The question of the revision of legislation in regard to the insane is, at this time, under consideration both in England and in France. In England Parliament has been occupied with various projects of law, results more or less direct of the parliamentary inquiry of 1877. In France the Government has charged a Commission composed of Senators, Deputies, Administrators, and Physicians, to study the improvements that might be introduced into this legislation.

I submit the following suggestions in reference to the Decoration and Furnishing of Asylums in response to the appeal of Dr. Savage at last year's General Meeting of the Society—his request that members should take up subjects connected with the everyday practical details of asylum management. I trust that this may prove helpful, and that the limits imposed upon a single paper will not be meagre to baldness.

It is only of late years, and that in a desultory manner, that what is here meant by nervous dulness has been recognised. A few words on the subject may not therefore be unacceptable, particularly as it has bearings on questions of social interest.

It is not less true now than when Dr. Watts sang, “Satan finds some mischief still for idle hands to do,” and two of the Commissioners in Lunacy, after their latest inspection of my asylum on the 18th of this month, said in their report, “Many of the gentlemen are usefully employed for some hours daily, and those whom we saw at work expressed themselves as well pleased with their occupations. We are extremely glad to find that Dr. Bower has successfully combated the difficulty of finding employment for gentlemen patients. Amusements in the shape of games are also found for both sexes.”

The subject of the causation of insanity has recently attracted considerable attention; and with the abundant material which the Commissioners in Lunacy are annually accumulating, we may expect by-and-bye to learn something more of this large and complicated subject.

The subject of the Prognosis in Insanity is a most interesting and important one. The prognosis—prospect of recovery or the reverse in any disease—is the one point around which the hopes and fears of our patients and their friends centre, but perhaps this is more true of insanity than any other ill that flesh is heir to; the interests, as a rule, are great and far-reaching. This is at once apparent when we consider that besides the ordinary domestic relationships at stake such as obtain in all other diseases, the liberty of the subject, administration of the patient's affairs and property by legal inquisition while he is yet alive, and the great question of responsibility, social or criminal, add grave importance to the question at issue.

G. L. was admitted for the second time on the 1st March, 1880, aged 18 years.

In the autumn of last year an epidemic of enteric fever occurred in this asylum. The cases were all on the female side of the old building, from five contiguous wards, having common drainage. The origin was discovered to be a defect in this system of drainage, which has since been rectified.

Mrs. T., admitted May 10th, 1852. Age 34; married. An intelligent woman of kindly and somewhat melancholy disposition, active habits, and nervo-bilious temperament. First attack; duration 14 days; assigned cause, religious excitement; was nursing her fifth child. Fancied that her husband and other relations were going to murder her, and were plotting against her, and expressed many delusions of a religious character. Had attempted suicide by precipitation. There was hereditary predisposition to insanity. Her general health was good.

Mrs. N., æt. 40, married, teacher. Admitted to the Fife and Kinross District Asylum on June 9th, 1880.