John Conolly (1794-1866) was a physician and alienist (psychiatrist) who worked with the mentally ill at the Hanwell County Asylum in Middlesex, where he introduced the principle of non-restraint. This action was at first controversial and met with strong opposition, but it served to further the cause of humane treatment, securing Conolly's reputation. Published in 1869, this biography was the last major work of Sir James Clark (1788-1870), a supporter of Conolly's enlightened methods. Clark himself had enjoyed a distinguished medical career, becoming a trusted physician and friend to Queen Victoria. Also reissued in this series are his Medical Notes on Climate, Diseases, Hospitals, and Medical Schools in France, Italy, and Switzerland (1820), The Influence of Climate in the Prevention and Cure of Chronic Diseases (1829) and A Treatise on Pulmonary Consumption (1835).
