Sentinel of the valley. [volume] (Woodstock, Va) 1841-1848, 1842-11-10
NsESGElElElAT gEIOUS.
From Blac ;acoods Mtsuz:ne for October.
SKETCH OF ITALY.
THE MAD HOUSE AT FLORENCE.

THE MAD HOUSE AT FLORENCE
We have now Wis ted mad -housps at
home and abroad we have been Bedian1
with Dr.. Munro. and Bicch'c S4Zpe',iare
and Ctqrenion, with Terriers ana Esqui-
rol. and report fAverably Of all. OF ia
han mad houses, however, we should DE
tore our visit to this one) have given a
very different account This house.
though built century ago, is construct
ed upon an admirable plan. and presents
striking contrast to those of Rome.
Naples. or Genoa. which, when we saw
them, (and it was Iately,) resembed
menagerIes for wild beasts rather than
places of asylum for human creatures IN
der the privatioa ofreason. Instead Of
meagre building. like more than one of
those alluded to. dirty. and deficient in
every convenience, and opening into a
court which must be either an oven or an
ice house, according to the season. be-
tween which the lunatics pass their lives,
thuddled together within. or tGrned out
ito the court like wild beasts into an am
phitheatfe) the patients have here space.
cleanliness, and vigilance without vio-
lence. At present there are $50, cf whom
two-thirds are women. They take their
meals together in airy and lofty saloons
These meals are good. and they are serv-
ed with a degree of order not always OBJ
served at more,reasonabie boards. There
is.a bathroom invitingly clean and COM
modious. Each patient whose case re-
quires it, has unlike the cells of old. es-
peciully Of that terrific bedlam which hid
Ceas I'd to exist before our tme-that bed
lam ''where Cibber's brazen, brainIcss,
brothers stand'') "a light. airv, white
washed-room to himself. with a whole
some locking bed in the middle. All
these rooms open into a corridor. which
affords a walk for all kinds Of weather.
and for ali times Of d2y, and looks into a
garden in which the Iunatics are allowed
to walk. and encouraged to work also if
they are inclined to do so. in providing
these afflicted creatures the means Of
physical enjoyment. this establishment is
superior to any we have ever seen. and
ialerior to none in the vigilance and care
bestowed upon them by an enlightened
physician and his intelligent age hts. f.
ven in their moments of violence or ex-
eitment. Dr.. Capucci seemed to have
much authority. No manacles are used
t'he camtolo. with its hollow leathprn cy
Under which lasteus on the wrist. is
quite sufficient. The very sight and
noise OF letters. the humiliation implied
by wearing which must have been known
u almost every maniac while was vet
Sane- may. 1t is conceivable. irritate him
dreadfu!iy when mad. Even those who
are bound to their b dis a here confined
by contrlvanres which are not apparent
II. the suff.rer, who merely feels cntane-
ed in the bed clo'hes in way that he
cannot understand saw one ponr
creature, the picture of dcspondency.
whose hanfls were raised ir an aonnv 2.
bove his head. which was turned m wards.
and his case was of more than common
lntereSf. lie was one Of family of
three brothers, on all of whom madness
Lad allghted. Two months AFRO he and
one OF his brothers came to Florence, and
pntup at an hotel, where the elder. after
a few hours. made an attempt to destroy
hlmsel: IN the presence of his brother,
who started up and prevented him. They
sat down together. and the hitherto. sane
brother employed every argument to d.
vert the other from his dreadful purpose.
after which he rushed to the window.
threw himself INTO the street. and was tax :
en- up dreadtully mansled, and died in
few hours He who had first made the
attempt to destroy himself, is the patien:
we saw. After his lodgment in the mad
house. while he was receiving the visits
of another brother, that brother al so be-
came suddenly insane, and was detained
in confinement here for six weeks. bnt is
now c0nva'escenf. Casas Of periodicity,
or what used to be called lunacy. are We
ry common here. We saw one OF those
persons during the interval, who was 50