Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1875-10-30
A COLONY OF CRAZY PEOPLE.
Rational Methods for Treating Lunntics in
Belgium.

n IUU MUU UUSeCt6 cOIreSponuenb, /
writing from Brussels, says: An ex-
cursion to the lunatics' colony at Gheel
was undertaken by about forty members
of the international Medical Congress.
Gheel is situated in the province of
Antwerp, and in that portion of Belgium
known as Campine, fiat country, with
fine bracing air. We started early in
the morning for Herenthals, which by
railway is distance of two hours and
forty minutes from Brussels. From
Herenthals drive of one hour and forty
minutes by car took us to Gheel. Near
q country inn, at about league distance
from Gheel, we were already met by one
of the lunatics. DIR. Bulckens, the
director of the Gheel colony, under
whose guidance the excursion was made,
presented him to us. He answered very
intelhgently all the questions put to him.
He had been a schoolmaster, and was
now giving private lessons in French,
Latin, and other subjects in the farmers
houses of the neighborhood. He begged
not to be detained long, as his pupils
were waiting for him. The poor school
masters madness was of a religious
kind. He told us 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.
DR.. Bulckeps gave explanations concern
ing the colony. 1t is of very ancient
origin q legend places it as far back
as the seventh century, attributing it to
Sainte Dymphne (Dymphna or Digna),>
the daughter of an Irish king, who came
to live at Gheel, where she also under
went martyrdom and became then the
protectress of the insane. However, it
is proved that as early as the twelfth
century foreign lunatics were sent to
Gheel, for the sake Of the special treat
ment given there. This treatment differs
from that in use everywhere else. The
lunatics are not kept in an asylum, but
board and lodge with the inhabitants.
In 1851 the institution was organized
and placed under the government. Since
then great increase has taken place in
the number of patients sent there. The
commune of Ghee1 with its outlying ham
let's is very extensive. 1t covers 11,O00
| hectares, and the number of inhabitants
is also about II, 900. The lunatics num-
ber now about 1900 of both sexes. The
commune is divided into four sections.
At the head of each is placed medical
man and an overseer. The patients are
from ali nations and all ranks of society,
and they receive accommodation accord
ing to their means. The wealthy are
placed with the wealthier class of inhabi-
tants, and the poor with the poorer. The
pauper lunatics, for whose support their
respective communes have to pay, be-
long, of course, to the last category.
The more dangerous class of lunatics are
placed in the outlying isolated hamlets.
to the nature of their disease, and the
Walloon patients are kept in two sepa-
rate hamlets (Gheel is a purely Flemish
place, but most people understand
French), so as to be companions to one
another. l
The 11,000 inhabitants are, so to
speak, all engaged in the surveillance of
the patients, which makes about nine
overseers for every patient. +, The sur
veillance, not being perceived by the
patients, of course does not irritate
them. The commune earns directly
more than 500,000f. annually through
the keeping of the lunatics, and indi-
rectly also great deal through the
cheap work of all kinds which the pa
tients perform for the inhabitants. 1t is
the personal interest of the inhabitants
to do their duty well by the patients, as
they are intrusted only to people whose
moral fitness and means of existence are
approved. In fact, family at Gheel is
not considered respectable if lunatics
are not intrusted to it, and the with
drawal of them from its care constitutes
a heavy punishment. The children of
the inhabitants, living from their earliest
childhood with lunatics, become at
tached to them, do not find anything
ridiculous in them, learn how they are
to be treated, exercise through their
company 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 authori-
ties as q favor and sort of dowry the
care of patient.
On their arrival at Gheel the lunatics
are kept at the central asylum for OBJ
servation as long as the director deems
necessary. In case of acute disease they
are brought back there. 1t also serves
as the house of correction, the privation
of liberty being felt severe punishment
by the patients. In cases of great de-
bility they are also brought there. Many
lunatics, when feeling the approach of a
paroxysm, demand themselves to be
sent to the asylum. When cure has
been effected the caretaker receives as q
reward another patient, and if many
cures occur at his house he is rewarded
with the care of wealthy patient. The
number of cures averages from sixty
five to seventy-five out of the hundred.
| pat;anta with YadicaIIu inoyooroI oy b;ob