Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1884-04-29
"a isMfsCELLAMECUsgso d.
Whitman inch Of ,MY'sL7ife.

4
.Withia4an inch Of MY Life.
During the earli9f1years Of my
medico-nlilitary okrafrd was selected
as the Assistant Surgeon of the Army
Lunatic. Asylum, theH established in
one Of, the eastern coupties. of Eng
land: At tI29 time of the appoint
ment I was cgivea.to understand tint
it was one Which paid n high COM
pliment to my professional abilities
and bestowed as a reward for good
services done; but as did not see
it quite in the same light went aud
interviewed the chief, who had
thought so much moro of me than 1
did Of him. ,-,..s -
g Sir,ts'T, said i, e some men are
born to honcrs, others have hon6rs
thrust upon them; the latter is my
case. - L don't understand one bit
about the treatment moral or medical,
of the insane. never saw but one
madman in my life, and he, verify
believe, was moro knave than fool !;
and can't help thinking that if you
send me to the asylum you are send
ing the round man to fit into the
square hole.
That is not of the slightest consc-
quence," answered he whom I was
addressing, in tlic richest Of brogues,
not the layste. Round orsShUare,
the hole will suit you to tt and if
so tbe- tiat ye don't know Q11itIing
icons Afhih& lniratics, whov .stlretRh h5Her
\ yeahrfI tA6bether: Ye'lI,be ptdHAdto
9afGEmtdoIIt delay. GOOD laoi4 i463iag.p
So he bowed me out, and I, IhBFiAgh,
Wholesome dread of the powers that
were 2.jined" forthwith.
- ,Itis sone of Shakespeare ssswise
sayings that et Use doth breed n habit
in man." Before there had passed
away many weeks of my sojourn with
the dcmentcd officers and men of
Queen Victoria's land forces found
myself highly interested with their
pretty and well cared for home, run
ming pleasantly in the groove had
so much objected to, and getting rid
forever and day of that rcpugnance
which every outsider naturally enough
cntertains when brought into contact
with the denizcns of mad-housc.
With a passakey which was an open
sesame to every lock in the establish
ment, was accustomed to wander
over it unattended either by the
Z" keeper" or the orderlies and never
was 1 molcsted or spoken to threat
ingly save once, and that upon the
occasion I have elected to name
" Within an inch of my life.''
In the afternoon, when the patients
were not indoors, it was my practice
to go through every part of the build
ing, inspecting it sanitarily. was
doing so as usual upon a certain
winters day, when, at a curve of a
corridor, 1 came suddenly upon a
patient leaning gloomily against one
of the pillars. lie was private SOL
dier of the Forty-fifth, or Sherwood
Forestcrs-a recent admission, and
whose phase of insanity was some
what puzzling the head surgeon and
myself. Without entering Upon de-
tails, shall merely say that we had
doubts upon his case, and had re-
commended his removal from the asy-
lum to the care of his friends
Meantime, however, he was to be
closely watched, and no garden tools
or other implements put into his
hands. How he had managed to etude
the vigilance of the orderly Under
whose surveillance he had been placed
and to be where 1 met him, was one
of the things 1 never understood.
But so it was.
When he saw me his melan-
cholic dcmcanor ceased; hcadvanced
with rapid strides towards me and
saw at glance that he meant mis-
chief of some sort or other; for every
muscle of his body was trembling
with passion, and on every feature
of his face was pictured that of a
demon. I confess that fear came
over me- What was the maniac go
ing to do? But to show apprehension
would be fatal, so 1 faced him boldly
and exclaimed: "HelIo, Mathews
what are you doing here? Why are
you not in the airing grounds with
the others?"
He turned a wild and flashing eve
upon me, and glared like a wild beast.
Then he bowled out, rather than said :
% Let me out of this!' 20
/" What do you mcan2' / replied
resolvingly if possible to gain time
and trusting that presently an order
Iy might pass and relieve me from
the terrible dilemma in which stood.
"Let me out!" he repeated. ]
have been too long in this vile place.
want to rejoin my regiment, to see
poor old mother and Mary, my sweet
heart. Why am here?'' 1 am not
mad like the others. God knows
that, so do you. But if 1 am kept
much longer 1 shall be stark-starine
mad. Let me out 1 sayi'
He was now boiling over with
frenzy. Still 1 kept my ground.
80 Matthews - sait1 at l-,So1r. that