Have you ever dissected the body of any one who has died at Hoxton? - I
have never been permitted to make an anatomical examination of those
lunatics who have died there; I have wished to do it, but they have
objected to it; that people would consider their house was a house of
experiment, and merely to cut up bodies. I think if examinations, in all
cases, were to take place, the greatest benefits would accrue from such
examinations.
What do the Commissioners do when they visit the house of Sir Jonathan
Miles? - They pass through most of the rooms, and look over most of the
patients, and look to the certificates.
Do they compare the certificates with the patients who have been admitted?
- They do not; that is to say, they do not take a certificate and then look
for patient A. and see whether it is proper or not.
By whom are you paid? - I am paid by Sir Jonathan Miles.
Do you consider such a plan proper in regard to the Government patients? -
I think it opens a field to undue influence, and cannot ensure proper
attendance; and this, without any reference to the class or character of
the patient; for these two reasons, that if he is paid generally for his
attendance, he may not do all that is necessary; and if he is paid
individually for so many patients, he may absolutely do too much, in order
to make out a bill.
From
Morris, A.D. 1958:
The Select Committee was particularly concerned with the deaths of naval
patients in Mile's madhouse. The members enquired closely into the
procedure following a death. A death in the parish had to be notified
immediately to the Parish clerk, who, as was the custom in those days, sent
the parish searchers to view the body and report to him on the cause of
death. Two female searchers employed by the parish of St Leonard's,
Shoreditch, Martha Wall and Margaret Slater, were summoned, and appeared
for examination before the Committee on
the 8th May, 1815.
Martha Wall was questioned and answered as follows,
Q. "What duty have you to perform ?"
A. "When we go to search, that is, to view the bodies that are deceased ;
to the best of our judgment, we are sworn to give a true report to the
Parish Clerk."
Q. "Of every person who dies in the Parish ?"
A. "Yes."
Q. "And you do, whenever you hear of a person dying, call
at the house to view the body ?" ;
A. "Yes."
Q. "And are you always admitted to see it ?" '
A. "Yes; if we are not admitted, we endeavour to find out
where it is removed to, if it has been removed without
our knowledge."
Q. "In the parish or out ?"
A. "Yes, in or out of the parish."
Q. "If it has been buried before you hear of it, you proceed no further?"
A. "We proceed as far as to make a report to the magistrate,
whom we are sworn before, to see the corpse; '
Q. "If you are satisfied with the appearance of the corpse you proceed
no further ?"
A. "Yes, without particular grounds for it.'
Q. "Do you make a report to the parish clerk whether there is anything
particular or not."
"Yes in all cases the disorder of which the person has died is represented
to the parish clerk."
Q. "Is Sir Jonathan Miles' madhouse within your parish ?"
A. "Yes." ,
Q. "Are you called upon when lunatics die there, to view
the bodies ?"
A. "Yes, none pass there without our seeing them to our
knowledge; and I believe, of late years they have been
very particular."
Q. "You see all the bodies that die there you think?"
A. "Yes."
Q. "Where are they put ?"
A. "There is a place set apart for them to be removed to,
where we see them."
Q.. "Have you any reason to believe any lunatics have died,
whose corpse you have not seen ?"
A. "Not to our knowledge; we have them brought back."
Q. "You have not reason to suspect you do not see them all ?"
A. "No."
Q. "Have you an account of the number that have died there ?"
A.
"We could make an account of all of them."
Weir was recalled on the following day,, and examined" concerning the
deaths of naval lunatics in Miles' establishment.:
Q. Do you know if every naval maniac who died at Hoxton is examined by the
searchers of the parish, previous to the body being interned"
A. "I have been informed by the superintendent that the searchers of the
parish examine every naval maniac that dies at Hoxton previous to the body
being sent to the undertaker."
Q. "Where are the officers and seamen buried ?"
A. "The undertaker informs me that the seamen lunatics are buried in the
pauper burying ground at Shoreditch, and the officers in Shoreditch
churchyard."