Litchfield enquirer., 1849-06-21
Liberating tho Ntadmhn.

nrst traai made by the French philosopher and philanthropist, Pinel, to govern luna- tics by moral force alone, is from an ac- count writtsn by his son.
 l It was in the latter end of 1S92, that Pinel who had been appointed some time before medical superintendent of the Bice- tre (the Madhouse of Paris urgently ap- piled for permission from the authorities to abolish the use of the iron, with which the lunatics were then loaded. Unsuc- cessful, but resolved to gain his object. he repeated his complaints with redoubled ardor before the Commune of Paris, and demanded the reform of this barbarous system. .
 At last, master of his actions, Pinel commenced the next day his enterprise; the real difficulties of which he had ne- yer for moment disguised from himself. He contemplated liberating about fifty ravlng madmen without danger to the more peaceful inmates. He decided to unchan but twelve as first experiment. The only precaution he judged necessary to adopt, was to prepare an equal num- Der of waistcoats-those made of stout. linen, with long sleeves, and fastened at the back, by means of which it is easy to prevent lunatic doing serious mischief.
 The first whom Pinel addressed was the oldest in this scene of misery. He was an English captain his history was unknown, and he had been confined there for forty years. He was considered the most ferocious of all. His keepers even 1; approached hidh with caution for in a fit of violence he had struck one of the servants with his chains and killed him on the spot. He was more harshly treat ed than the others, and this severity and complete abandonment only tended still more to ekasperate his naturally violent temper.
 Pinel entered his cell alone, and ad- dressed him calmly. Captain, said he; If l take off your chains, and give you liberty to walk up and down the yard, will you promise me to be reasonable and to injure no one?'
 I will promise you; but you are maA king game of me. They are all too much afraid of me, even you yourself
 No, indeed, am not afraid replied Pinel for I have six men outside to pp8fae a Hea'r lztes,aaa4 ..see lA--SJ intend to liberate you if you will put on. this linen waistcoat in place of your heavy chains.'
 The captain willingly agreed to all they required of him. only struggling h's shoul- defs and never uttering word. In fsS 5Ssaaiap amiaptas u his siJ irons s were completely tants retired, leaving the door of his cell open.
 Several times he stood up, but sank down again. He had been in sitting posture for such length of time, that he had almost lost the use of his limbs. However, at the end of a quarter of an hour he succeeded in preserving his equi- libridm; and from the depth of his dark cell he advanced, tottering, towards the door. His first movement was to look up < at the heavens, and to cry out in ecstacy, How beautiful? During the whole day he never ceased running up and down the stairs always e&claitAMg, How beauti. full how delightful r In the evening he returned of his own accord to his cell, slept tranquilly on good bed which had been provided for him in tie meantime, and during the following two years which he spent at the Bicetre, he never again had violent fit; he even made himself useful. exercising certain authority over the other lunatics, governing them after his fashion, and establishing himself as kind of superintendent.
 His neighbor in captivity was not less worthy of pity. He was an old French officer, who had been in chains for the past thirty years, having been afflicted with one of those terrible religious mon- oit1anias of which we even nowadays see such frequent examples. Of weak understanding and lively imagination, he conceived himself destined by God for the baptism of blood -that is to say, to kill his fellow creatures in order to save them from hell, and to send them straight to heaven, there to enjoy the felicity of the blessed This horrible idea was the cause of his committing frightful crime. He commenced his homicidal mission by plunging dagger into the heart Of his own child. He was declared insane, cons fined for life in the Bicetre, and had been afflicted for years with this revoltihg mad ness. Calmness at length returned. but without reason; he sat on stone silent l and immovable, resembling an emacieted spectre of rcmorse. His limbs were still loaded with the same irons as when first confined, but which he had no longer any strength to lift. They were left on him as much from habit as from the temem- brance of his crime. His case was hope less. Dr. Pihel had him carried to bed in the inirmary: his legs. however. were so stiff and contracted, that all attempts to bend them failed. In this state hs lived few months lOnger' and then died without being aware of his release:
 The third presented | strong contrast | s.. rse I1fA with