Medical certification under the Lunacy Act of 1890

The following extract from the certificate of the medical practitioner at the workhouse in the parish of St Marylebone makes for fascinating reading. I am indebted to Judy Lester of Kerrywood Research in London for her assistance in finding it for me.

If you are a descendant of David Scott Ritchie Sr and have not read my previous post entitled "What to do with insanity in the family", be sure to do so. Please also remember that what was known about mental illness in 1909 was scant compared to what is known today. Even if you or a member of your family should manifest exactly the same behaviours as described in the quoted report, the chances of being institutionalised are slim. If anything worries you, please consult a doctor or psychologist for an assessment.

With reference to the quote itself, the spelling and punctuation may not be exactly as Judy Lester transcribed it for me, due to the fact that I use screen-reading software which cannot access fine detail in all document formats.

Here is what the certificate of the medical practitioner says:

In the matter of David Ritchie of Marylebone w/house in the County of London, a butler, an alleged lunatic, I, the undersigned Duncan Menzies, do hereby certify as follows: 1. I am a person registered under the medical Act [1858] and I am in the actual practice of the medical profession. 2. On the first day of June 1909, at the w/house, St Marylebone, in the County of London, separately from any other practitioner, I personally examined the said David Ritchie and came to the conclusion that he is a person of unsound mind, and a proper person to be taken charge of and detained under care and treatment. 3. I formed this conclusion on the following grounds, viz, a. Facts indicating insanity observed by myself at the time of examination, viz, he laughs and sings aloud in bed, rambles and talks incoherently, has delusions, says he was born to elevate the human race, says his son and himself suffer from the same ailment at the same time. b. Facts communicated by others, viz, Walter WM Barnard [attendant Marylebone w/house] says patient tried to strangle himself yesterday and when interfered with became violent and had to be put in the padded room. He laughs and sings aloud and refuses his food at times. 4. The said David Ritchie appeared to me to be in a fit condition of bodily health to be removed to an asylum, hospital or licensed house. 5. I give this certificate, having first read the Section of the Act of Parliament printed below. Signed: Duncan Menzies, 40 Dorset Square, London NW. Dated the first day of June 1909. Extract from Section 317, Subsection 2, of the Lunacy Act [1890]: Any person who makes a wilful misstatement of any material fact in any medical or other certificate , or in any statement or report of bodily or mental condition under this Act, shall be guilty of a misdemeanour.

Photo credit: "Salvador Dali" by Hans Olofsson.