Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1842-06-22
Report ON the Asylum.
REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE.
Extract from Ms .Winuies cfihe Board Of
Regents.

Extract from Ms Hinuies Of The Board q
Regents.
ReSoired That Committee of three
Regents be appointed 10 report TO the Board.
such matters and Suggestions III relation
10 this Institution, as the said Committee
NAV deem interesting or important. Mes
SIS. Laborde. DeLcon, and Shand, were
appointed The Committee.
The Committee to whom was referred
the above Resolution, beg leaye 20 report ::
Tha, they have given the subject all the
attention which the time aud their other
engagements would admit.
The Reports Of The Physician and Su-
perinlcnieni, herewith submitted, will put
in possession OF many facts in relation 10
The Institution, while the admirable sug-
gcstons in The former, will, il carried out,
go far To dcvelopc still greater usefulness,
aud fulfil The expectations Of the public
| Impressed by the magnitude Of The subject,
| The Conmmitlce will attempt 10 defend
generally by the proof, Of experience, the
opinion, of your Physician, and 10 add
such other reflections Us, by possibility,
| may benefit The most unfortunate 0i NOR
tails. IL is not fci0n, that every age has
It's peculiar characle Remarkable as
this age may be Tor lis intellectual glory,
for the diffusion Of intelligence. aud for Tie
various inventions aud discoveries in the
Arls aud Sciences, il is not tho less true,
that i; is the age Of active, living bencvo-
Iencc. The proof Of this is 10 be found in
the extraordinary efforts which are now
being made TO extend the benign influence
OF Christianity, and in the uncxamplcd pro-
vision which We sec iu progress for the
moor and unfortunate Of every class. But,
coniinlnS ourselves luItie classUr suit rc,s
with which ,re have to 90, it is to be re-
marked, that so erroneous were former
notions OF Mental Derangcmcnt, and so
mischicvous the treatment growing out 1i
them, that better, far better, would il have
been for the miserable subject 10 have been
left to The unaidcd operations of nature
Instead OF the pesIiferous atmosphere of
dungeon, he would have brcalhcd the pure
mir ol Heaven. and instead OF The savisli
chains, which in Cinmcran darkness he
was doomed TO wear. he would have cn.
joycd III least measure of liberty. No
surer plan could possibly have been dcrl-
sed TO destroy the remnant Of reason. and
10 degrade man TO u lcvc! with the brute.
The treatment Ivy cousrraint, was, until
rcccully. universal. The poor sufferer,
from the very moment he was bcrclt OF
reason. was thrown without ;hc pale Of
human sympathy, aud as IL to visit upon
him in advance, The punishment reserved
for the finally losi aud condemned, the very
imagination was taxed for new horrors and
,orturcs. II seemed to have bccu entirely
overlooked thai he had his physical ncccs-
sites; that lie still needed ino'i, nud raj
mcur, and air; and that though hi, reason
was clnudcG, still il was there TO mark i:im
as the noblcst Of Gods works nu earth,
and to link him with The hi.hcs, inIelliscn-
ccs in Heaven. The following extracts
from Dr.. Ma,ldcn's travels in Turkey"
which are taken from recent work u: DIR,
Pluny Earl, show that this barGurous sys-
tenn Is YET practised in some regions Of The
world. In speaking of the Asylum AT
Grand Cairo, Egypt, he remarks: Il he
lievc that no age hath witnessed elsewhere,
such melancholy spectacle as this place
affords Twas led from one passage to
another, door after door was unbarrcd, the
keeper armed himself with n eourbdsh or
whip made Of solid hippopotamus, aud VIC
al length goI into IN open court, round
which the dungeons Of the Lunatics we're
situated. Some who were not violent,
were walking unfctlercd but The poor
wreiches in the cells, were chained by the
neck 10 The bars of The grated windows
The keeper went round, Us lie would IN
mcnu.eric of wild beasts. raliling the chain
at the window 10 rouse the inmates, and
dragging them by il when they were tar
dy in approaching. One madmaD, who
spa, al me as passed his cell, | saw The
Keeper pull by his chain. and knock his
heal asalust the bars, Till the blood issued
from his nose. Each Of them, as we pas
scd, called aloud for food. inquired
about their a!lowancc-and, 10 my horror,
was told that there was none, except what
charitable people were pleased to afford
from day TO day. Two well dressed Tur-
kish women, brought in whilst was there,
large watermelon aud two cakes of
bread. and this wus broken to pieces and
thrown to the lamished creatures. They
dcvoured wha, they go,, like hungry tigers,
some Of them lhrus,ing their tongues
through The bars. others screaming for
| more bread. Some of
their nails were as long as the talony of
hawk"
! Scenes equally revolving were witness