The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1878-03-28
MANIACS AND MUSIC.
NOVEL EFFECTS of SWEET SOUNDS.

MANIACS AND MUSIC.
NOVEL EFFECTS OF SWEET SOUNDS.
From the New York Star.
The third Of a series OF highly inter
esting experiments was tried q few
days ago, upon the lunatics on Black
wells and Wards Islands. The discov-
cry was made by Pouza, of Turin, that
he could influence the most refractory
cases of lunacy by violet light. It has,
however, been reserved to America to
be demonstrated that the raTing mani
&C can be effected by music.
Mr.. J. n. Pattison, the celebrated pi-
anist, accompanied by DR.. M. A. Will
son and Commissioner Thomas Bren-
nan, paid a visit to the Lunatic Asy-
lums on Wards and BlackWell's Is
lands, and made series Of expert
ments which were Of character both
to astonish and instruct those in charge
Of the insane.
At BlackWell's Island the doctor pro-
duced, for the purpose OF experiment,
the very worst cases of acute mania in
the establishment. The first woman
subjected to the experiment was a
sharp-featured little individual who
perpetuallv mutteTed between her clos
ed teeth. Pattison began playing the
introduction to the LichnoWslky Sonata
of Beethoven. The effect was imme-
diately perceptible. The woman, who
had previously been Kept in q "strait-
jacket" smiled, and began to talk in
the key in which the musician was
playing. A reporter Of the Star, who
was present. seeing the influence pro-
duced, asked the performer ID change
the key The result was that the tone
Of the maniac fell into the dominant
key in which the performer was play
ing.
Not satisfied with these first results,
and doubtful whether it might not be
by chance that this curious effect was
produced upon the patient, the neWspa
per man asked the performer to play
"Handel's Fugue" in E minor. The
woman talked in the key in which he
was playing, although she seemed per-
fectly insensible to any other influence.
The key was changed six OF seven
times with the same uniform result.
What is perhaps more extraordinary
than the foregoing is that the pulsa-
ton of cataleptoid patients was infiu
enced, in marked degree, by the var
led strains of the player. A pulse Of
1870 was reduced within two minutes to
"a. A temperature Of 90 was lowered
in three minutes to72. A raving wom
an, notorious as fighter OF her nurses,
was completely subdued, and sat cry
ing while the strains Of Home, Sweet
Home" were played for her.
Another dangerous ldnatic a Ger
man woman, was appealed to in the
strains Of Kuchen's W01t22 die ScbG2Ol-
ben heim2oo2J ziehG7a." She immedi-
ately began to cry.
The "W0cht am RBeio'' was next
played for her, upon which she became
perfectly furious, danced, gesticulated,
swore, and used the most violent Ian
guage. Perhaps the most extraOrdina-
~ experiment of all was that tried up
on a cata'eptoid patient, who had lost
the power of locomotion. He was
placed in the middle Of the floor, was
unable to walk, and was propelled rath- |
er rudely by one Of the nurses. The
strains Of the celebrated "Es Zoge11 !
dre5 BaGrsche9 20oM Uber den Rhei11.
reached his ear, and he Immediately
began to dance to it's time. He was re- !
strained by the doctor and his assist
ants, and the air WAS changed to the
"Wanderer." The effect was magical.
He became Immediately quiet and
tractable, and behaved like the most
rational man in the place.
A woman, who was listening to the
'Wanderer,'' got up and exclaimed:
Glow beautiful, my God, how beauti-
fulv' sat down and relapSed into her
previous state of apathy.
These are among the first expert |
ments that have been made upon the
insane by music. 1t is due to MI. }.
N. Pattison, the celebrated pianist, that
they have been inaugurated. Every I
possible aid has been rendered him by
Commissioner Thomas Brennan. ltE
is not too much to say that the heart /
of the latter gentleman is really IN the
work. He said to the writer: "lf 1t
was only possible to substitute music
for the 'strait-jacket,' and for every
kind of restraint, should be the hap
piest man in the world. The sight OF
SO much misery as ] have to see every
day almost breaks ny heart, and / am
oEly too glad to have an opportunity OF
irving whether it is not possible, In
some way or other, to mitigate these
fearful sufferings of humanity without
a resort to the force which we have
been hitherto obliged to use. Ii we
can do so, we shall be benefactorS to !
our kind, and we shall be amply repaid /
for any trouble that our Investigations |
hovn oivnn i1S !"