

 the poor creature was certainly not in her right 

 senses, from pain, and exposure to bad weather for 

 twenty hours, and that she was therefore not to 

 be considered as a wilful criminal. It was a very 

 strong letter. The next day R. went to the Home 

 Office, where he was told that his letter had created 

 a strong feeling in the mind of Sir George Grey, 

 who had come to the office at 1 1 o'clock at night 

 after receiving the letter, and had routed them 

 up in order to get a reprieve prepared and sent 

 off at once.' 



Amongst other evils which Owen was anxious 

 to abolish was the window tax, which had not yet 

 been repealed. It was anticipated that considerable 

 difficulty would be felt in obtaining conclusive 

 evidence that light and air were essential to health, 

 as the following letter from Mr. Edwin Chadwick 

 will show : — 



Edwin Chadwick to R. Owen 



1 Dear Owen, — It is expected that there will be 

 a sharp fight to retain the window tax, and I am 

 asked by the Chancellor of the Exchequer for 

 physiological or medical dicta as to the effects of 

 the exclusion of light upon the health of the 



