The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1904-06-18
SANITY IN INSANE ASYLUMS.
A Large Number Of Inmates Have
Nothinu the Matter with Them.

A Large Number Of Inmates Havc
! Nothing the Matter with Them.
Few people. said the medical Of
fcer of large private asylum, have
any idea that hundreds of the people
confined in nadhouses are every bit
as sana as themselves; and yet it is
fact that cannot be disputed
| do not refer to inmates who are
sanity itself on all points but one
! the victims Of monOmania. There are,
as you know, thousands Of lunatics
with whom you might associate for
months withCu. any suspicion that
their minds are not as sound IS your
own, until by chance you happen to
touch On their pet delusion, then you
quickly see how mad they are.
No; quite apart from these unfor-
tunatas there are hundreds who live
and die in lunatic asylums and yet
are no more mad than their keepers.
l myself have known several cases
tarily immured themselves in asy-
lums simply out Of fear that they
might go mad. They are neurotics,
people who are always getting strange
fancies into their heads-chiefiy the
result CT laZiness-and are haunted
by the fear that some day they will
lose their reason. l know one such
man who has voluntarily made a
"lunatic" Of himself for over thirty
years, without showing the least signs
Of insanity.
Then there are others-and these
cases are numerous-whOm drink has
driven out OF their senses at one time
CT another, and who have committed
deeds of violence. A few weeks re-
treat and treatment has put them all
right again; but, although they are IS
sane as possible in confinement, it is
not safe to give them their freedom
for fear Of relapse under temptation
outside.
In numbers of cases patients who
have been cured and discharged re-
turn to us-of their own free will. You
see, when once a man has been stamp
ed as insane he is more or less brand
ed for the remainder of his life. Even
his relatives and friends look on him
either with pity or suspicion and shun
him as far as possible-a condition
Of affairs which is intolerable to a
sensitive and quite sane person, so
that one cannot wonder that he is |
glad to find refuge from it all. And
there are others who might 60 back |
into the world, but have become so
attached to their environment that |
they elect to spend the rest Of their
days in it.
There can be no doubt that many |
Of the sane inmates of asylums are !
much safer there than outside and it !
Is this knowledge which sends many |
Of them to us and keeps them with
rs. Among my own people here is
very doctor who few years ago had
! practice bringing him in large in
come. He was, however, the victim
If a strong periodic impulse to intro
cine; and the fear that some day he
would yield to it, and thus become
grew SO strong that he sold
lis practice and became an inmate
lere.
Now, it is quite possible that his
ears might have been realized, and
hat by placing himself beyond the
each of temptation a tragedy has
,een avoided.
The most remarkable cases, though,
ire those of people who oe:ome in.
mates of asylums rather than part
rom those they love. We have two
listers here, one hopelessly insane,
he other as right as any woman liv-
ng. They have always been devoted
o each ether, and when 1t was found
leoessary, twenty odd years ago, to
onfine the former. her sister, who
vas on the eve of marriage, broke
II her engagement and decided to
pend the rest Of her life with her
elative.
There are also scores OF people in
he criminal asylums who are of per.
ectly sound mind-in fact, many Of
hem have never been anything else.
hey have, however, contrived to sim
late madness, and thus escape the
angman or a long term of penal ser.
itude. And in other cases, where
10 crime was undoubtedly commit i,
I'd at q time Of insanity, the GRIM
lal has quite recovered his reason
nd is spending his life a perfectly
ane man within the walls of a mad ,