§ Mr. McENTEEasked the Minister of Health whether, in view of the fact that Mrs. Emily Deacon, at present an inmate of Colney Hatch Asylum, cannot be proved to be dangerous and unfit to be at large, and that her husband has applied for her release (under Section 79 of the Lunacy Act), and is ready to undertake the responsibility prescribed in said Section, to provide her with a suitable woman companion of experience, named Mrs. Bird, and to give her a comfortable home and every care, he will have investigations made into the reason why this patient should continue to be detained at the expense of the ratepayers?
Mr. CHAMBERLAINFull inquiry has been made into this case and it has been carefully considered by the Visiting Committee. The patient was granted a long period of absence on trial, the results of which were far from satisfactory, and I see no ground for supposing that she is not at present properly detained. The Commissioners of the Board of Control, however, expect to visit the hospital in the course of the next few weeks, and will pay special attention to the patient, unless in the meantime an improvement in her mental condition should have justified the Visiting Committee in allowing her to leave.