Asylum for the mentally ill in historical perspective

Abstract

At a time of increasing emphasis on community care for the mentally ill and of mounting concern about its adequacy, questions arise about the necessity for asylum and its optional provision. The term ‘asylum’ was first used in relation to institutions for the insane in the late 18th century and it became the ‘in’ word in 19th century lunacy terminology. It took over from ‘madhouse’, which a contemporary observer called “an opprobious epithet, only suited to the horrible ideas formerly deservedly associated with such places”. In turn, it was superseded officially by ‘mental hospital’ under the 1930 Mental Treatment Act, in an attempt to jettison the negative connotations of ‘lunatic asylum’, and to suggest a parallel curative function with general hospitals.