The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-09-11
i'm The LUNATlC AsYLUMs.


tries, for upward oftwo thousand years,
hive been treated barbarously. Harm.
less lunatics were permitted to wander
about the country, the sport and butt Of
men and boys. II they became at all
troublesome. they were tied UP aud
whipped "out Of their Madness" and
were then tlirowii into loathsome dun.
geons, secluded anbneglected. Indeed,
it has been nsaid by q writer who made
the subject his lifelong study (Conolly),
that there was not town or village 10
oil the iairest countries Of Europe in
which such en0rmities were unknown.
The earlier institutions prepared for the
care Of insane were gloomy prisons Of
tho worst description. In France, we
are told that attendants were selected
from the notorious criminals and male
factors, and 10 the tender mcrcies Of
these unhung wretches wero committed
the sick and infirm insane. These nt-
teudants, nearly always armed with
heavy. whips, and sometimes accom-
panied by savage dogs, bad unlimited
sway over tho poor creatures committed
to their care. They were free to impose
Whatever punishment they chose, andla as
q consequence chains, nanacles, stripes,
uncleanness, starvation, and even the
garotte were characteristic OF these cs-
tablishmOnts in Europe.
An elaborate report upon the condi-
ton OF the insane in France was pub
lished some years ago, inwhicll there is
a history Of the condition OF the insane
prior to tho timo OF Pinel. 1t would
appear from this and otLer. reports that
some OF the insane in the large hospitals
Bicetre aud Saltpetriero wero confined
in cells attached to high terraces or else
below the surrounding earth, both being
damp and unwholesomo. These cells
were six feet square; air and light were
admitted only by the door, aud food was
introduced through small wicket. The
only furniture was q narrow plank fast
ened into the wall aud sometimes cov-
cred with straw. At the Saitpetriere
many of the cells were below the drains,
and lGrge rats madetheir way into them,
aud often attacked and severely injured
tho insane, and sometimes were the 90.
r4lsion Of their death. r,r;- s.--
DR.. pariset describes tho condition OF
tho insane in the Bicetre as even worse.
He found tho vicious, the criminal, the
wild and noisy, all mingled together and
treated alike. Ho describes them As
wretched beings, covered with dirt, kept
In cold, damp, narrow cells, with scarce
ly d ray Of light to cheer them, and with
neither table, chair nor bench to sit
upon. The patients were loaded with
chains, mud wtrc llefenselcss against the
brutality OF their keepers. The build
ing rcs0uuled day and night with cries
and yells aud the clanking OF chains and
letters No efforts were made to enter-
tain or amuse them-no authority over
looked this dreadful place. There were
no flowers, no trees, not even q blade Of
grass, that could be seen; tho unfortu-
mites were as in tomb.
f. Such was tho condition Of tho insane
in France, when Pinel, moved BY the
unhappy state III which he found human
Iheiugs, began q reform which will rem
der his name immortal. Having first
obtained consent OF the government, he
entered upon his errand OF mercy. His
first act is described as follows: There
were about fifty whom he considered
might without danger be unclaimed, and
hs began by releasing them, with the
sole precaution of, having previously
prepared the same number OF waistcoata
with long sleeves, that could be tied be-
hind il nece sary. The first man on
whom tho experiment was to be tried
was IN English captain, whose history
no one knew, as he had been in chains
forty years. He was thought to be one
OF the most furious among them. Ills
keepers approached him with caution, as
he had in fit Of frenzy killed one oi
them with blow Of his manaclcs
He was chained moro vigorously than
any Of tho others. Pinel entered his
cell unattended, aad calmly said TO him.
"Captain, will order your chains to
be taken Of and give you liberty to walk
in tie cpurt il you will promise me &c
buhaYe we'll and ininro no one" Yes
I promise" said tho maniac; "but you
arc laughing at me-" al have siS
men," answered Pinel, "rcady to en-
force my commands il necessary. De
! lieve me, then, on my word; I will give
you your liberty il you will put on this
WaistcOat." -rs.r-.iL t-I
He submitted to this willingly with
out word. His chains were removed,
and his keepers retired, leaving the dooi
Of tho cell open. Hs raised himself
many times from his seat, but fell again
upon it, for lie had been in sitting os
tnre SO long that he had lost the use ol
his limbs. In a quarter Of an hour, he
succeeded in maintaining his bAIaucer
and with totteriug steps came to the
door Of his dark cell. His first look waf
at the sky, and he cried out enthusiastic
ally: "How beautitulHT During the
rest OF tho day Ii was constantly in mo-
tiop, walking up aud down and utterine
short ordinations OF delight. In tht
evening, he returned Of his own accord
10 his coll. where a better bed had beer
prepared for him. During the two sue
ceeding years that he spent at the Bi
cctre, he had no return OF his previous
paroxyems, and even rendered himself
Useful by exercising n kind OF authority
over the insane patients, whom he ruled
n his own fashion.
{ But this magnificent reform was SLOW
in nakipgits why. Nearly forty years
after Pinel begun his work III the Bice
ttc, tho asylums in other parts Of Franct
still continued their brutal and inhumal
treatment. Esquirol, who succeeded
Pinel, visited nearly every asylum il
France, and labored indefatigably t
better tho condition OF the inmates.
Writing iu 1918, he says that h