The Benton weekly record. [volume] (Benton, Mont.) 1880-1885, 1883-11-03
EGYPTIAN HORRORS.
Visit to a Madhouse Where the Exist.
ence of Cholera was Suspected.

Is ence Of Cholera was Suspected.
y The following frightful description of
/ visit to an Egyptian madhouse is tax,
e from letter by the Cairo corresponds
II of the Egyptian Gazette:
n Grave suspicious were entertained I
It many that the Government Lunatic AS
lum, at Abbasseeyeh, was hotbed
q cholera, and that the existence of the di
ease within its walls was being conceale,
NO difficulty was made about nv bein
: admitted to the place. We were ushere
through deep, dismal arehWay into tb
recreation ground of the asylum, whe,
the mad people were wandering about i
solitary, purposeless way. Turning t
the left beneath an arcade we entered
dark doorway, just as the last of herd G
idlots had been driven in before us. w
TOOK tenor fifteen strides along sombr
passage, and on reaching the wall made
quartet turn to the right and stood facin.
long, lofty corridor, lighted only by
few small windows near the ceiling. Sc
cured by iron bars. All along this corri
dor, at the base of the wall on the left hanf
side, the lunatics sat spuatted on tbei,
haunches in long and almost intermina
Die row. TO all appearance they were
quiet, inoffensiVe, miserable looking 10,
OF creatures, literally clothed in sackcloth
| Their only garment consisted of sack
cloth shirt, descending to their knees, with
an aperture through which to pass the
mead, and sleeves falling half way to the
elbows. They had not particle of linen
ABOUT them. On our right were the he'd
rooms; lofty, spacious, sombre apart-
ments, entered through low doorwavs.
ihe bedsteads were similar to those in use
In the native hospitals and barracks-iron
frames and planks. The bedding and bed
clothes were filthy in the extreme. and
swarming with vermin. Each room was
crowded with beds, placed about an arms
length from each other. The stencil was
intolerable, both in the apartments and in
the corridors. No regard was even paid
to the most elementary notions of cleanli-
ness.
AN INSTRUMENT OF TORTURE.
AT length we reached what can only
describe as the chamber of horrors-the
apartment in which refractory patients
were mastered and treated. It was a lofty
spacious room, with plenty of light. Here
most horrible sight greeted us. All
the walls, at regular distances of
about SIX feet, were arched cavities COM
menclng at the ground and extending TO
= height OF about two feet six inches.
me extremities of a curved ;rof bar were
hrmly liked in the masonry on either side
of each cavity. The purpose of this ar
'angement was as follows: When a man
became violent he was placed, with his
egs bound and with his back against the
ron bar, In a sitting posture, his arms be-
ng firmly lashed to it. The cavity in the
vail was supposed to prevent him iniur-
ng his head by swinging it backward and
Onward or by dashing it from side to side
gailst the masonry. AS we entered this
enerable torture chamber the first thing
nat met our gaze was recumbent figure
urrounded by three or four attendants.
on THE RACK.
we discovered a machine bearing close
esemblance to weighing machine on the
ascule principle, only that the bottom
art, that upon which the goods are placed
be weighed, extended some three or
'ur feet from the back piece. The top ofl
lis back piece was padded to the depth of {
oeut foot, the padded part being cov- ;
ed with red Morocco leather. On this t
achlne was seated patient, with the ,
ack OF his head against the padding and
IS legs extended toward us. The three 7
four attendants by whom he was sur q
unded were engaged in binding his arms 9
rlngs fixed behind the back part of the e
acblne. The left side of this Wretched Q
'lng's head, at the height of the eyes, a
as covered with blood, and his left eve S
most closed, all the part surrounding it Il
ing much swollen and intlamed. While s.
e attendants were engaged in tying him a
he was sobbing, the tears streaming h
Wn his cheeks, and he rocked his head Il
ntly from side to side as if in pain, oc- q
slonally glancing toward us. While we F
'od gazing at the horrible sight he did D
attempt to offer the least resistance. A
course the injury which he had sus- D.
ned may have been self-inf1icted, but is Il
lally likely, think, that he had been cl
ocked down by one of the keepers. The D
pearance Of this prison was filthy in the +
-reme. The stencil was insufferable. h,
e kitchen, which was close at hand. n,
gloomy, dirty sort Of place. The th
mems quarters were even worse than tI
se OF the men. They were very crowd re
and their generally filthy condition is
7ond description. Many of the women
re hysterical, and two of them were
led.
Female Doctors in India. el,
pl
lOndOn SPECTATOR. The nlan for en- rIov