Analyses of Books. 
605 
1884.J 
Dr. Morell himself inclines to the “ dodtrine of Individualism, 
according to which every man [and if every man, why not every 
animal ?] is made up of two elements, material and spiritual, 
which completely inter-penetrate each other. Body and mind 
here stand to each other in the relation of matter and form.” 
This dodtrine, of course, does not lend itself to the familiar 
conception that the body is the house or dwelling of the soul. 
Nor is it easy to see how it, rather than the materialist view, 
accounts for the vast variety in individuals. 
We regret that we cannot, for the present at least, pursue 
further our examination of this interesting work. Within the 
compass seledted, and under the conditions which the author has 
set for himself, viz., of producing an examinational text-book, 
and of dealing with the human mind out of connedtion with the 
minds of the lower animals, it may be pronounced a most valu- 
able treatise. 
On Insanity and Nervous Disorders peculiar to Women in some 
of their Medical and Medico-Legal Aspects, By Thomas 
More-Madden, M.D., F.R.C.S.E. Dublin : Fannin and Co. 
This small work raises some great and grave questions. There 
is, firstly, the subjedt of our lunacy laws and the desirability of 
their reform. At present it appears that any two medical men, 
not necessarily of eminence or long experience, not necessarily 
such as have made a special study of brain diseases, may by 
their certificate— which is practically a lettre de cachet — doom 
any man or woman to indefinite confinement in a lunatic asylum. 
Of this a very painful instance has been lately recorded in the 
columns of “ Light.” The vidtim in this case was perhaps 
slightly eccentric, but he was perfectly capable of looking after 
his” own affairs, and was neither a source of danger to himself 
nor to the public. Yet the lunacy laws of England enabled an 
unfaithful wife to have him incarcerated. He was, indeed, soon 
released, but in the meantime the woman had disposed of all 
his property at a ruinous sacrifice and gone abroad ! Dr. More- 
Madden proposes that in future “ certificates of insanity should 
be o-iven only by specially appointed Medical Inspectors of 
Lunatics; that private asylums should be abolished as such; 
and that all patients in asylums should be treated by extern or 
visiting physicians.” 
Another serious matter here touched upon is the increase of 
insanity in “ this our highly-favoured country.” In England and 
Wales it appears that within the last thirty- five years the number 
of registered lunatics has risen from 1 in 800 to 1 in 352. In 
