New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-07

| en- phasize this delusion which henceforth ana
| for all practical purposes becomes iact.
ALI. THE LUNATICs WORK.
Immediately. after breakfast next morning
| the friend is assigned to an occupauon :" .hs s
| OCm's household, the shop or on ms Ia'n'. .ne
| choice OF duties being left to him. ne an.J
NAMES his nseudo brothers sisters and cousins
| among them usually several afflicted IKE MN
| SELF to the scene OF usefulness ana All pes's .
| work I'm earnest The friends are encoui -
to sing and to play practical jokes on their CON-
rades but the sane among the ia''e' "e''' ~
pay In kind. ,.,,,
| At noon all return home, where bountifu
meal awaits them. For the newcomer tnels
are tit-bits, and Dom pulls him into a corner
for an extra drink: in short. everything Is done
to make the friend like his new surrounoihsA
Yet this Indulgence never goes far enough 10
permit dspensation from work Six 10 elsns
hours of manual labor is the minimum ana II
a friend doesn't take kindly to II he Is per
suaded by the Heer Oom's paternai autnonV
or By presents in kind or In money. MANY
lunatcs like to work sporadlcally. but tna'
won't do at all. Gheers doctor-popuiation
knows that its earliest crazy settlers got cured.
with ST. Dympna's aid, by working Tor the,I
living at farming, house building. etc, ana WIN
the perseverance that Is one OF the chief cnar-
acteristics Of the Flemish character. chronic
lazybones are barred from the resort we
cart cure oafers," they say. Let them go 10
an asylum We don't want hopeless cases uh-
less they can be made useful In way
Two hundred Of Gheels lunatic population
receive regular wages from their keepers ana
more their tobacco and drinking money
Among those paid in kind are numerous women.
who receive premiums in the shape OF )eweiry.
trinkets, ribbons and the ike.
Aside from their regular employment. tne
friends enjoy almost unrestricted liberty. They
may visit saloons, and II one announces his
intention to travel the landlord willingly helps
pack his grip and sends him to the station with
many good wishes. The ticket seller. OF course
reoognizes his customer and sells him either
worthless ticket that the ticket-taker conhscates
or keeps him waiting until the train is gone
The saIoonkeeper follows a similar mode OF
conduct. He has always one glass OF beer or
wire or Schnapps for friend. bit no more
I'VE have just run out Of the stun. and the next
barrel won't be tapped till TO morrow. The
whole population works hand in hand to give
the insane the Illusion Of being entirely unre-
stricted and these unhappy people stop yearning
for their liberty because 1t seems always at
their elbow
The result OF this treatment. or absence OF
treatment. is astonishing. An officer OF the
State Medical Board told your correspondent
that quite 60 per cent OF friends cured.
while ALL almost without exception, find relief
and comfort in Gheel. Those that at home were
raving maniacs become harmless after TWO
% three weeks stay.
The fact that treat the insane Hike RIA
sonable beings impresses itself upon their sense
OF honor" continues the doctor. They make IL
a point to behave and many give themselves
up in the DANCE cous' district soon as they
feel attack coming on. After that 10 over
they return to their boarding house and to their
daily labors cheerfully ever. and no one
remarks upon their absence.
THE TACT OF THE PEASANTS
The tact of these peasants is indeed wonder
full. Even in conversation with your CORES
pendent they refused to admit that there was
anything alb primal about the mental condition
of their charges When told that maniacs are
generally regarded with fear they couldn't I'M
derstand ii. Why" they said. 'all the friends
carry knives. while axes. sledge- hammers. hoes.
etc. are their everyday tools and yet the town
annals have record OF any act OF violence
CO mmitted by friend in two centuries"
occasionally" said the town pastor the Rev.
MIR. Hoogstraeten. I'VE have violent fellow.
and then call in the assistance of the children.
neighbor of mine had friend guest
who insisted on smashing all the available
ciockery every day or two. When persuasion
failed, the woman gave him her baby to hold
the moment she saw an attack OF frenzy coming
on. Mind your little sister WELL she said;
don't break it or God will punish you II
worked like charm. and though since then
hundreds of babies have been employed in the
same fashion none ever got hurt"
Older children are frequently used to help cure
mschieN Gus friends by assisting them In their
crazy pranks and afterward receiving mock
punishment for the trouble they have taken
That works upon the lunatic's feelings. and
many have reformed for the childrens sake
Gheel has numerous lawn tennis and bowling
clubs composed almost entirely OF lunatics;
insane people perform every Sunday OF the year
on the city's amateur stage. and there are sew
eral good actors and actresses among them. A
philharmonic society. the leader OF which is an
intermittent maniac. gives most creditable con-
certs. and the male and female choir OF st.
Dympnas Church Is celebrated throughout the
province for its wonderful voices. all lunatics
1t may not be amiss to emphasize in concu-
sion that the methods now in vogue are those
adopted by the earliest settlers five hundred
and more years ago While all Europe was
hunting insane people like wild beasts-a prac-
tice legalized in England by act OF Parliament
in 1573-whe Germany in particular treated
her insane Kaiser Rudolph to irons and set the
public executioner and sworn tormentor to
mount guard over him. while thousands OF vic