Ann Druitt's (Montague's mother) Medical Condition in 1890

[Rosella]

^ I think the attitude towards suicide has completely changed from how it was viewed in Victorian Britain. It was a crime to attempt it, and remained so in England until the 1960's. For the deeply religious it was regarded as shocking and a mortal sin, as only God had the right to take life.

There was probably reticence over the reporting of the inquests of suicides in the era, very different to how Society divorces were portrayed, for example!

Coronial Juries always tried to bring in verdicts of 'while the balance of mind was disturbed'. Coroners themselves were desperate to spare the family any unnecessary embarrassment, exposure or public interest, especially in the case of a middle class person taking his/her life. This may well have been true in Monty's case.

After all it had only been a few decades since suicides were buried at crossroads and refused burial in consecrated ground.

[SuspectZero]

^ I think the attitude towards suicide has completely changed from how it was viewed in Victorian Britain. It was a crime to attempt it, and remained so in England until the 1960's. For the deeply religious it was regarded as shocking and a mortal sin, as only God had the right to take life.

There was probably reticence over the reporting of the inquests of suicides in the era, very different to how Society divorces were portrayed, for example!

Coronial Juries always tried to bring in verdicts of 'while the balance of mind was disturbed'. Coroners themselves were desperate to spare the family any unnecessary embarrassment, exposure or public interest, especially in the case of a middle class person taking his/her life. This may well have been true in Monty's case.

After all it had only been a few decades since suicides were buried at crossroads and refused burial in consecrated ground.

Indeed family embarrassment could be behind it but how do we explain the concerted campaign to pin the crime on Druitt by his own contemporaries?

[Rosella]

^ But we don't know they did! I keep an open mind on Druitt but we do know from the thousands of letters the police and the Home office received at the time of the Ripper hunt that there were not only nasty little messages from faux Jacks but hundreds and hundreds (probably) of accusations against numerous males, Cousin Tom who often stayed out all night, brother in law Herbert, who expressed hatred for 'low women', Uncle Frederick who had a strange look in his eye and a fascination with knives, etc.

We don't know enough about Monty and his communication with relatives back in the West Country or priestly confidants to know precisely what form his mental abberations (if any) took. He might have been behaving strangely, expressed an unseemly interest in the murders in letters, anything.

His family grew worried, the rumour mill started, especially in the area in which his family were well known. A friend of a friend, a distant relative, might have been loose-lipped and there you are, Monty a suspect. Remember it was Macnaughton who originally pointed the finger at a well-disguised Druitt (from private information) and not in Monty's lifetime. Then came Lady Aberconway and Daniel Farson much later.

[Robert]

William was a solicitor, and the stereotype, for what it's worth, is that solicitors are cautious people. I cannot believe that he would have kept in his possession incriminating or embarrassing documents that would be discovered after his death or simply stolen during a burglary. They would have been carefully destroyed.

[SuspectZero]

William was a solicitor, and the stereotype, for what it's worth, is that solicitors are cautious people. I cannot believe that he would have kept in his possession incriminating or embarrassing documents that would be discovered after his death or simply stolen during a burglary. They would have been carefully destroyed.

There were a lot of false accusations, but not necessarily ones that outed people in newspapers. Sometimes where there's smoke there really is fire. That being said, I'm open minded about who the killer might have been. I've also had my eye on a particular East end physician for awhile. Trying to collect more facts on this person.

[Robert]

I think Druitt is a perfectly respectable suspect, but I just don't see William leaving behind any evidence that is waiting to be discovered. Now Farqharson is a different kettle of fish.

[Roy Corduroy]

Obituary of Dr Joseph Raymond Gasquet, the writer of the letter in post 1, who treated Ann Druitt. From the British Journal of Psychiatry, 1903 --

We regret to record the death of Dr. Joseph Raymond Gasquet, which took place at his residence in Brighton on the 13th of August.

He was 64 years of age, and had suffered for very many years from a trying and painful affection, which he bore with most exemplary patience and fortitude throughout. Although his death was not unexpected, yet his loss is not the less keenly felt by his friends and acquaintances, for no one who came in contact with him could fail to appreciate his uniform kindness and sympathy.

Dr. Gasquet prosecuted his medical studies at the University College Hospital in London, and graduated with distinction at the London University in 1859. After a few years spent in general practice in London he accepted the post of Medical Officer to St. George's Retreat at Burgess Hill, on the opening of that asylum; this necessitated his leaving London, and he settled in Brighton in 1867. He took an active part and keen interest in the management of St. George's Retreat during its growth and development, and only when increasing infirmity compelled him did he retire from active work, about three years ago.

Always taking the keenest interest in the advances of medical science, his intimate knowledge of French, German, and Italian enabled him to follow its progress abroad. With the idea of keeping the younger members of the profession in touch with the advances in medicine, and as a sort of post-graduate work, he started a small society among some of the practitioners in Brighton, for the reading and discussion of papers; this society continues to flourish.

He contributed various papers to the medical journals, and for many years supplied the Italian retrospects for this JOURNAL, but almost all his leisure hours he devoted to philosophical studies, and he looked on this as his relaxation and pleasure. His prefect knowledge of the classics enabled him to become most familiar with the older and more modern schools of thought. He had, however, to a market extent the diffidence and retiring disposition of a deep student, and so it is to be profoundly regretted that he left but few records of his study and impressions.

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St George's Retreat held 14 gentlemen and 39 ladies, the females cared for by the Sisters of St Augustine. The average payment was 165 l. per year. Licensed by the Commissioners in Lunacy.

[SuspectZero]

Obituary of Dr Joseph Raymond Gasquet, the writer of the letter in post 1, who treated Ann Druitt. From the British Journal of Psychiatry, 1903 --

We regret to record the death of Dr. Joseph Raymond Gasquet, which took place at his residence in Brighton on the 13th of August.

He was 64 years of age, and had suffered for very many years from a trying and painful affection, which he bore with most exemplary patience and fortitude throughout. Although his death was not unexpected, yet his loss is not the less keenly felt by his friends and acquaintances, for no one who came in contact with him could fail to appreciate his uniform kindness and sympathy.

Dr. Gasquet prosecuted his medical studies at the University College Hospital in London, and graduated with distinction at the London University in 1859. After a few years spent in general practice in London he accepted the post of Medical Officer to St. George's Retreat at Burgess Hill, on the opening of that asylum; this necessitated his leaving London, and he settled in Brighton in 1867. He took an active part and keen interest in the management of St. George's Retreat during its growth and development, and only when increasing infirmity compelled him did he retire from active work, about three years ago.

Always taking the keenest interest in the advances of medical science, his intimate knowledge of French, German, and Italian enabled him to follow its progress abroad. With the idea of keeping the younger members of the profession in touch with the advances in medicine, and as a sort of post-graduate work, he started a small society among some of the practitioners in Brighton, for the reading and discussion of papers; this society continues to flourish.

He contributed various papers to the medical journals, and for many years supplied the Italian retrospects for this JOURNAL, but almost all his leisure hours he devoted to philosophical studies, and he looked on this as his relaxation and pleasure. His prefect knowledge of the classics enabled him to become most familiar with the older and more modern schools of thought. He had, however, to a market extent the diffidence and retiring disposition of a deep student, and so it is to be profoundly regretted that he left but few records of his study and impressions.

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St George's Retreat held 14 gentlemen and 39 ladies, the females cared for by the Sisters of St Augustine. The average payment was 165 l. per year. Licensed by the Commissioners in Lunacy.

Well Ann certainly could afford to stay. She died leaving over £2,000 to her heirs.

[Mayerling]

Obituary of Dr Joseph Raymond Gasquet, the writer of the letter in post 1, who treated Ann Druitt. From the British Journal of Psychiatry, 1903 --

We regret to record the death of Dr. Joseph Raymond Gasquet, which took place at his residence in Brighton on the 13th of August.

He was 64 years of age, and had suffered for very many years from a trying and painful affection, which he bore with most exemplary patience and fortitude throughout. Although his death was not unexpected, yet his loss is not the less keenly felt by his friends and acquaintances, for no one who came in contact with him could fail to appreciate his uniform kindness and sympathy.

Dr. Gasquet prosecuted his medical studies at the University College Hospital in London, and graduated with distinction at the London University in 1859. After a few years spent in general practice in London he accepted the post of Medical Officer to St. George's Retreat at Burgess Hill, on the opening of that asylum; this necessitated his leaving London, and he settled in Brighton in 1867. He took an active part and keen interest in the management of St. George's Retreat during its growth and development, and only when increasing infirmity compelled him did he retire from active work, about three years ago.

Always taking the keenest interest in the advances of medical science, his intimate knowledge of French, German, and Italian enabled him to follow its progress abroad. With the idea of keeping the younger members of the profession in touch with the advances in medicine, and as a sort of post-graduate work, he started a small society among some of the practitioners in Brighton, for the reading and discussion of papers; this society continues to flourish.

He contributed various papers to the medical journals, and for many years supplied the Italian retrospects for this JOURNAL, but almost all his leisure hours he devoted to philosophical studies, and he looked on this as his relaxation and pleasure. His prefect knowledge of the classics enabled him to become most familiar with the older and more modern schools of thought. He had, however, to a market extent the diffidence and retiring disposition of a deep student, and so it is to be profoundly regretted that he left but few records of his study and impressions.

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St George's Retreat held 14 gentlemen and 39 ladies, the females cared for by the Sisters of St Augustine. The average payment was 165 l. per year. Licensed by the Commissioners in Lunacy.

I noticed that last line and considered it a little. The obituary writer said it was due to Dr. Gasquet's "diffidence and retiring nature". I wonder if it actually showed a shrewd sense of discretion that was good for business, meaning that anything untoward heard by the physician and his picked staff would never leave the precincts of the asylum to disturb the family of the patient (i.e., "I'm not insane - they are after my money!" - extreme example, admittedly). The reason I say this is that the obituary writer is missing an anomaly here. If Gasquet was so diffident and of a retiring nature because (as the writer of the obituary notice suggests) he was a deep student of his patients, HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT NOTES AND PAPERS OF WHAT HE FOUND FROM STUDYING THEM!

Jeff

[Bridewell]

How far had the electrification of Great Britain spread in the years 1875 to 1885 in the far distant area of Wimborne?

Can't speak for Wimborne but there was still no domestic electricity in Harbottle, Northumberland when I lived there in the 1950's. I don't imagine it was widespread outside cities 70 years earlier.

[Rosella]

Cragside, the home of Sir William Armstrong, the industrial magnate, seems to have been the first to have had electricity as far as private homes in England were concerned. That was in Northumberland I believe, (sorry Bridewell!) in 1881. Several stately homes like Hatfield House followed but electricity in private homes (or lunatic asylums) seems to have been sparse throughout the 19th century.

This was due, in part, to the Lighting Acts of 1882 and 1888. The government took lessons from the huge profits and scandals caused by railway, gas and water companies earlier in the century. They tried to protect the public from exploitation by limiting tenure of plants to 21 years and limiting each concession (to private companies of course) to one municipal area.

As you might imagine, growth was impeded. A National Grid network was set up in the 1920's, but as Bridewell has noted many, many homes, especially in rural areas were without electricity as late as the 1950's.

So, my guess is that there'd be no electric current zapping Ann Druitt in the 1880's.

[Joshua Rogan]

A quick search for medical treatment by electricity reveals that it was being used by pioneering doctors in the 1850s to treat spinal injuries. And amongst them, apparently, one WW Gull...

Not forgetting this nugget, for the treatment of 'hysteria';

"In 1880, more than a decade before the invention of the electric iron and vacuum cleaner, an enterprising English physician, Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville, patented the electromechanical vibrator."

[Pcdunn]

I noticed that last line and considered it a little. The obituary writer said it was due to Dr. Gasquet's "diffidence and retiring nature". I wonder if it actually showed a shrewd sense of discretion that was good for business, meaning that anything untoward heard by the physician and his picked staff would never leave the precincts of the asylum to disturb the family of the patient (i.e., "I'm not insane - they are after my money!" - extreme example, admittedly). The reason I say this is that the obituary writer is missing an anomaly here. If Gasquet was so diffident and of a retiring nature because (as the writer of the obituary notice suggests) he was a deep student of his patients, HE SHOULD HAVE LEFT NOTES AND PAPERS OF WHAT HE FOUND FROM STUDYING THEM!

Jeff

Hi, Jeff,
I read that as referring to the doctor's hobby as a student of classic and modern philosophy-- not as to his primary work as an "alienist" with his patients. I'm sure he did leave notes on his work with them, and they were probably confidential. The author of the obituary was admiring the doctor's brilliance in philosophy, and regretting that he hadn't written more in that field.

[Mayerling]

Not forgetting this nugget, for the treatment of 'hysteria';

"In 1880, more than a decade before the invention of the electric iron and vacuum cleaner, an enterprising English physician, Dr. Joseph Mortimer Granville, patented the electromechanical vibrator."

The mind boggles! Was it to cure psychosis or for whoopee?

[GUT]

The mind boggles! Was it to cure psychosis or for whoopee?

Hysteria was, at one time thought to be caused by a particular type of frustration.