The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-26


dogs in the manger, and keeping him
from his freedom.
A one-legged patient seemed over
ioyed when he caught sight of me. He
bowed low. held out his hand, and
cried: "Ha! welcome TO our home. .
The next instant the man was hopping
up and down the corridor in his one
rubber boot, frantically waving a pair
of crutches He seemed in delirium
| of delight, but it was not over pleasant
to watch his antics. The Doctor waited
( until he had locked the door behind him
and we were once more upon the stair
way, and then said:
THAT man is shOd with rubber be-
cause he has an unpleasant habit Of
kicking people. He Killed his fathrr-in
law in a fit Of frenzy and has been here
ever since"
As we continued our journey each
succeeding ease presented features Of
| more and more violent mania. 1t was
| getting decidedly uncomfortable and il
| needed the Doctors cool, unconcerned
demeanor and sIe presence of orderlies
to keep the spirits from sinking. The
lunatics crowded around me with All
eagerness and interest that was abso-
lutely oppressive in its strain upon my
nerves. | shall never forget the terri
| BILE glare of their restless, glittering
eyes. One man fastened his eyes upon
me the moment | entered and never
took them off while | remained in the
| ward. He followed me everywhere,
and | could feel his eyes. almost, even
when my back was turned to him Be
FORGIVE left this ward the Doctor wen
into workshop in an alcove of the cor
ridor and displayed rugs, mats and
brooms. The workmanship was very
| good, indeed.
| 1.-The iunatics make all these them
selves - said he. 1t gives them relief
to have occupation. The rugs are
made from bits of their own old clothes
They use knives to cut the brooms with
We allow them knives to work with"
| breathed easier when the doc, wa,
locked on the lunatics.
! BY the time we hail been through
seven or eight wards had seen all Of
the insanity | wanted to see. The re.
membrance OF ii will last for years. !
| begged to be excused from further
| sightseeing,
You have not seen the really VIC.
lent eases, said the Doctor quietly
LIN one of the upper wards we have tc
90 along the wall sideways and keep
our eyes upon the lunatics, lest they
should steal up behind us unawares and
strike us. 1t is a life of constant
watchfulness on our part. The patient,
! sometimes secrete the spoons they are
| given to eat with. Then they grind the
handle down to a fine edge when they
! get into the cells. A spoon becomes a
very ugly dagger after this operation.
We can never tell when a patient viii
be seized with u homicdal mania.
Three physicians were killed here with
in year. The physicians never carry
arms. We all carry whistles and blow
| them when attacked. The ordcriies
come to our aid ut the alarm. No one
is ever allowed to use violence toward
| the patients. Some months ago pa.
tent seized my hand with his teath and
tried to bite it off. only saved myself
from severe injury by pressing his head
back and holding my hand against his
teeth until the orderly came to my as
sistancC."
When had got back once more to
the office the Doctor said:
1--WE are receiving more and more
patients here every week, As civiliza-
ton advances it is found that insanity
increases. Some of the queerest things
| the mind of man ever could conceive OF
| get into the twisted brains OF these I'M
happy people. They are truly to be
pitied."
! | looked out at that moment upon thu
rather pleasing prospect that forms :
picture which the lunaticS may watcl
from the corridor windows. Twenty o.
thirty men We're busy with picks
shovels and wheelbarrows laying 4 new
pathway along the green sward.
1--WE let them work rs you see, con
tinued the Doctor. These men are al
inmates, but they are the queter pa
TENTS
Afterward | saw the types | had lief
behind all duplicated in the Emigran
Asylum on another part of the Island
In one part female lunatics were con
fined. To get to the asylum | had t.
pass the lunatics at work on the walk
made the journey in time which | fel
would do credit to professional pedes
trienne. I didn't stop to view thu
scenery.
You were foolish to be frightened,
said Nh Peck, the Superintendent
''By exhibiting fear or uncasincss yo
give a lunatic an immense advantag
over you. If you look them straight i
the eye and show by your bearing tina
you mean to have no nonsense, you ca
control them. They are really yer
cowardly,'
Yes" said another official, ''in n
outbreak of masscd men | would rattle
face the lunatics here than the men owe
there at the Penitentiary. The lunatic
lack concentration of purpose, If on
becomes violent and attacks a keeper,
is a hundred to one that the others Wi
fall to and help the keeper While tn
keeper was talking / heard that quiet
inoffensive, melancholic patient ha
nearly cut his head off with an oil
razor he found in heap of rags in
\ CtIldl. L W dlICtl lOl IiD IllblCs bNlJ Httti
, ed for the Commissioners boat. tn
last view of lunacy got was the spec
tacle of grinning man, who shoute
gOod-by to me over the wide eXpans
of huge necktie, on which he ha
fastened the brass cover of n squaI
inkstand which had an agate set i'll il
center.
AS | got in the elevated cars, home
! ward bound, two white-haired sage
, with very intellectual faces sat dow
opposite me. and by singular coinc
, dence began to discuss the propositio
that the white human race is con
posed simply of the victims of halll
cination.
q Why" said one to the other ''thel
+ are philosophers who assert that poop
( who think they live are deluded. II
+ idea that there is any such thing as Ii
is simply wild flight of the imagin
o ton. ="
Yes" remarked Mr. Diogene
when he joined me at supper and tol
him what the man said, THAT philos
,,lo,. 4, ,,,,,.o -, los, oorroot W. oro =,