Asylum reports – Royal Edinburgh Asylum

Dr. Clouston, after a period of critical hesitation, announces in his Report his entire acceptance of the microbe theory of general paralysis evolved by Dr. Ford Robertson and Dr. M'Rae. Since he has had every opportunity of inspecting the work of these two pathologists on the spot, his adherence to the new belief will be taken as a valuable support to it, for many men who have neither time nor opportunity for examination themselves will be quite content to rely on Dr. Clouston's deliberate judgment. What a vista the theory opens up! Dr. Clouston with all justice claims credit for the work carried on for some years now by the Scottish Asylums Laboratory. He states that 20 per cent. of his pauper and 10 per cent. of his private admissions are traceable to alcohol, and he asserts that education is the best remedy for the evil. He recommends that children should be taught more of the effects of alcohol as a branch of knowledge that will help in future life. One has only to see the immense good done by voluntary bodies working among the young, such as Bands of Hope, to feel sure that the recommendation of a routine instruction in this matter is absolutely sound. The total of general paralytics admitted is very heavy – 64 in 428, but the fact that females number 38 to 26 of the males must be a record.