In commemorating the 25th anniversary of the British Journal of Psychiatry it is fitting to trace its history to its beginnings, The Asylum Journal, which made its bow on 15 November 1853. The publication of the Journal was a landmark, the prime importance of which can only be appreciated in the context of the history of the Royal College of Psychiatrists. The College itself is descended in direct line from The Association of Medical Officers of Asylums and Hospitals for the Insane, which under different titles has a continuous existence for more than 140 years, and can legitimately claim to be the oldest medical society in its field in the world.