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Madness at the crossroads: John Home's letters from the Royal Edinburgh Asylum, 1886–87

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 July 2009

M. Barfoot  and
A. W. Beveridge
M. Barfoot
Affiliation:
Medical Archive Centre for Lothian Health Board, University Library, Edinburgh
A. W. Beveridge*
Affiliation:
Medical Archive Centre for Lothian Health Board, University Library, Edinburgh
*
1Address for correspondence: Dr A. W. Beveridge, West Fife District General Hospital, Whitefield Road, Dunfermline, Fife, KYI2 0SU.
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Synopsis

A detailed and critical discussion of John Home, a certified inmate of the Royal Edinburgh Asylum during 1886–87, is presented from a historical perspective which is sensitive to the respective positions of the practitioner and the patient. Particular attention is paid to the letters Home wrote during his confinement and their significance for understanding asylum life during this period. Some interpretative difficulties surrounding the use of medical records, patient letters and other related evidence are also examined.

Type
Original Articles
Information
Psychological Medicine , Volume 20 , Issue 2 , May 1990 , pp. 263 - 284
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1990

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