UNKNOWN

Auckland Star, Volume XVII, Issue 199, 25 August 1886, Page 3

UNKNOWN

Sketch of His Caso by a Great English Specialist. CtKOitoK 111, who was on tiic throno for fifty-nine yearn, and who died at tho ripe nl I ago of 82, had no lofs than fivo distinct attacks of in-anity. The lirat attack showed itself in )7Gfi, after ho had been on tlio throno for fivo year.--, lvhcn ho wan only 27 yaws of ago. From tho period until ISJO he had rohip/ic.-1, amounting to live attacks in all. lie made, apparently, complete recovories from all tlio.^o except tho last, which occurred tea years before he died. Thoso poriodieal attacks of insanity wero of nhoil duration, tho avorngo being six month.-. Tho symptoms oftho liret wsro sludioualy kopt from tho world ut largo and from tho members of his family anil housohold. Dm ing lit.-" illness seven physicians ministered to bin wants. Pitt was rather astonUhtd at having rovenled to him tome important Stato socrets from tho King. Ilis condition was one of melancholia, attended with shedding of tears uud much constitutional mischief, Ho wan irritable ; no one dared to OppOSO him or to contradict him in anything. Jlo did not often vcalibo his real mental state, but Mould declare Ikat ho waa as well as lie had ever bcon in hia life. Ho would, without any reason, become dissatisfied with lii^ Ministers and draw up a 11->t cf fresh ones. Dr. Warren waa hichiof and favourite physician. This eminent doctor v.ns, in addition to being the royal phytioiiin, also retained as inodicul attendant by tlie loading statesmen of tho timo-Buiko, Fox and Sheridan. Ho was considered to bo tho lioad of hia profession. Or. Warren being a poncral physician, it was ultimately considered dof'ruble to have n specialist in attondanco on him, Tho Key, Dr. I'Vancis Willis waa choson for tin's object. In addition to ministering to the spiritual wants of his parishioners, ho would try his skill in bruin affections, and to such an extent were his cilorlfl successful iliat lv ca'.ablMiod an institution for ill-, e.-vro of thu insane, and, having m.idt' a'namn in tbdt br inch of his profe~A<m, \vus d.'^, u< tho "mid die tnr "to thu King. Though at tho ago of 7H years, when appointed to tho post of me lied .-pcci.di.-t to<:.'orgc 111, lie fully rotuiucd hi ■ talent? and f iciiltics to ire very utmost, " a man of ten thousand, open, hnno°t, d luntlets, liffht-bcarted, innoeontanrthiehminded."' Ho took up hii rct-idonco at the pilacs, being always in attondanco on hi* Maje-ty, The medical treatmont \ni arranged in a morning ron~uUation ; and it was underBtood hy tho othor doclore that LH-. Willis «-as not to nndortakoany decided ttepin tho troat mentof his piMcnt until after thn physicians had met, tho othor doctors visiting in statod nrd^r and rotation. Two surgeons and upothcrnriOß wero also retained, doing their amount of duty as prescribe J. Th i mp.dicinal treatment was purely of a tonic and .silino description, tho remedy [>rincipal'y u=cd being cinchona bark. At thn titno of which I iviiio mechanical ro~traint occup: od a prominent part in tho management of Iho insane, pud to this now almost exploded form of treatment the King was subjected. Thero was nothing in his con.liti in which justiriod theuao of it, judping from our present viow of the matter. Tho King himsolf did not after his con valasconce regard tho restraint system as harsh ; for ono day, walking through the p.-i!;! :o after hi« recovery frum ono of his attacks, ho remarked: "It is tho best friend I ever had in my life." alluding to a strait wnisfesat, which had not been put away. In 1788, during his second attack, in consequence of its length, and the questions before Parliament being of t!io most vital importance in their i-stio, it was found neces.-ary to draw the attention of Parliament to tho desirability of providing a regency to m?.nngo tho Slate allairs. It was universally agreed that the Prince of Wales should act us Regent. Thoro wero, however, dissemiona between tho Whigs and Tories aa to what powers ho should assumo in his regency. i\ committee of tho House \va» appointed to oxamino th? physicians, tho reports of such examinations being laid upon the tab'e. A few days after this committee sut tho following questions wero submitted to the physicians : "Is his Majesty incapablo by reason of tho present etato of his health of coming to Parliament or of attending to public business* Whit hopes aro thoro of recovery? Is your answer on this question founded upon the particular symptom of his Majesty's case, or your experience of the disorder ia general? Can you form any judgment or probablo conjecture of tho time hi? Majesty's illness is likely to List ? Can you assign any cause for hi= illness ? Do you see any signs of convalescence ?" The answers woro not, on the whole, satisfactory, except the ono relating to his probiblo recovery, which was answered, tn tho affirmative. Tho King did recover, but only to havo a furthor relapse, and (hiring this tima all public business wa3 at a standstill. Lord Eldon, tho Lord Chancellor, an intimate fiiond of tho King, was hold personally responsible for many of tho strange actions porformod by his Majesty during his mental derangement. This state of affairs wont on until tho timo of his last soizuro in 1312 ; though at times oven then taking deep intoreat in politics, he was generally completely mentally incapacitated, llu frequently shed tears. Ho fancied that ho was dead, and ono day remarked; -'I must havo a suit of black in memory of general mourning.'' Uo talked to imaginary indiviiuals, bla momory a complete blank, especially for recent events. Toward Iho end of 1319 hia appetite failed him, and in [S'JO it was found impossible to keep him warm, and he gradually sank and died January 10, 18207-" l'all Mall Gazette,"