The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-05-13
AMONG The INSANE.
Reflections Upon a Sad Addiction of the
Human Race.

Human Race.
To THE CLUB-It has been some time
since l first visited the page and sought
your acquaintance through the columns OF
our worthy paper. and, unfortunately for
me, have received but-one or two copies
OF THE SENTINEL since then, owing to
change in residence.
The last letters 1 read were excellent
quite an improvement on the Contributions
Of year or two ago, l think. But I am
entirely ignorant of the course in which
at present your energiesare being directed,
what subject is being discussed, or any
thing OF your work of late, so hope you
will excuse me if get of.
How many OF my friends have spent
month or two as an employee in an insane
hospital? and if they have, how many
have been interested in the phenomena of
deranged humanity they find there?
Our life here as elsewhere is one vast
field for combat. Combat with unreason-
able opinions; with our own rising pas
sions; with everything. When we are
blessed with congenial companions and do
our duty everything runs smoothly, but
if not, ii thrown with some cros=grained,
soured creature, miserable themselv
and bent on making everybody else so,
our labOrs become very irksome Our
most ordinary action becomes defensive
and almost offensive, as there seems to be
so little time remaining to be
winning or generous to companions They
almost force you TO either eschew
their company entirely, or 10 be always
struggling with them. If they can help
it they will not even allow YOU to oblige
them by giving way to their prejudices
| and keeping silence. And We feel cha
grined at being forced to give words to
those thoughts which are best exhibited
modestly in our department, and are more
forcibly indicated thus: How surprising
it is TO a mind of ordinary sanity to sea
the human machinery move on for a time
as if directed by will power seemingly
guided by the same forces that move us
all; then suddenly see lack of energy,
sluggish or hayward action. The wheels,
which at first seem clogged, turn back
ward, as it were, and bring into chaotic
disorder, causing such force TO be at war
with another, that grandest construction
of the Divine mind, the human
soul, all of that sublime com
biDation, scene which defes
all thought OF former order or restraint.
We come to the conclusion that the same
actions instead OF being energetic action
of the will are rather reflex action, the
| result of discipline or habit while the
| normal action of the brain is unguided
save by ungoverned emotions Here the
emotions have entirely conqured and the
will is a nOnentity. In the hospital every
phase of ill-temper Is met with-hatred of
associates and selfish, melancholy secu-
- !.
| gious excitement, moral degradation,
braggadocio and petty jealousies. First
you 90 into the worst ward prepare YOUR
self for anything. for any affront or indie
cency, any noise, any conceivable
action from the patients or
your nerves will be shocked The
religious inmates you find singing
preaching, fighting either themselves or
some one near them, or else they simply
stare in front of them for time as if in
deep study, then suddenly break into a
wild refrain and appear unconscious of all
surroundings. Some appear simply soured
or ill-tempered. OF course, with the ma
jority this is their normal condition. All
hope seems to have given place to an in
tense despair. These especially require
tact, patience and firmness from the at
tendants to control them. 1t is necessary
to learn to avoid the more strong and vio-
lent when they have an outbreak unless
they are in danger of woundlng an asso-
ciate. IL they once conquer by their
physical force, which seems to acquire ed
ditiOnal strength from madness, they
are much harder 10 control again. In the
first wards you usually find the patients
under very good control. The attendant
and patients are rather in the relation Of
teacher and scholar. You find here many
inmates apparently no worse than is met
in everyday life-far more intelligent than
many who are at large. Here are the cpl
leptic, the hysterical, the simple-minded
and the monomaniacal patients. After
witnessing for a time their wild crotchets
and fanatical delusions the effect, with all
your sympathy for them, is. to implant an
everlasting horror of a similar condition
in yourself or relatives.
Close observation will reveal to us that
it is in many instances under our control
primarily; that is, the causes which lead
TO it can be avoided. Many who are here
are reaping the fruits of their own vile
actions. Many seem TO have given way to
their temper, and we come to believe that
all the violent passions, anger, hatred,
Jealousy. etc, are but temporary insanity,
which, if INDUCED, become permanent
A man of varied experience, once
superintending a hospital for the feeble
minded, says it is his belief that every
body is in a certain degree insane; fanati-
cal in some direction; that is, they are
ali on probation. The question resolves
itself into this, and we consider it UNI
knowingly perhaps every day. Shall we
continue to improve and advance toward
that perfectly balanced mind, make our
influence felt as an advancing being, or
shall we ANONYMOUSLY give up the fight.
leave the field to the enemy, sink back
into oblivion, dispair, or insanity?
IL gives impulse to renewed energy to
think so much depends on ourselves.
Besides an mate hope within us of reward
for merit. There is the fear of even
standing still, let alone going backward.
We simply must now or in the future 90
forward If tue time now is improved