AN INQUIRY

INTO THE ALLEGED TENDENCY OF THE SEPARATION OF CONVICTS, ONE FROM THE OTHER, TO PRODUCE DISEASE AND DERANGEMENT.

By a Citizen of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia: E. C. & J. Biddle. 1849.

It is, as might possibly be anticipated from the residence of the author, an elaborate and ardent defence of the separate system of confinement. The charge of its peculiar tendency to induce disease and insanity, is altogether denied, and the testimony of the successive physicians to the Eastern State Penitentiary, during a term of nearly twenty years, goes very satisfactorily to warrant the denial.

The author is not, however, inclined to rest at this, but carries the war into the enemies’ camp. The chapter entitled Medical Practice, in a Congregate Prison, is calculated to attract attention, from the positions laid down in it, and their startling illustrations, deduced from the well known case of Abner Rogers. It is not the time or the place for us to enter on this warmly controverted subject, and we have noticed the work only on account of its bearing on the subject of insanity, and as forming a part of its literature.—Am. Journal of Insanity, published by the Superintendent of the New York Lunatic Asylum, July, 1850.

So far as the leading controversy, in regard to the rival systems of prison discipline, is concerned, it seems to us to cover the entire ground with singular ability.—Princeton Review.

☞ A few copies of this pamphlet are still on hand, and may be had on application to the publishers, corner of Fifth and Minor streets, or to any member of the Acting Committee.


OFFICERS FOR 1852-3.

President—James J. Barclay.

Vice-Presidents—Townsend Sharpless, Charles B. Trego.

Treasurer—Edward Yarnall.

Secretaries and Committee of Correspondence—
William Parker Foulke, Edward Townsend.

Counsellors.
Job R. Tyson, Garrick Mallery.

Acting Committee.

☞ Quarterly Meeting of the Society, 2nd second day (Monday) of January, April, July and October.

Inspectors of the State Penitentiary for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

Warden—John S. Halloway.

Resident Physician—D. W. Lassiter, M. D.

Moral Instructor—Thomas Larcombe.

Clerk—William Marriott.

Teacher—George Neff.

Visiting Committee of the Eastern Penitentiary.

Inspectors and Officers of the Philadelphia County Prison.

President.—Jesse R. Burden, M. D.,

Treasurer.—T. C. Bunting. M. D.,

Secretary.—E. A. Penniman,

Superintendent.—Anthony Freed.

Deputy Superintendents.—William B. Perkins, John Mirkil.

Clerk.—Wm. J. Crans.

Matron.—E. McDaniel.

Physician.—Dr. J. C. Wall.

Moral Instructor.—Rev. Wm. Alexander.

Assistant Keepers—

Visiting Committee on the County Prison.


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Transcribers’ Notes.

The cover image was created by the transcriber and is placed in the public domain.

The beginning of the third page of the cover was marked with: (Continued from second page of cover.).

The following table shows changes made by the transcriber. Page# refers to the number of the printed page. Page ii is the inside front cover. Page 58 is the eighth page in this issue which was numbered 58 (for the year). Page 70 is the twentieth page in this issue which was numbered 70, and so on. Page iv is the outside back cover.

Page#originalchanged to
[ii]expresseexpressed
[58]theretheir
[70]substractedsubtracted
[74]attractions;attractions;”
[76]mismangementmismanagement
[76]impunity.impunity.”
[82]vizviz.
[84]seasonablereasonable
[89]homocidalhomicidal
[95]considered.considered.”
[95]years!years!”
[96]VIIIVIII.
[97]UnforfortunatelyUnfortunately
[105]vizviz.
[106]That—That
[107]That—That
[iv]MatronMatron.
[iv]WickershamWickersham,