Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1868-12-04
AN ADVENTURE WITH A MADMAN.

by the proprietor Of q well-known pri-
Vnte asylum for the inFane, The gentle
man alluded To was one held In much re-
spect by the faculty for his skill generally,
and his unauestionable attainments In
that specially 10 which, Of late years, he
had given his undivided attention.
The institution, for private asylum,
was q moderately large one, and was sit.
uated about two miles from a fourishing
town, In the midst Of fruitful and pic
turesuue country. This particular branch
OF the profession possessed for me, as IL
did for my superior, strong attraction,
20 that It was with no consciousness Of any
sacrifice on my part that / accepted his
offer TO become one OF his assistants.
There were six Of us altogether, that IL,
including our principal and at the time
of my entering the institution, about fifty
patients. Our regulations excluded from
admission such applicants as were In the
advanced stages of insanity, admitting
only those cases of q milder form of the
disease although II not unfrequently hap
pened, In spite OF the undeDiably excel
lent treatment they received, that patients
became worse during their stay; and
those who, at the time they were admit.
ted, evinced only symptoms Of slight aber-
ration, before very long, developed them
stronger aud more decidedly.
This, 1t has always been my opinion, is
one of the characteristics OF the mslady.
A person afflicted with any mental de-
rangement Is liable, at almost any moment,
TO a suddenly aggravated condition of the
disease. You may say II Is 30 with all
| complaints no matter OF what nature.
Granted, but that only proves 1t to be the
case with the one in question, and think
more so by comparison than others l
speak Of sudden changes, understand; not
gradually developed ones, to which every
disease known TO science Is equally liable.
/ had been upwards of two years In the
institution, and had seen something of
every case treated there. In that time we
had one hundred and thirty patients,
forty.three of whom were discharged
cured In less than year six had died of
disorders associated with the malady for
which they were under treatment nine
had been removed by their friends, and
| the balance remained under our care.
speak of the time between my entering the
institution as an assistant physician and
the time Of my receiving brief note from
10y uncle, wealthy retired merchant
of New York. The note will speak for It.
self more directly than If endeavored to
explain its purport; 1t is as follows:
"DEAR NEPHRw-Recent indications
Of disordered mental condition In your
cousin Archibald have decided me, with
the advice and concurrence of our family
physician, Doctor Bitterdrug, to send him
to private asylum and hearing good re.
ports of the one with which you are CON
nected, write to inquire your terms, and
whether or not you can receive him. 1t
may be well for me to state that his de-
rangement, which appears TO be slight and
of q harmless nature, Is the result of seri-
Gus losses consequent upon stock opera
tions on Wall street"
This brief note was dated at the resi-
6ence Of the writer in Forty second street,
and signed with his name, Abner
Earle. lost no time, after consulting
with Doctor Craniel, our chief, In replying
to 1t, and informing my uncle that we
were in readiness to receive Archibald at
such time as he might state, expressing
my regret at the unfortunate occurrences
that had deprived his son not only of for
: tune but Of reason.
Poor Archyi" thought to myself
"thst he of all men should be the victim
of such a calamity he, 30 light hearted
so full of life and hope" As for the for.
tune he had lost that didn't matter SO
much, for "Uncle Abner" was very
wealthy, and there were but three
children. "Poor, dear fellowp He was
J Just two years and a half my senior We
!, had been at school together when boys
, but afterwards he had entered his fathers
} counting house, having fancy for mer
| camille pursuits; and l had gone to col
: lege. | was indebted to "Uncle Abner
; for many kindnesses after the death of my
' own father, who had failed heavily II
r business while was yet mere lad anC
8 / resolved to exert plyselftO the utmost II
q the treatment of his son, in whom the OLE
gentleman had always felt sincere pride
and one that was in every way justified.
Two days after the mailing of my reply
to my uncle's first note, received seconC
D one, telling me to be ready to receive
Archibald at the institution on the Tues
a day following, 1t being Saturday when thu
d letter reached me. He would be accom-
y panied on the journey, 80 wrote my uncle
, by the old family servant, one Calel
: Matthews, a very trustworthy, conscien
$ tiols man, and by Doctor Bitterdrug him
self They would leave town in the tel
II thirty train, which would be due Il
e Middleport, two miles distant from tn
q Asylum, at four fifteen in the afternoon {
9 the same day. That knew of my ow
!, knowledge.
Ia Everything was got in readiness, cal
riage sent TO the depot, and, at the el
pected time, my cousin arrived, accompl
MED by his guardians. He appeared to b
In good health generally; shook me col
= daily by the hand, asked few question
! and altogether comported himself in
: manner perfectly consistent with SCUM
y mental condition. Doctor Bitterdrul
= who was fussy little man, forever rul
!. bing together his insignificant little hand
3 of whose whiteness he was exceedingl
4 vain, and the man Caleb, remained owe
= with Us until the next day, when they d.
= parted for the city on the first train boun
= southwark.
, The apartments reserved for the use {
! my cousin Archibald were two rooms,
= sleeping and sitting room, on the secon
o floor, not far from the one in which my
self slept He seemed much pleased wit
their comfortable and orderly appearance
and was evidently under the impression,
semi doubtful one, that he was at hott
or large boarding-house, where II woul
be advisable for his health that he shoul
;, spend the summer season. This idea b
> had imbibed, Of course, from remark
: thrown out by his friends and Docto
y Bitterdrug; and this idea, alsO, it was A6
. Visable to encourage without appearin
~ purposely to do 80, for there was no tellin
:, how soon his suspicious might be aroused
~ !" If they were not already so, as was ind
a, Cdteu py tno lolloWinS ConNeIsatlOn Una
= took place the morning after his arrival
a "And how was it, Fred" he asked {
- me, "thAt you came TO 90 into this bus
y nessf thought you studied medicine
: = New York. How did you come to Civ
: that upf"
a A bright idea occurred to me at the m,
. ment, and aVailed myself Of 1t al once.
Ia "Ohp l replied carelessly, "I nevt
N gave IL up This establishment of ours
4. a sort of hotel and water cure"
o Hydropathy, chr Thunder and ligh
q ming thought you went in for drugs !
a. $50 l do, Archy, so / do, but the
there's a good deal OF virtue in water, 4
diseases Of certain class Of the ohes
lungs rheumatism and 80 onh
Wand You don't believe In Il In cases