New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1856-02-18
a Day with the Insane;
4 VISIT no BhAckwELL's ISLAND.

TRUSTING them in the face of all they meet without
! stint or mercy. n
il To some extent, undoubtedly, the theory of Thu
philosopher and his disciples is trne BY far the larg
est half of insane in the world are to be found with
4 out the confines of the lunatic asylum. But the,
4 manage to preserve 50 much method i'll their mad
ness that they are considered perfectly "harnless
and so permitted to go at large very much to the de
trment of simple honest people, who listen to thei
| warped, perverted teachings
Prompted by my thirst for viewing human nature
in it's every form, took the steamboat King Philip
a day two since, with sspermit'' in handso polite
/ The steamboat was crowded with its usual motley
groups. Some like myself going merely as "lookert
On IN Bedlam but the greater part as applicants fol
1 the bounty Of our charitable city. 0 I
One poor creature, brought in the cabin by q gen
teen and placed by the stoye looked as though she
could scarcely live to leave the boat. She ema-
ciated to the last degree and her hollow cough and
the two bright spots upon either cheek told the dis
ease.
4 She sunk down in her chair, too feeble to look
around her or heed the uncomfort Of her own stua-
ton. Iuntied her hood, and brushing OIL the snow
and wet from it, hung It to Dry Her shoes were
arranged place on the stove hearth for her to dry
her feet What would some Of the Fifth avenue fine
ladies say having their delicately shod feet as wet
a and cold as this poor consumptives n ,ss.
4 I'd learned her history The gentleman who came
with her and left her had brought her several
years ago in her youth and health as nurse to his
/ children But the youth and health gave way, and
growing to be only q burthen instead Of help in his
family, she was given over to the tender mercies Of
strangers, like sick, worn out horse turned adrit.
| So goes the world.
Bellevue took her in, and when she leaves Bellevue
4 it will be in q pine coffin.
| There was q fresh looking young Irish with her
| three months old baby that laughed and crowed for
all the world as impudently and selfcomplacenty as
though it were the Presidents son, and had been born
in the august White House instead of in the city Poor
L fth fhano ,hn,p dpf
help girl.
she had been marred-the child had its legitimacy
| to be proud Of if nothing else. The young mother
had the proof Of that with her. Her story was the
type Of hundreds Of others She had been in good
place. for several years, when in an evil hour she
married e her ladys' coachman. The man was wild,
and like too many of the fast" of the present
day who above this renegade husband in station.
The young wife deserted, the husband going to
| parts unknown and his son and heir was born in
1 Bellevue. Unable to work with the child in her
arms, the sad young mother was then going to Black
/ wells Island Aims House to rear the child.
There were several other melancholy looking women
with small babes in their arms on board, who were,
without doubt, bound on the same errand. did not
question them, however, of their histories.
| had never before been in the Insane Asylum upon
the Island, and what struck me at first sight most
forcibly throughout the whole large building, its
cheerful, airy aspect, and the perfect neatness and
| order of all its appointments.
Many Of the apartments seemed to me somewhat
of room. Largesnd commodious as the building is,
with its of building called 'the LODGE where the
more violent kept still is required for
the accommodation OF its increasing numbers.
was surprised by the preponderance of foreigners
among the inmates, and Of these should judge the
greater portion were Germans.
With few exceptions, these poor unfortunate VIC
tins of warped fancies and decisions, were apparently
them industronsly sewing. They are all-the fe-
male portion-supplied with plenty of sewing work
as well as other and various means of divertng the
mind. The insanity of many is nothing more than
teach anything useful. They live on imbibng air
and food apparently with little more consciousness of
life than oyster Some Of these poor "acl1brains"
however, are initiative and sew, or attempt other
modes Of Industry recreation as they see others.
My little boy, who was with me, seemed to attract
universal attention in the female departments He
was nearly deVoured with kisses, and squeezed to
death with hugs. One bowsy looking dansel, with
hair standing ont in all directions like the quills
upon the etful porcupine, manifested her philopro
gentyeness in SO boisterous manner that she had to
be nterered with by one OF the stout, kindnatured
nurses. The girl showed no disposition to REBEL but
resigned her captive with laugh whilst she frisked
off to another part Of the long hall.
These halls, of which each story Of each wing has
one with their long of little to the right
and left-each room containing a snowy spread bed
chair, &e-aPe well warmed and ventilated, and afford
ample for recreation and exercise, and their in
mates for the most part to all appearances, ration
al their visitors, almost seem to have met
there merely to pass pleasant morning, to while
away an afternoon. But alas! the doors leading to
each other locked, the nurses, physicians, &C.,
being each provided with key and the poor inmates
are only prisoners! ~
K In one room in the main building, which was filed
with German women, who were engaged for the most
part in sewing, poor forlornlooking creature with
countenance Of considerable intelligence, but with
an expression of the deepest melancholy, sitting
in corner apart from all. During the time was in
ebn now avp he
when returned, upon passing through the room she
was sitting in just the position with her eyes
still fastened upon the floor She to have been
married. and the man to whom she was engaged, mar
ried another. ..,s,.
In the same room noticed woman of about thir-
ty, who must once have been very handsome. She
possessed highly ideal, poetryloving head and her
insanity must have resulted from some great blow to
her highly strung organization She sought occasion
TO talk with me, and upon questioning her she an
sWered in very beautiful language, with slightly
German accent, that she had been in the Institution
for three years. and that her little son was with her,
&C.; and then she related to most pathetic story
Of the capture of her son by some itinerant Italian
musicians; and how she followed them from Germany
to Italy and at last succeeded in reeapturng him and
bringing him to this country; And kissing my boy,
moment out Of my sight. She spoke again Of her
joy at finding her son, and said he in the next
room.
Poor creature! that was her delirium: her son-if
she had ever had onead never been in the building.
could not ascertain the cause of her insanity but
very probably it might have resulted from the loss of
this very child about whom she talks in such beauti
full, pathetic language.
found several other very interesting cases; one in
the long hall of the story below especially, interested
| me exceedingly.
She could not have been over seventeen Or eighteen
years old and with her slender form possessed one of
the most spiritual looking faces ever saw. The ex-
preston Of her soft brown eyes was gentle in the ex
trenle and most painfully appealing.
was looking at her in pity for her beauty and help
less state, when she came up to me and asked me if
came from the city. told her yes and then she asked
several other questions, all of which answered in
tone that must have told her of my deep sympathy
for her for the tears started to her gazeeke eyes
and she took me by the hand and said-"Come with
me-"
She led me into of the neat little rooms opening
out of the hall.
as this your room?' asked I. .s
eyes" said she, as she sat down upon the snowy
bed and motoned to take chair close beside her
Il do not like to stay here and you look kind and
good Won't you get me something for me to do at
some millners store, and then can go awayT
Upon my questioning her she told me she had no
mother Or father, and no friends in all New York.
Much she told me that very interesting and
pathetic among the rest that she had been only six
weeks there and had been brought there for her
health; that she had been sick and it had made her
crazy, but that she was well now and wished to go
away.
Poor girl! upon questioning one of the nurses
found that she had been but few months married
and had been placed there by her husband, who was