The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-17
"0hl lady fair,
With rich black hair
ADd beaming eyes,
1 do anrmise
You are endowed with that modesty
Which 80 becomes a fair ladie ~

we lind that the remainder Of Thomas Shake
sperian rhymes have slipped from our trea-
cherous memory. When he had concluded his
poetical strain, be launched forth into prose
Doctor he exclaimed, "may it please your
most honorable oorporosity to crafty the con-
glomerated tastes of q convivial disposition by
bestowing upon your most convenient and con.
siderate servant the boon OF small piece of
tobacco 2"
The Doctor placed a nickel in Thomas' hand,
expressing great regrets that he had no tobacco
about him.
That the solacing effects of the weed are fully
appreciated by crazy people, was evident from
the fact that every other one we encountered
preferred request for tobacco. When this was
refused them, they would piteously beg penny,
| that they might purchase some of their hearts
delight.
Presenting a striking contrast to these harm
| less wanderrngs of the mind are the more
Violent Cases of Insanity.
Among others, we noticed young man who
| sat motonless upon bench. His features bore
an expression of terrible agony. His lips were
| in constant motion, as he muttered from cum
| rise to sunset:-
"0h, kill me ! kill me kill metz
Another sat at the door leading into the mems
| yard. To describe him In the tewest words pos
| sible, we should call him slavering idiot. His
| grizzled hair and beard were cropped short and
his eyes had q vacant restless stare. He was
one of the most violent cases in the institution
and for this reason 1t was necessary to keep his
hands enclosed In a stout leatbern case. He sa.
upon the floor, twisting his body and comforting
| his features, and now and then making despe-
rate effort to gnaw the dosr-frame or the wall
| AS soon as he perceived us. he looked up and
| asked tor some tobacco.
A Free-Trader Stands on his Head.
Emerging into the yard, the Doctor was aC-
| costed in Il cheerful manner by burly fellow,
| who ext en1ed his hand. 1t was quickly with
drawn, however, and the man dropped upon
his knees, bent his head to the ground and
| then held up his little finger, which the Doctor
| grasped and shook.
"That's the proper way TO do it," exclaimed
the IDIOT, and with that he planted himself upon
his head and shook his bare heels high in the air.
Reversing his position, he began a long aud
laborious argument in favor of free-trade, ad-
vocating the doing away with Congress and
everything else that opposed his views.
Standing on the door-steps, we there surveyed
The Group i'm the Mems Yards
1t was a motley crowd, and all were in high
| a
scarcely head was covered. Promenading
appeared to be a faVorite method of killing the
time. One individual, who walKed up and down
with steady strides, had a Ciceronian turn Of
mind. His speech was loud and emphatic and
bis gesticulation of the most approved stump
order. Suddenly be paused in his course, and
took the measurement Of his mouth with his
fingers The result did not appear to satisfy
ba a1,a oil he
head in O doubtful way. Among this group
were many
American Citizens of African Descent.
IL the mems department the whites and blacks
are hudded together; on the women's side of
the house 1t has been thought expedIent to keep
the two races apart from each other
One of these sable maniacs appeared to be a
dangerous customer, as his wrists we're grlced
by pair of iron bracelets. This arrangement
did not appear to dampen his spirits in the
least, as he strided up and down the yard, whis-
Ting in an uProarlous fashion.
The pale-faced orator of whom we spoke
above had D coIored rival on the opposite side
of the yard, The latter equailed the former in
the ghbDess of hls tongue and the profuseness
OF his gestIculation.
Among the others there we're three whose
| mOllOQS dllIdCleO our eSpeCItl dlLpHLlOus One
scratched mis- Sims by the half hour; another
drummed as steadily upon his knee with small
stick; while a third sat quietly upon bench,
opening ana shutting his mouth, and wsgglhg
his head from SIDE to side with great precision.
He aroused himself from this lstless mood when
a sprucelooking gentleman of color stepped up
ana embraced him in the most fraternOl style.
The WOmen's Wards,
which we next visited in order, will be seen by
the tables given above to contain over sixty-ive
per cent. of the population of the Asylum. This
is to be expected. as woman has always been
represented as being ''the weaker vessel" and
| to the delicacy of ber nature, and the pecu-
liar and unnatural trials to which she is sub.
ected in the humber walks of life, the greater
| prevalence of insanity among her sex is un-
| doubtedly to be ascribed. There is another
noticeable feature OF insanity In the female sex,
| and that is the greater violence which usually
| characterizes 1t. For this reason the most diff
cult cases for general IN management and curative
treatment are found in the women's wards.
change was perceptibie, indeed, as soon as
we had entered the department OF these unor-
tunates. On the steps and in the corners of the
corridors they were grouped IN hideous array
MANY Of them we're lying fat upon the floor
while others stretched themselves upon benches
Nearly all of these had careuly covered their
heads with some portion of their dress. Others
sat upon the door in the very centre of the
rooms and halls, accompanying their silent