The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-01-21
WILL MUSIC CURE MADNESS?
REMARK fBrE EXPERIMENTS M MACK
WELL'S ISLAND ASYLUM
Exploding Error. that have Come Down r-@vu
AN Age or super -tttion Strange Variations
OF the Pulse, aud yet Outward Apathy


OF the Pulse, and yet Outward Apathy.
Experimental ~ an interesting character
were continued in the Blackwclls Island Asylum
for the Insane on Friday last. The party consst-
cd " Dr. Wm.N Strcw Medical Superintendent
Dr. NJ. A. Wilson: J. N. pattison. the pianist;
DR.. J. Fitzgerald OConor twho has given con
siderable attention to the pathology and trent
mcnt of insanity. and n reporter for THE Sun.
The Mcssrs. stcinwny had sent up 20 the island
one of their grand pianos to be used on tho
OCCASION and the conditions were in other re-
spr,ts more favorable than at the previous visit.
The object Of the experiments il primarily to
determine II music has any therapeutic infiu-
cncc upon the insane. This larger question
includes the smaller one OF whether II has
any crcct whatever thnt is not observable in the
sane. and If SO. what that influence is. through
what media il works and what are its physio-
logical. psychical and physiognomcal indica-
tions.
The gentlemen engaged in making the oh
scrvations are. MS far rs the reporter could
Judge. actuated by worthy scientific spirit.
and their inquiries are cautiously made. their
conclusions Ardily arrived ut. only after re-
pcatrd vcrifcations aud their statements made
in the guarded and careful manner OF men
whose experience teaches them that the occult
truths OF science are not to be formulated by the
fancy.
II is necessary 20 make this preliminary oh
scrvation. because the press. which travels at a
rate Oi speed. even on the stormy path OF science
that puts truth herself out Of breath. has
already Jumped TO conclusions with regard To
these experiments that the invcstgai. lions IN no
wise warrant
MANY oi the popular errors in regard to the
insane, which have come down To ~ from an
n.r of suprrstition and cruelty. are thus re-
lnctcd by the Intelligent press. and II the cN-
| OH 10 ulscrNuti Obs now making viii nut serve
| TO nnghten the public upon subject with
| which IL is lamentlbly ignurant th" investl-
| gators will have no caus" to complain. even II
they do not at all advance the cause Of science.
The statement that melody cures madness"
| Is tersc expression of the common mistake
that madness II a spein, form OF dis"ase-of
| one drterminahlc type and that its symptom Is
| violence. To say that music even pulliatcs
| madness. is 10 suv that the fourteen hundred
! patients in the asylum ut Randal's Island. who
| range through every tOncclNabi" shade ol tenn
permanent. congenital predispositon. and re-
| suitnt disease. and some OF whom, never
| were susceptible to any concordance OF sweet
| sounds; whose faculties. nssoriationS acquire
meni-. and -is capabilities mental and merry Gus.
| ur' rs Wldcly ulNrIG'hl ~ llVS' 81 uI( 'in'i
| fourteen hundred persons nAt may u' rak'd ny
| from all nations and conditions hy ia" NUM-
| cirgl harrow that TINS li"t"ros"ncuu. mob has
reached COMMON level 81 suS 'rlilulliv ~ hr-
| coming mad: that. IN ia't. madn' - har mad"
| them all alike. ana music PROV u hy affecting
! thrm simultaneously and similarly.
| II seriously inuair- the Nsiu" OF the expert
| mcnts To allow any such abr urt conclusions us
! these {, 70 uneontrAdi tod. The reporter Tor
! THE SuN fudnd iNc doctors prompt 90 deny That
| they had reached any surn iau rring results.
| Inter- II liz gs the oi~'rN"ii'n- lud hr"n. they
! rt+t-'~t'A lsttl''7''tiit' t'Nt'ftNF i''ti'
than pHtholo~i' .Hcf~. Mnsir WIS iouni 10 al,
| irft the various types oi dcm"uua. mania. and
m IAN h.'ia itn results rs diN rs as ""@. .i-
served p group 9l san persons wh'S' t.in-
! Nranrii's az " u y dl' +. hl io.'. Nnr WIS
| tn" rmuiID ln. Meet In any way Diet riniurt ny
| tn, morld conditions. hut WINS iu nearly AN
'H- rrtl'uil' upon to- ur-na. Wiiun. IN"
! fii'at sl'W 81 ar. i"r. ass Tons ana IN
, state ot 49, .utal anu moral D sUopmrnt.
A. tne nist 'Nuer.m no ilrr' woli-d"hnod
Our. of m,'.'n Aona ~ 49, i""'cd ~ tnr pAilu
IU.i NJ IuIed ,irs. ut,onNi ard char,ct,r-,ie
ANS. r,le,lp- ~' u--. AMI -l0s-l al conn us'-
! tons. amt ,ln only lAt rest awakened "a lhc
! f.tIt4.'~ was flVt run-cd iy something unusual
b, ~ 20. li.N betrayed ur efn0 ton whh. Net.
4 Nnt.t IS 4rTiu'tit shnrt Mis- tuuchtu. And u
/ Wa u..Il0 -;iy absurd To lnnk for results IN
! ut-lrili.fI Ia WIFI 10 apparently never "a tAtlr
nornlAl cond t.un had responded 20 music.
Bus th'fr was ootr t'd 10 o. ~ ca-"s hrtange
under .,,-icra, i MUST. Twelve mi nlie.n
boats. II war very dlili 'uit 10 d'trru ne nicely
| tur stimulating cause ia tins rtutrif tNrlts.lnu.
which ula.ir NO visible maAlfl tat IN q tn sur
| ia''. and II t-''tfue an in' .-'iy 'hterts''n me-
question wh,iurr thes,' alAsi .,t to- wretch rad
lnl..r ln their vial ntt a Mraf may uc called
-t.,, IN ri. ,liiu m SPA ~. without th,nr con
oN.u $50 or .ouiguL
-. fi.uaN Inst --' p cases Wore subjected 20
! @.r sal mrtoiir. rhythmic AMI dynamic t'sie.
TING mhrNti cuuru rot tnvir bEs:
NJ. An lrI-uWutnan. nN"ut 2l. r'n~, fed no
"Hsr of NDut' mania. p'tk wlty l.lr ami
l"rb 'y's. nr cwhN"t',l. Brought IN IN
rirft JACKET. lHf'Alrn SUI u.
NO. An ~ EitI 3 llEit IuNNS i4''. ana
| gray eyer. agc ~. MIA mrlNhrhrlih hu, u-t
/ Organization. fnN-i'nl cuuNitlnn good Va n
| tui drsrlnpu INT iOw. Actions chaTa oterll'd by
a - 'afnh feline crouch and lcer.
40. . Case % n, AN u Ola. pass lng INTO de-
m,uta.
n. i-tGsc 81 recurrrnt mania, marked 10y
! extreme dpIrclon And -t"tldity.
80. o. Acute mama. Viii 'NultAtiOn. n Nor
wcrDtn gIrl "a the low At class.
~. t-,hr"nlf dem niia; German woman,
| Will strong rrliEi' us bias. liHd been educated
tor 90 fNr nflal llir.
40. Deep monnchola. An American
woman Who's susceptibility 20 impressions 10y
tn -sn-t s.''.I, iu nay" boon -reatiy imluircd.
I lit 'f-rs ai"N" numbered /. 3. ,; ana Z, " e.
entirely uN l"frd 81 the music. IHr ludlE r
rnr with whl ID they r'gnrir't thr whole per
iurHiifc Was uniulsiuk"hlr. NJ martini,
mats. mai. rDli ginliS. ~ iuu site SOFA. awak
in tnem tN" lrrsi visible interest or chang 4
tlr yt.uuu~ q HJectlon of expression Oh tAe4r
/ cuuutrNAnrc~.
Bui ta' IN varied almost Immediately un-
drrtnc nilurn'". IL two of tAc women III ana
. tnf force ana rhythm ~ the SOUNDS hplfar- 4
To- ailrrt tn' CIR 'ulat.un. In ana Z II VS. TIE
| movement or rhythm alone. Nhu" br - tnn"t
WAS holding and tuning Ia" pul-eo of on" 81 c-'
IT. -. the music Wu- Hitli' nly changed from
the y ut" ani pianirs mo strains 81 Home
sweet Home to the claNiurpu- beat oi a polka
| Ihc woman = eyes wandered lisilessiy about iit
pluc'. There was not the slightest shadow o
AN emotion detected IN her face. II wore the
tffIf sIfft