The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-12-26
SCENES IN A MADHOUSE.

SCENES IN 4 MADHOUSE.
a Talk with Billionaire-A Greetfn.: from
the King of Irelnnd-A Young Man Who
Thinks lie Can Put Suspension Bridge
Across the Atlantic-The Violent Ma
MACS.
Here you will see the people who
own the world and everything in it.
This Is what DR.. Troutman, OF Wards
Island, told me as he led me to the first
ward of the insane asylum one Wednes-
day not long ago. In. Troutman the
assistant superintendent there, and he
was very polite to me. The Doctor put
4 polished brass key into the bic oaken
door, and. admitting me into a long
corridor with floor scrubbed until it
shone like wax, quietly locked the door
again and dropped the key into his
pocket Groups of men, nearly all
dressed alike in grayish clothes, were
walking about aimlessly. Some were
talking to their fingers in an animated
fashion: others were having an earnest
debate with the blank wall; two were
talking to each other simultaneously.
but what in the world they said
couldn't make out. An orderly
IN blue uniform walked about
among them. Two keys dangled below
his waistcOat. They were fastened to a
stout cord tied around his waist. This
was done to prevent the patients from
taking the keys from the orderly to use
As weapons. What particularly struck
me as | surveyed the strange scene was
that nearly all the lunatics had high
foreheads. 1t forcibly impressed me
with the truth of the saving of certain
anonymous modern philosopher. that it
requires the possession of brains to be-
come lunatic.
These men," the Doctor said to me.
care the paralytics. There is no hope
for them. Their disease is fatal. 1t is
general paralysis. Here you see, for
example, one of our billionaires"
The Doctor stopped to shake hands
with a little man with q thoughtful
look
yes, yes" he cried, in an animated
tone, I'm worth Just one hundred
thousand millions of dollars, and the
fortune is increasing day after day."
:" You see, remarked the Doctor, in
a kindly tone, "our friend here is labor
ing under one singular disadvantage
He possesses all this vast wealth. and
yet power holds him back so that he
can't get at it. But he is perfectly hap
ply in the consciousness that it is in
creasing steadily. Every yacht that
passes here he will tell You is his, and
all the vast shipping of the ocean is
operated in his interest
The lunatic gazed at the Doctor with
a look of real gratitude, and shook
hands heartily with me as we passed
on, stopping now and then to note other
interesting examples Of mental halluci-
nation.
"How old are you to-day, my friend?"
the Doctor asked one patient with a
strikingly prominent forehead,
Now, it's difficult to estimate that, :"
said the patient with a smile. MY
methods are different from the ordinary
worlds. have been here long, very
long. | find by careful computation
that | am three times the circumference
of the world DID,
"But | am the Spirit of Cod" cried
another, running up lest we should
miss him. Don't forget that, please.
All the women of the world are my
wives. | am going to have more, too.
have lived thousands of years as a
spirit. | can see you all, but you can't
see me. have wings and flv through
the air seeking to better the condition
of mortals. Yes, yes, we're having g
beautiful day, a beautiful day. but not
half so beautiful as the Spirit of the
Good. wish you farewell" and he
ran off.
A brooding lunatic caught me by the
hand as We passed further on by the
neat and airy rooms. "How do vol
do? how do you do?" he cried heartily
You are my old friend. You see an
King of Prussia now and you are al
my subjects. "
who else are you to-day?' inquired
the Doctor, patting the patient on the
back encouragingly.
"Ah! yes, the King of Ireland, too. 3
"And something elsc?n
1.-The Rock of Truth
"NOw, what else are you to-day"
The lunatic appeared annoyed. HI
frowned and exclaimed: 1.-The King o
Prussia, King of Ireland, and the ROcl
of Truth; for PHYS sake, amt tina
enough for one day?'
We went to the opposite end of tn
ward, and the Doctor turned and bid
the patients all good day, and they re-
turned his salute courteously, all smil-
ing and full of glee. Then he opened
the door, and locked it behind him
carefully and quickly.
They will all be that way until they
die, he said, as we were ascending the
stone steps leading to another ward
1T is the happiest form of the disease
They gradually lose all control OF them
selves, so far as the power to talk anC
walk and think is concerned. Their
they die Life goes out like flicker
ing candle. The next ward will show
YOU types of what are known as chronic
cases. They, too, have Authorizations.
We went through the ward as before
One of the most interesting patients
was young man whose brain had go
tangled up hopelessly about the Brook
lyn Bridge. He consumes an amazing
quantity of foolscap paper and Leaf
pencil daily figuring out his plans fol
bridging the Atlantic by suspension
bridge. He will sit down and demon
strate its possibility by figures when
ever visitor will listen.
Another patient was an elderly man
who had once been a professor in Col
umbia College. Since he has been il