The Carolina Spartan. [volume] (Spartanburg, S.C.) 1852-1896, 1856-09-25


to DR.. Merchiston.
He seized every opportunity to allure
our neighbor from his morbid, solitary in.
doors life to more wholesome existence.
They rode out together on the medical
roands--James trying to interest him 10
the many, many opportunities Of philan-
| thropy with which u county surgeons life
sbounds. Sometimes--one day especial.
ly remember-Dr. Merchiston said he
thought Mr.. Rivers had fnmiJiarized him,
with every possible aspect Of human pain.
mot ALL have yet 10 show you-in.
deed. thought Of doing no this morning
the blacklist aspect human suffering can
show. And yet, like all suffering, a merci.
fu God has not lett it without means of
alleviation."
".What do you meant l thought we
were going TO some hospital. For what
diseasel"
mo physical disease, yet one that be-
lieve. like all other diseases, is capable of
prevention and cure--mental insanity"
Dr. Merchislon grew as white ns this my
paper. He said, in broken, low speech,
which vainly tried to seem indifferent
you are right. But it is n painful subject
insanity"
do not wonder that my husband tried
10 change the conversation, an his morn.
ing plan likewise. |, WAS evident that in
some way the topic strongly affected our
friend. Probably he had relative thus
| afflicted. And il must be remembered that
forty years ago the suhjec, of insanity WAS
viewed in u very different light from what
| 1t is at present. ius,ead of mere disease,
mental Instead Of bodily ailment-yet
no less susceptible of remedy-it WAS look.
ed upon as visitation, curse almost a
crime. ANY family who owned n member
thus suffering, hid the secret ~, if i, had
been absolute guilt. Mad house. mad doc.
tor, were words which people shudderei al.
or dared not utter. And uo wonder for in
many instances they revealed ahysses ofig
norance, cruelty, and wickedness, horrible
TO contemplate. Since then, more than
one Howard has gone among those worse
than prisons. cleared away ncalculable evils.
and made even such dark places Of the
earth to see hopeful dawn.
Throughout his professional career, one
of my husbands favorile "cro,chets," as |
called them. bad been the investigations of
insanity.
Commencing with the simple doctrine,
startling, but true, that every man and wo.
man is mad on some one point-,hat is,
has certain weak corner in the mind or
brain, which requires carefully watching
like any othor weak portion of the body,
| lest 1t should become the seat Of rampant
disease, he went on with theory of posi-
bic cure-one that would take n wiser head
than mine to explain, but which efec,ua-
ly removed the intolerable horror, misery,
and h"peessness of tha, great cloud over
hanging the civilized aud intellectual por.
ton OF the worid-menal insanity. DO
not mean the raviug madness which is gen.
orally induced 10y violent passions, and
which by.gone ages used to regard as $ rt
of. demoniacal possession il may be.
for anght | know-but that general state
of uLsoundness, unhealth;ness of brain.
which corresponds to unheallhiness Of body,
and like it, often requires less n physician
than sanitary commissioner.
This may seem an unnecessary didac,ic
Interpolation, but | owe it to the natural
course OF my story, and as a tribute to my
dear husband. Besides, it formed the sub
ject of a conversation which, the question
being voluntarily revived by DR.. Merchis
ton, they held together during the whole
afternoon.
1t was good and pleasant TO hear those
two men talk. listened, pleased as wo
man who is contented 10 appreciate that
which she herself can never attain. And
once more, for the thousandth time, | noted
with admiration the wonderfully strong and
! lucid intelligence with which DIR. Merchis
ton could GRASP any subject handle it, view
1t on all points, and make his auditors see
it too. Even on this matter, which still
seemed to touch his sympa,hies deeply, es-
pecialIy when he alluded 20 the worlds
opinion and cruel treatment Of the insane
insane perhaps on some particular point.
while the rest of the brain was clear and
sound-even there his powers Of reasoning
and argument never failed.
well" said Mr.. Rivers, smiling, as they
shook hands at the door. Il am glad TO
have found one who can understand nv
hobby. You are certainly o.e Of the clear
est.headed men ever knew"
You really think sol | thank YOU, Riv.
ers, said the doctor, earnestly, as he disap
peared in the dark.
| remember this nights conversation
vividy, because. in Heavens in>crutable
mercy -ay, ,OW write "mercy"-it was
the last time DIR. Merchiston entered our
house.
! The next morning he bowed TO me at
the window. riding pas; on his gayIy cur,
vetting horse, looking better and more
cheerful than he had done for long time.
That evening my husband was summon
ed to the double house. Its master had
been thrown from his horse, his leg aud his
rghl arm fractured. lfaII went well, James
told me--and | had rarely seen him so
mov~d-the patient would be confined to
his bed, hound hand and foot, helpless as u
child. for three or four months. Poor DIR.
Merchi~ioni"
"Is his wife with himr was the first oues