The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-02-02
"Ah! yes, the King of Ireland, too
"And something elsep"
"The Rock of Truth. y

enough for one day?''
We went to the opposite end of the
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.
ut is the happiest form of the disease.
They gradually lose all control of them
selves, so far as the power to talk and
walk and think is concerned. Then
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 got
tangled up hopelessly about the Brook
quantity, OF foolscap paper and lead
pencil daily figuring out his plans for
bridging the Atlantic by a suspension
bridge. He will sit down and demon
strate its possibility by figures when
0NtT u NlSlbOF Will uSU6Q.
Another patient was an elderly man,
who had once been professor in Col
umbia College. Since he has been in
the asylum he has written work on
art, and is now daily occupied on text
book on the calculus. The ex-professor
talked with perfect clearness and sanity
upon learned subjects, but he was pos
sessed with the idea that both the Doc
tor and myself were what he called
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 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 father-in
law in fit of frenzy and has been here
ever slnce.n
As we continued our journey each
succeeding case presented features of
more and more violent mania. 1t was
getting decidedly uncomfortable and it
needed the Doctors cool, uneoncerned
demeanor and the presence of orderlies
to keep the spirits from sinking. The
lunatics crowded around me with an
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 l 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-
fore we left this ward the Doctor went
into q workshop in an alcove of the cor
ridor and displayed rugs, mats and
brooms. The workmanship was very
good, indeed.
"The lunatics 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
l breathed easier when the door was
locked on the lunatics.
By the time we had been through
seven or eight wards had seen all OF
the insanity wanted to see. The re-
membrance of it will last for years. /
begged to be excused from further
sightseeing,
"You have not seen the really vio-
lent cases." said the Doctor quietly.
In one of the upper wards we have to
go along the wall sideways and keep
our eyes upon the lunatics, lest they
should steal up behind us unawares and
strike us. It is a life of constant
watchfulness on our part. The patients
sometimes secrete the spoons they are
given to eat with. Then they grind the
handle down to 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 will
| be seized with a homicidal mania.
| Three physicians were killed here with
in a year. The physicians never carry
arms. We all carry whistles and blow
them when attacked. The orderlies
come to our aid at the alarm. No one
is ever allowed to use violence toward
the patients. Some months ago a pa
tient seized my hand with his teeth 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
| sistance."
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 un-
happy people. They are truly to be
pitied."
! locked out at that moment upon the
rather pleasing prospect that forms a
! picture which the lunatics may watch
from the corridor windows. Twenty or
thirty men were busy with picks,
shovels and wheelbarrows LAYING new
pathway along the green sward.
I'VE let them work as you see," con-
| tinued the Doctor. These men are all