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When reason reigns: madness, passion and sovereignty in late 18th-century England

Morris Fishbein Centre, The University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA. dmrovang{at}uchicago.edu

In 1788–89, King George III of Great Britain became physically and mentally ill. This has been well documented, in contrast to the sudden influx of mentally distressed patients into private asylums of England shortly after the highly publicized illness of the king. As told by political and social commentators during this period, the crisis of the two bodies of the king – as head of state and as a man – represented a significant threat to the stability of the nation. This essay investigates possible reasons for the increase in asylum populations, and argues that, in the age of reason and temperance as exemplified by George III, the illness and recovery of the king created the space of the asylum as one of the last places to allow the expression of the passions.

Key Words: asylums • England • George III • history • madness • passion • Regency crisis

History of Psychiatry, Vol. 17, No. 1, 23-44 (2006)
DOI: 10.1177/0957154X06058594


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