Chapter Eighteen

• Author: Richard D. Schneider
• Pages: 211-225

 

Cae Eghee

    as a priory for the sisters and brothers

of the Order of the Star of Bethlehem, by the time of M’Naughten’s

trial in  Bethlehem Hospital in London (known as “Bethlem”) was

recognized as the world’s rst and oldest psychiatric hospital provid-

ing care to the mentally ill. By virtue of his thirty years as a practising

physician at Bethlem, with insanity the subject of his work, Dr. Ed-

ward T. Monro was called as the rst expert witness for the defence,

Cockburn himself doing the questioning.

“How did you come to examine the prisoner Daniel M’Naughten?”

“I was requested by the friends of the prisoner to visit him in

Newgate prison. I was accompanied by Sir A. Morrison, Mr. M’Clure,

and other professional gentlemen.”

“You met on that occasion some medical gentlemen, who were

deputed on the part of the Crown to visit the prisoner, did you not?”

“I met Dr. Sutherland, Jr. and Dr. Bright.”

“I believe you all saw the prisoner together?”

“Yes, we saw and examined the prisoner together.”

“How was the examination conducted?”

“We all asked the prisoner questions in turn.”

“Did you make at the time any note of the examination?”

“No; but I made some notes afterwards.”

“When did that examination take place?”

“On the th of February.”

“What did the prisoner say in answer to the questions put to him?”

“With the permission of the Court, I will state the substance of

what he stated. In reply to the questions put to him, the prisoner

said he was persecuted by a system or crew at Glasgow, Edinburgh,