The 1851 Census at Morningside Asylum.

[Currie]

From The Scotsman, 19 April, 1851

THE CENSUS IN MORNINGSIDE ASYLUM.—The Morningside Mirror, which is printed monthly at the Asylum, has the following paragraph regarding the census: —The six hundred schedules that have gone from this house, have established a few encouraging and a great many startling facts. Among the former, we note with satisfaction that should either the French, the Chartists, the Roman Catholics, or any other enemy, or host of insurgents or aggressionists, attack us, we are prepared for the emergency, being at any time able to bring into active service two captains, one lieutenant, a military doctor, two sergeant-majors, three sergeants, fifteen rank and file, a couple of drummers, and a trumpeter. We have also a pair of light dragoons who could act as orderlies, who would however require a vast amount of drilling before being made useful, being at present out of all sight, the most disorderly characters in the establishment. We have a couple of farm horses for their use, so accustomed to labour among explosions (of temper), that we believe they could without much training be brought to stand fire admirably. We have three civil, who might be converted into military engineers, two of whom however, we regret to say, are the most uncivil fellows about the place.

Besides the official, we have three mad and two quack doctors, an apothecary, a veterinary surgeon, and a dentist, and the bills of mortality would, we are assured, present a less startling array of figures, if instead of units as many hundreds of the faculty were similarly disposed of where, however extravagant their ideas, they could no longer make extravagant charges, and however outre their practices, they could no longer practise upon the lives of the lieges. Of titulars we have some twenty in all—A.M.’s, M.D.’s, F.R.S.’s, F.R.C.S.E.’s, &c., the greater number of them being at the same time consummate A double esses. In lawyers we are not particularly rich, the gentlemen of that description of cloth, however expert at getting other people into trouble, being of too slippery a character to be long themselves kept under lock and key. We may look upon their absence as a kind dispensation, as with the few that we have, the inmates and attendants alike contemplate the approach of boxing day with a feeling approaching to terror.


Alan

[JustJean]

Alan I don't know how you seem to roll these gems out of the crumbling news reports but you are exceptional at that task. This clipping is priceless! I've had a good belly laugh this morning!

Now here I sit wondering if any of those characters might be folks I've chased at one time or other......hmmmm......

Best wishes
Jean

[Currie]

Hello Jean,

I’m usually looking for something completely unrelated, and stumble over things that I think may be worthy of a place on TS. Actually trying to find something interesting to post is usually somewhat more difficult.

All the best,
Alan