The Weston Democrat. [volume] (Weston, W. Va.) 1875-current, 1876-09-18

Nv PatticuAt pnAseb OF which tney were
bound, chained and whipped, TO pre-.
vent paro1ysms Of violence. At some
OF the asylums, patients we're leli unsus.
pechngly across Q. treacherous floor,
which gave way, and the patients fell
into "bath Of surprise, and were
there half drowned and half frightened
to death. The celebrated DR.. Cullen
said, the first principle in the treatment
OF lunatics was TO produce fear; and the
best means Of producing fear Tas by
punishment; and the best mode OF pun
ishment was by stripes.
Some Of the German physicians want
ed machinery by which q patient, arriv-
ing at the asylum, should be suddenly
drawn with fearful clangor across q
metal bridge and over moat, then sud-
denly raised to the top OF a tower, and
as suddenly lowered into subterranean
cavern; and they also promulgated the
view that II the patient could 10 made
to alight among snakes, lizards and
other hideous reptiles, it would be SO
much the better t
1n some places the .patientwas chain
cd fast to tho wall, aud water was ad-,
mitted to tho cell, slowly. rising about
tho poor creature until it seemed certain
that ho wOnld bo drowhed. Another de-
vice, which was known rs a "safo md
efectual remedy" and about which
there was some dispute as to who was.
entitled to the credit Of being tho ,inyen-
tor. was 4 .contrivance which might bo
clIlcd q cross between q chair mud
couch, in which n maniac or, o melan-
chulic was bound fast; it was then 70.
tatcd Mt various speeds up to one hun
dred times in minute, until the poor.
wretch, faintingi with bloodshot. eyes
and suffusCd face, was dragged from
this torture to recover as. best he could.
1t was recommended that, in. special
cases, it slould be used in tho dark,
with unusual noises and disgusting
smells. '..'.i@'i'a .'.G f.t
5aAb Bethlem; tho committee found gal
leIies containing ten women, each
chained by arm or log to the wall. Each
bad o blanket dress, but nothing to
iasten it upon tho body-no shoes nor
stockings, aud oil were lost in imbecility,
dirt and offtnsiveness. s Many women
wore locked in their cells, chained TO
tho wall, without clothing, and with
only one blanket for covering. In the
mons wing, soIae patients were' chained
up to tho wall, sido by side, without
clothing OF any kind" tho room had
tho appearance oil, dog KENNEL,
In ono room they found patient who
has been described By Esquirol in his
work on mental diseases. This man,
Norris, was powerful, and had been,
violent. He was fastened by long
chain pass Ell through the wall into the
keepers room, so that he could be sud-
:, deuly dragged up to the wall whenever
" the keepers fancy lei him 10 do so.
To prevent this, poor Norris mdilied the
chain with straw. 1hcn new torture
was invented. "a stout ring wa friv-
eted around his neck, from which q
short chain passed to a,rirg made to
slide up or down on au upright massive
iron bar, more than six feet high, in:
serted into tho wall. Round his body,
strong iron bar, about two inches
wide, was riyeted; on each sido OF the
bar was q circular projection, which
being fastened to and >inclosing each of
his arms, pinioucd them close to his
sides. Tho patient could indeed raise
himself up, but he could not stir nor
walk ono step, and could not lie down
except upou his back, and when found,
he had been in this condition for twelve
years, And this state Of things existed
in England thirty years after Pinei's re-
form ID France rE7- h....rs-t n.
up TO this time, tho, ,asylums in Eng
lanl have been described as menageries
for wild beasts, where straw was raked
out, aud food thrown IN through the
bars; and where, III some cases at least,
tho wretched inmates were exhibited for
money. There was no ventilation, no
medical treatment, no Kindness, no
effort to relieve or beguile the disorder.
cd Imagination, no effort to foster q sin
gle kindly expression; every emotion
and passion was witnessed by dozen
or moro patients in all conditions Of
mental perturbation, and even the death
noun was mingled with the frantic
laugh OF surviving patients. z4 do
The frightful condition OF these poor
unfortunates is to he aseribcd in part 10
the fact that insane people werO be.
lieyed TO be, under the displcasure Of
tic Almighty-that the disorder being
mental was therefore properly a subject
for priests and 'metdphysicians to cope
with. The priests and magi, not kun,
ceGding well in their undertakings,
gradually allowed them to pass over to
tho metaphysicians, who, while ably
discussing tho essentials necessary tO