LONDON.- Coined in the 18th century, the term ‘mad-doctor’ referred to a physician treating mentally ill patients of the day. An exhibition explores four generations of one family who became an infamous dynasty of ‘mad-doctors’ at Bethlem Royal Hospital between 1728 and 1855. They were the Monros.

All four Monros became Fellows of the Royal College of Physicians. Yet the period in which the Monros were physicians at Bethlem was plagued with scandals of neglect and brutality, when the treatment of ‘the mad’ characterised by bloodletting, vomiting and purging. By the early 17th century Bethlem had become the main ‘madhouse’ in England . But it had also become a byword for ‘madness’ itself – Bedlam.

Bethlem, the world’s oldest institution caring for people with mental illness has often been portrayed as a place of degradation, with chained and naked patients housed in dark cells. Members of the general public would flock to the institution to see one of London ’s great spectacles.

Views of mental illness changed over time. By the 18th century there was a growing concern for patients. They were no longer thought of as objects of curiosity and fun – the view that had prevailed in the preceding century. This led to the scandalous Parliamentary enquiry into ‘madhouses’ of 1815/16. But by the 18th century Bethlem had also lost its monopoly, and was being challenged by rival institutions.

The Monros’ reign of more than 120 years, with the ‘throne of folly’ being passed down from father to son, is unparalleled in the history of English hospitals. What were the conditions like at other such institutions in the 18th and early 19th century? Were the accusations of the Monros as brutal and negligent true in comparison to other practitioners of mental health care at the time? Through the College’s archives and artefacts, and loans from Bethlem Royal Hospital , the Science Museum and the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, this display explores these questions.

The display is free to visit and will run until the 31st May 2009.