| Description Of Item | Illustration from the collection of Alexander Morison. Unsigned [Charles Gow]. Reproduced in Morison’s 'Outlines of Lectures' (1848) plate 21.
'Agnes W: Aged twenty-nine, married, the wife of a mechanic, was admitted into the Surrey Lunatic Asylum on the 15th August, 1846, labouring under an attack of insanity, complicated with general paralysis. The cause of her insanity is stated to have been grief, on account of the death of her children. When she first came under treatment, her ideas were of a melancholy nature; and her memory was impaired. Soon after her admission she became extremely restless, and fancied that she had immense wealth and numerous children, and that she should have several more before the morning.
At times she was mischievous, and would tear her clothes. On first getting out of bed, she was frequently unable to speak for some time, and did not appear to be sufficiently conscious of what was going on, nor able to occupy herself at all; and would remain quiet for a day or two, and then become very restless. At times she ate very voraciously; at other times there was much difficulty in getting her to take food. The symptoms of general paralysis gradually increased, until she died in the very last stage, with gangrenous ulcers in the back and nates. This portrait was taken about a week before her death.' |