The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1835-07-15
HORRORS OF THE CARLO LUNATIC
ASYLUM.


has the Iunatic Asylum. Mr.. Salts Janisscry ac-
umpaned me, and believe no eye hath ever VIZ
cssed elsewhere such melancholy spectacie as ''s
lace affords. The keeper made many oplecuonS
) nv admission he said no Frank was suffered 10
N in hut the name of the Hakkin OF the Englsh
tonsul and half dozen piastres to boot, removed
lie scrnnfes was led from one passage To anot- !
r door after door was unbarred, the keeper armed
himself with courbosh, Ga whip, made OF one solid
hong of the hide of the hipdopotamus,) aud we at
engh got into open court, round when the duh-
reons Of the lunatics were situated. some VINO
we're not violent, were walking unleered, but the
poor wretches in the cells were chained by the neck
TO the bars of the grated windows. The keeper
went round as he would do ia a menagerie oi whd
beasts rafting the chain at the windows TO rouse
the inmates and dragging them by 1t when they
were tardy in approaching One inadman, who
spat at me as passed his cell, L saw the Keeper
null by the chain and knock his face against the
bars till the blood issued from his nose. forced
him to desist. Each of them, as we passed, called
out for food. / inquired about their allowance ana
TO nv horror heard there was none except what
-chartable people were pleased to afford from day
to day. 1t was noon, and they had bad no
! food from the preceding morning. Two well dress
4 ed Turkish women brought in while was there,
( large water melon and two cakes OF bread these
broken into pieces, and thrown TO the iam'si-
I ed creatures MAYER saw nature subduod to such
an lowness they devoured what they got like
through rhe bars Others screaming for more bread
sent out for n few piastres worth of bread, dates,
and sour milk its arrival was hailed with such
yell of ecstacy pierced the very soul. thought
they would have torn down the iron bars TO get AT
the provisions; and in spite of the corubash, their
cagerness to get their portions rendered it difficult
matter to get our hands out Of their clutches. 1t
was humiating to humanity to these ravenous
poor wretchcs tearing their food with their filthy fin
gers some of their nails so long to rescm-
bic the talons of hawks. And such can be the
dition of '' man, noble in reason, so infinite in
faculties, in form and moving so express and admir-
able!' Vain boast! go paint the faculties of this
paragon of animals" in the dungeons have de-
scribed and when you have studied the institutions
of the Turk, sit down, if you can, with exalted
notion of human nature 7
There was one thing which could not help re-
marking the ruling passion of the Malometan
character was preserved, even in insanity. One
man, who begged me TO give him bread, spat upon
when he got it ; another, with all the eagerncss
of famine, abstancd from eating t-hungry he
was, he preferred finging the portion of melon he
had Just received at Christians head, rather than
satisfy his craving stomach lie concealed his mis-
sile for nearly quarter of an hour, till oppo
site his window he then thrust his naked arm
through the bars, and took deliberate aim at me. In
spite Of my entreacs he got the courbash round his
uncovered shoulders. But there old man
who moved not when the food was distributing and
l looked into his cell, destitute of every thing,
with neither straw rug, could barely distinguish
emacioted form lying the bare earth, with
hardly rag upon his body. lie could not lie down
altogether, for he chained by The neck to the
window he was worn n skeleton; and whether
il was the pressure of the chain that mpeded res
piraton, or not, i cannot say, but his stertorous
breathing resembIcd that of person in the last
vulsous; and on enquiry, l found this wretched
creature was actually dying. The smell of the
90
prevail on the keeper to take off the chain. gave
some piastrcs to buy straw, and some days after
wards the Jannissary to inquire about this poor
wretch-he was dead, and there straw to be
sent in his dungeon observed very decent look
ing Turk in one Of the cells, who had been Off
Ger in the Pachas troops he complained bitterly of
hard usage; he said he was furnished some days
he had only five paras worth of bread or half pen
ny's worth; and he talked altogether nationally
of his condition, that expressed my wonder to the
keeper that he was not suffered TO go abroad. The
keeper laughed at my ignorance: " You do not
Know said he " that when mad people appear
most quiet, they are always plotting mischief"
He illustrated his assertion by story, which, II
credible, certainly showed the necessity of conhnine
lunatics, however mild in their appearance, to then
cells mt night A black man, who followed tn,
trade of n butcher, had been confined there man,
years ago he was allowed the range of the house
with two or three others whose arrangement was at
tended with no violence. One night the black butch
CT secrcted a knife f; he induced another madman I,
enter his CELL prevailed on him to lie down, and ther
cut his throat he cal My cut him up into quarter
and distributed the Joints about his cell, he il
the habit of arranging the meat IN his shop. III
solicited the custom of his comrades and to thoS
who we're chained, he carried such portions the
desired The keeper was disturbed by their canni
bal rejoicings ; it was the first full meal they ha
had for many a long day. On examining the cell
he found enc missing he asked the black butch
er if he had him. and he replied that he had jus
sold the last Joint of him. Z" Since that time" sal
the keeper" we look out better, otherwise the
would eat another every day" l endeavore
to ascertain the cause of the madness ofthe preser
inmates /: tbev were thirteen i'm number and n