UNSOUND MIND.

Waikato Times, Volume 100, Issue 16811, 1 June 1926, Page 15

UNSOUND MIND.

ALMOST UNIVERSAL. The action of,- Mr William Smart Harnett, ol' Newington, Kent, against Ur. Henry Holdricli Fisher, of High Street, Siltingbournc, was continued in the London Courts. Mr I!ainett claimed damages, alleging iliat Dr. Fisher negligently and carclessiy cciTillcd him to be a lunatic on November 10, 1012. Dr. Fisher denied the allegations. Giving evidence, Mr Harnett described his removal to an asylum: .1 was sitting at home memorising some poetry, when t opened the chcr hi answer to a knock, and Dr, Pcnfold came in with Colonel Locke, a magistrate. Mr Locke told me I .was to be taken away not to an asylum., but to a place of rent. An asylum keeper came in, and t said: ‘You can do this, but at your peril." The village policeman was present in plain clothes. Trie keeper took me by the arm and I was taken away in a car to an asylum 10 miles distant. Altogether lie had to remain in an asylum for more than 0 years. Mi 1 Neilson, K.C., was congratulating him e:i his restoration to health, when Mr Harnett retorted: ‘‘i have not recovered my mental health. lam just as mad now as I was then.” On November 0, Mr Harnelt declared, he was having tea with Ids wife, mother-in-law, solicitor, and clerk, when ho said: “You are all treating me as if I am not in my right senses." Spell ‘parallelogram.’” They all declined, so he handed a dictionary to the solicitor and himself spelt tlie word correctly. “I don’t say that spelling parallelogram is a test of sanity,” be explained, “but I should say I did give it as an indication of my sanity.” Dr Theophilus llyslop, of Portland Place, \Y., thought that the grounds set out ill Dr Fisher’s certificate wore not sufficient to justify the detention el' Mr Harnett in an asylum. “Lnsound mind is almost universal,'' declared Dr llyslop, "but irresponsibility and certifiable insanity are totally different consideralions.” tl.aughler.) Dr .lames Samuel Risien Russel said that the certificate indicated Unit the person making it had not used reasonable care. The bearing was adjourned.