The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1875-11-05
A COLONY OF MAD MEN.
The Belgian Town OF GhesI-An An
eient settlement Thirteen Humid "a
Iunatics to Eleven Thousand Inhab-
ifauts.

The Brussels correspondent Of the
PaH Mall Guzctc writes 10 that journal
ON September % Yesterday an eXcur-
sion to the lunaiics' colony at Gheel was
undertaken by about forty members Of
the International Medical Congress.
Gheel is situated in the province Of Ant
werp, and in that portion Of Belgium
known as the Campine, flat country
with fine bracing air. We started early
in the morning for lIerenihals, which
by railway j. al "A distance Of two hours
and forty minutes from Brussels. From
llerenthals "A drive Of one hour and for
" minutes by car took US 10 Gheel.
Near a country inn, at about a league
distance from Gheel, we were already
met by one of the lHnaiics. DIR. Buick
ems, the Director of the Gheel colony,
under whose guidance the excursion was
made, presented him To US He an
swered very intelligently all the ques-
tions put to him. He had been "A school
master, and was now giving private les
sons in French, Latin, and other sub
jects in the farmers houses Of the neigh
borhood. He begged not 10 be detained
long, as his pupils wore waiting for
him. The poor schoolmaster's madness
was of a religious kind. He told them
that he was quite happy, and did not
wish ever to leave. On arriving AT
Gheel we were received at the asylum
a fine red-brick building, surrounded
with nice plantations by DR.. Peters,
the assistant Of the Director. In the
committee room Mdlle. Bulckens, the
Directors daughter, invited us to take
the usual Belgian morning reireshment
Madeira and cakes; and then DR..
Bulckens gave explanations concerning
the colony. Ii is Of very ancient origin;
"A legend places it as far back rs the
seventh century, attributing it TO
Sainte Dymphne Dymphna or Digna),
the daughter Of an Irish King, who came
To live al Gheel, where she also under
went martyrdom, and became then the
protectress of the insane. However, il
is proved that as early as the twelfth
century foreign lunatics We're sent to
Ghcel, for the sake Of the special treat
ment given there. This treatment diff
fered from that in use everywhere else.
The lunatics are not kept in an asylum,
but board and lodge with the inhabit-
ants. In 1851 the institution was reOr-
gained and placed under the govern
ment. Since then great increase has
taken place in the number Of patients
sent there. The commune of Gheel,
with its outlying hamlets, is very eX-
tensive. 1t covers IL, 900 hectares, and
the number Of inhabitants is also about
1000. The lunatics number now
about | 800 of both sexes. The COM
mune is divided into four sections. At
the head of each is placed a medical
man and an overseer. The patients are
from all nations and all ranks of So
ciety, and they receive accommodation
according 10 their means. The wealthy
are placed with the wealthier class Of
inhabitants, and the poor with the poor
or. The pauper lunatics, for whose
support their respective communes have
to pay, belong to the last category.
The more dangerous class of lunatics
are placed IN the outlying isolated ham
lets. They are divided into sections
according TO the nature of their disease,
and the Walloon patients are kept in
two separate hamlets (Gheel is a purely
flemish place, but most people under
stand French), so as 10 be companions
10 one another. The ! 600 inhabitants
are. so to speak, all engaged in the sur
Vigilance of the patients, which makes
about nine overseers fer every patient.
The surveillance not being perceived by
the patients, Of course does not irritate
them. The commune earns directly
more than 100000 francs an
nually through the keeping of
the lunatics, and indirectly also a great
deal through the cheap work of all kinds
which the patients perform for the in
habitants. Ii is the personal interest OF
the inhabitants TO do their duty well by
the patients, as these are intrusted only
To people whose moral fitness and means
of existence are approved. In fact, a
family at Gheel is not considered re-
spectacle il lunatics are not intruSted to
il, and the withdrawal of them from its
care constitutes n heavy punishment.
The children of the inhabitants. living
from their earliest childhood with luna
tics, become attached to them, do not
find any thing ridiculous in them, learn
how they are 10 be treated, exercise,
through their company, a very soothing
influence on them, and are, of course,
not in the least afraid of them. When
young people get married they ask from
the authorities as favor and sort Of
dowry the care of a patient. On their
arrival at Gheel the lunatics are kept at
the central asylum for observation rs
long as the director deems necessary.
In case of acute disease they are brought
back there. Ii also serves as the house
Of correction. the privation of liberty
being felt severe punishment by the
patients In cases of great debility they
are also brought there. Many lunatics,
when feeling the approach of par
oxysm, demand themselves to be sent
To the asylum. When cure has been
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