The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1870-07-13
A Mad Dance.

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comfy Insane Asylum. Festivities
and dancing at a place devoted to the
residence and treatment of the insane
naturally suggest curious iucongru-
ity to the majority of the people, and
yet these things form regular feat
ure in the weekly programme of the
institution. These insane asylum balls
are very interesting events, and gener-
ally attract quite large Eumber of
spectators, considering the distance of
the establishment from the city, The
assembly takes place in the amuse
ment hall, on the upper story of the
asylum, which is a large and hand
some apartment. The number of the
patients participating in the festivities
is generally from forty to sixty, and
frequently more than the latter figure
The ballroom is brilliantly lighted,
and with its lofty ceiling and tasteful
adornments presents highly pleasing
spectacle. The music is generally a
piano and two violins, the musicians
usually being DR.. Leffingwell, assist
ant physician, and one of the attend
ants; and patient who understands
music excellently; besides the patients
who directly participated in the dan
cling, quite large number are enter
tained by watching the spectacle of the
dancers. The usual plan is to arrange
the sets so that half the number on
the floor is composed fpatiests. Care
is always taken to prevent two insane
people acting as partners. Visitors
and the attendants join in the dancing g
and form half the sets, Quadrilles
and round dances are executed, and
the patients mingle in both with the
utmost spirit. OF course, as in every
incident connected with asylum life, a
constant watchfulness has to be kept
over the patients, but rarely if ever,
does anything occur to disturb the
harmony of the proceedings Visitors
are frequently astonished atsthe order
and decorum preserved, and find it
difficult to realize that more than one
half of those present belong to that
unfortunate class cursed by the blight
of mental alteration. The spectacle
of the hall as dance is in progress,
has moreover, some. curious features,
which remind Il thoughtful spectator
that there is something peculiar about
the assembly, which otherwise looks
like any other festival gathering. The
harmonious music of many voices
which usually characterizes a dancing
party is absent.
Mad people as general thing, are
not talkative, except in broken in
coherent manner, and when number
of them are together, and when some
unusual excitement prevails, the com
parative silence where one expects nat
ural the sound of human voices,
conversati- n and laughter, is one of
the most prominent characteristics
When amused and interested, the in
sane patients have a tendency to more
freedom of speech; but still the absence
of the usual hum of voices strikes
spectator at once when he first CLAN
ces in on the mad peoples ball. They |
do talk and laugh to a certain extent,
but the prevailing sound when the
music ceases has an outre element ia !
it, and is different in quality as well
as quantity from the usual accompa,
niament of ball room
The patients were all neatly dress
ed last night, and in department there
was nothing observable to which the
most fastidious could object, An ex-
animation of the faces of the crazy
folks as they are participating in the
ofthis sort is an interest,"
ing study. Once thoroughly interest
ed, and they lose more than half that
peculiar expression which in the ma
iority. of cases charaeterizes insanity.
In the pervorsion of intellect they
may not be able to understand the
exact meaning of words addressed to