Most Solitary of Afflictions: Madness and Society in Britain, 1700-1900

In this elegantly written book, Andrew Scull studies the evolution of the treatment of lunacy in England and Wales, tracing what lies behind the transformations in social practices and beliefs, examining how institutional management of the mad came to replace traditional systems of family and local care, and exposing the striking contrast betwen the utopian expectations of the asylums' founders and the harsh realities of life in these asylums.