Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1857-07-11
SHOCKING CONDITION OF SCOTTISH LII.
NATICS.
PHILANTHROPY OF AN AMERICAN WO
MAN-LETTER FROM ROBERT
CHAMBERS.

II is scarcely possible to realize the shocking y
of some of the lunatics who are living :
in Scotland with relations and strangers. 1.-The l
oh ysical condition of many OF them Is tar worse
than brute beasts in the possession OF persons OF {
ordinary humanity. We cite tAe following case
in corrohoration and illustration of this tatement:
the Dist Of March, 1856, the procurator-hscall
visited A. NJ, at the request of the commission
ers. He found tina man in o den in the hamlet OF
Auchintree, about forty-eight miles from the town
of Diugwall, in Rosshire. The following is an
extract from the procurator-fscaPs narrative as
printed at p. 264 of APPENDIX to the Commission
ers' Report to her Majesty:
1.-THE dwelling in which the lunatic is kept is of
the most wretched description. Its dimensions
outside the walls are about 9 yards by a the
walls about 4 IL feet high and 2 l.2 thick, and are
composed of turf. The house is matched with
heather, and the roof is pervious to rain in several
D places. The door, which is about four feet, high
D opens directly into the place where the lunatlc is
n confined. The dimensions of this place are about
8 nine feet by seven. 1t has no window, nor any
opening for one the turf walls are bare and the
floor is of earth. When visited it contained no
IS furniture of any description except the bed, to
d which ,hc lunatic is confined by his chain. There
Y is no fireplace there are several holes in the roof
of the apartment, and crevices at the sides of
i the door. Whom the door is opened it almost con.
cealed the bed, which consists of fir deals nailed
together, and raised about two feet from the floor.
There was literally no bedding, but a quantity of
, loose moss was spread upon the boards of the bed
in the midst of which the lunatic sat. His per-
d son was wrapped up in q scanty piece of blanket
!, old and dirty, and two pieces of old bedcover.-
:. These rags were wrapped about his shoulders and
trunk, and with this exception he was perfectly
Is naked. There were no blankets or other covering
d for the bed. The sister stated that she had two
spare pieces of blanketing to change the rags up
r on his person when they required washin z, which
8 she said was done once q fortnight, but that she
had no other clothing or covering for the lunatic.
There is another apartment in the house, oc'
pied by the lunatic's sister, an unmarried woman,
of about 70 years of age, who has sole charge o.
l. the lunatic. The room contained q fireplace, {
bed.and bedding, and some rude articles of fur
# niture. She stated that the ~lunatic's food consist
d ed of potatoes and herrings, porridge and treacle
and ot cakes that he generally takes tire
meals q day, and that he takes his food withou
a assistance. The food Of the house when visited
il consisted of about two stone of oatmeal, som
it potatoes, and q few salt behring's. The lunati
al is always chained, and has been SO for tn
nv last thirty years. The chain consists {
Sc about thirteen iron links, and is about two and
,st half feet in length. Ono end is fastened to tn
on side Of the bed with an iron staple, and the othe
ZEN is passed round his right ANGLE, and fastened wit
an an iron bolt and nut. He bias never left tn
.re bed to which he is chained but about ten year
ny ago he was carried to his present abode from hi
at former dwelling, distant about 200 yards. Will
he this exception, he has not been out of q house
GUS since he was first confined,
he "IIe is stated to have been insane for the las
nee forty years. For ten years he wandered
no about the country, and his sister understands tina
&c, he was put under restraint in consequence of
'as complaint by the late Sir Hugh Innes of Lochalsf
ler Bart, to the then Procurator-fscal at Dingwall
,ed His knees are now contracted, and drawn up t
at the chest, and completely rigid, so that if at lib
re- erty he would be incapable Of moving otherwis
Igs than by crawling on his hands and knees. He
Ice stated to i be occasionally furious and excited an
ny on such occasions he throws about the moss an
on the deals of his bed, and tears his coverings
as When visited he was quiet and docile, but talke
3D. incoherently. His case does not exhibit Ii
lid appearance of ill-health, but his frame is emaci
oh ted. lie is never washed with the exception tn,
he washes his face once or twice in the course
a year. He clips his beard with a pair of scis
ug- ors once or twice o mopth' or oitener.
of -