This is a succinct telling of Dr Henry Parsey (1821-1884) who is a ground breaking doctor in regards to the care of both the mentally ill and those with disabilities in a time not known for its compassion.
There are fascinating snippets of information tucked away in the appendix's, for example, the hospital sent monks out with giant baskets to go beg for food and clothing for the patients, hence the lunatics were known as basket cases.
This book looks at the care of the insane before the Country Asylum Act of 1845, which as one would imagine was quite horrendous. This book looks at who taught Dr. Parsey and their insights in looking after the mentally ill, which was to have a profound impact of how Dr Parsey worked in his own practise. It looks at things such as the design of the hospital and even the diet of the patients. It gives detailed records of some patients who spent their whole life in the asylum.
There are enough dates and names to please the factual historian and enough tidbits to please readers who have a more social interest in the topic.