Ornano’s conclusion reads as follows: ‘Mr Vincent van Gogh is truly suffering from mental disturbance; however, we have noted on several occasions that this madman has moments of lucidity. Van Gogh is not yet a threat to public safety, but there are fears that he may become so. All his neighbours are frightened, and with good cause, because a few weeks ago, the madman concerned cut off an ear in a fit of insanity, a crisis that could be repeated and be harmful to somebody in his vicinity.’ (Le Mr Vincent Van Goghe est réellement atteint d’aliénation mentale; cependant nous avons constaté à différentes reprises que cet aliéné a des moments de lucidité. Van Goghe n’est pas encore dangereux pour la sécurité publique, mais on craint qu’il ne le devienne. Tous ses voisins sont effrayés, et cela à juste titre, car il y a quelques semaines l’aliéné dont il s’agit s’est coupé une oreille dans un accès de folie; crise qui pourrait se produire à nouveau et être funeste à quelque personne de son voisinage.) See Documentation, 27 February 1889 and Ill. 2280 .

On the basis of this report, the petition and the statement made by Dr Delon on 7 February (see letter 747, n. 1), the mayor gave orders for Van Gogh to be confined in hospital. On 26 February Salles had informed Theo of Vincent’s admission to hospital; in his letter of 2 March he went into the contents of the report (FR b1047 and FR b1049).

The Arles municipal archives contains a copy of the letter in which the mayor gave orders to have Van Gogh, who ‘engages in acts unambiguously indicating mental disturbance’ (se livre à des actes non équivoque d’aliénation mentale), confined in hospital ‘to there be given the care his condition demands (pour y recevoir les soins qui réclame son état). It was also at this time that a letter was drafted in the mayor’s name, ordering Van Gogh’s transfer to the institution at Aix: ‘In view of the fact that it emerges from these various documents [the report, among others] that the mental state of the said insane person, far from improving, is deteriorating by the day, and that this unfortunate man is engaging in acts of raving madness that endanger his life and those of the people around him ... The individual Vincent van Gogh ... currently detained in the hospital at Arles, will immediately be taken to Aix to be placed in that city’s lunatic asylum, until such time as the prefect has pronounced on his indefinite admission to that establishment.’ (Considérant qu’il résulte de ces divers documents que l’état mental du dit aliéné loin de s’améliorer s’aggrave de jour en jour et que ce malheureux se livre à des actes de folies furieuses qui compromettent son existence et celle des personnes qui l’entourent ... Le nommé Vincent Van Gogh ... actuellement sequestré à l’hospice d’Arles, sera conduit immédiatement à Aix pour y être déposé dans l’asile d’aliénés de cette ville en attendant que M. le Préfet ait prononcé son admission définitive dans cet établissement.) (ACA). This decision was never taken.

Not only did Vincent’s neighbours have objections, but the medical staff was of the opinion that Van Gogh’s problems had to do with excessive consumption of tobacco, alcohol and coffee; see letters 752 and 760, and the statement made by Dr Delon, quoted in letter 747, n. 1.