CHURCH AND MENTAL HEALTH.
At the annual meeting of the National Society for Lunacy Law Reform (held in London on June 18th) Dr. Risien Russell said as the Law stood there was no possible means of annulling
a certificate which had been signed in error. If a person, though sane, was once certified, so he would remain to the end of his days. This was a shocking state of affairs. It was most important that people, some of whom had only been in an asylum fortwenty-four hours, should not be branded as lunatics, without hope of remedy or redress. Doctors, like other people, are liable to make a mistake. The Rev. Ridler, who had been an asylum chaplain for ten years, emphasized the need for drastic reform. According to the Lunacy Act the chaplain was the first officer of an asylum, but in practice his work was largely hampered by the medical superintendent. A wrong spirit prevailed. It was, however, gratifying to find the Church was awakening, and that there was to be co-operation between the Church and the medical profession.—FRANcrs J. Warm, Secretary, National Society for Lunacy Law Reform, 60 Avenue Chambers, Southampton Row, London, W.C. I.
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