The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-01-23

poor raving man or woman who grows but
the more violent under the sound of angry
words and the touch of brutal hands. No
keeper now is allowed to abuse patient;
he may restrain him from harm, but he dare
not neglect him nor his proper desires.
With this much for a starting point an ex-
pertinent was made at the female insane
asylum, Blackwelrs island, last week that is
of the greatest interest to the medical frater-
nifty and to phIlsnthropists. Confined in
this asylum there are 1 400 female patients
OF every type of insanity, and it was deter
mined to try the effect of music upon the
poor creatures There had been no prepara-
tons. A piano, such as is found in every
asylum, was the only instrument, and when
the patients were brought into the room
they saw nothing strange or new. But the
idea of hearing music started them like
children to the place. They comprehend
ed vaguely that they were to be pleased.
Some of them ran eagerly. others with
mechanical precision but all went without
force or compulsion. The faces uDlifted to
listen for the first chords were strange pict-
ures, many of them stamped by the blacken-
ing dye of guilt and crime, others Swallowed
by the dreadful curse of hereditary insanity.
The shame and degradation of dissoluteness
and abuse running others saddened and
panied those who looked at these women
But there were some whose features were
delicate and refined, and whose faces were
still beautiful, despite the vacant eyes and
the unmeaning murmur of the lips. One of
these women, one of those gathered from the
poverty stricken homes of New York, is thus
described:
"She was girl of IS or 20. She sat on one
of the wooden benches, her arms hidden
under the thin, faded shawl that she held
tightly around her. 1t was one of those
peasant faces that are often seen in Ireland
or Norway A gaunt beauty. defying its
high cheek bones and heavy jaw. A face
that could only be the result of great drudg-
cry and ignorance. The gray eyes, in which
there was pale light, were Swallowed by
square brow. The checks were mantled
with vital color that no cerebral disorder
could quite extinguisb, but there were in
| 'aamed stresks about her deep set eyes, as if
she had dug her fste into them vcously
'on her cheek, as if some fellow invalid had
Struck her in self-defense; and the uDkempt
hair that had once been luxurious looked as
'if it had been pulled at aud thinned. and it
stuck out in short, bristling punches aggres-
'sively. Added to this there was a mingled
feline ferocity aud stealth in her demeanor
as she seemed to crouch there, and looked
4 Z
death at everybody around her. DIR. Wilson
spoke to her kindly. She turned her head
away mechanically, and crafty smile dis
torted her mouth. lie laid his hand upon
her black hair. and she seemed to flatten
her head as a serpent will, and tried to draw
herself into the folds of her shawl. They
got her up close to the piano, sat her down
in a chair very near the player, and she
'crouched and peered about like suspicious
animal. Hundreds of blank faces were
'peering at her without curiosity. but with a
dull GUNNER of satisfaction at any kind OF
a show that varied the monotony OF their
lives"
She seemed one of the most unpromising
subjects but when the gentleman at the pi
ano began to play the aspect was changed.
He ran gently through a nOcturne of Cho
pins, and the hard lines of her face softened
as the lights and shadows of the tone picture
changed. The unrest died away from her
countenance and toe look of peace settled
down in its stead. When the music ceased
she seemed trying to remember something,
her brows knitting as if in deep study.
When q waltz was played, she laughed.
moved her feet in time, and her whole APP
pearance, instead eff being that of lunatic,
was rather that OF woman about to whirl
through the measures of ths ball. A German
woman was noticed creeping up close to the
piano. as if drawn irreSistibly from her
place. The lines of misery were deep upon
her plain, comedy face, but they vanished at
the bidding of the music, and she seemed
very happy. Almost impercspubly the
melody was changed TO "Home. Sweet
Home" and it was played In the gentlest,
tenderest manner. For an instant there
was perfect silence; then it was broken as
this poor German woman. bursting into
tears, dropped upon her knees. She lifted
her thin hands, her lips moved, her voice
was soft and pleading, and, as If her heart
had sprung into new life, she repeated the
Lords prayer, the first Ineligible words
she had said for months. There was not
dry eye in all the group of visitors, and the
patients were awed and quiet One CT two
wept unrestrAincdly. The notes OF the
sweet song penetrated the terrible
seal that shut out their reason, and
memory crept back to her place and the old
familiar words to their lips. The rudest ma
ture was affected, and the refined were
| deanlu moved hu the nelnlies that once