Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-12-27
TREATING insane.
Color Schemes Now Used For
Curing Mentally Deranged.
LANTERN LECTURES GIVEN.

Patients (They Are No Longer Called
lnmates) Also Have Dances, Balls;
Soirees, Dinner and Supper Parties,
lndul9ing, Too, In Outdoor Sports.
We have not yet risen to the Moham-
medan idea that insanity is an inspira-
ton from the celestial regions and do
not, therefore, initiate the Moslems and
regard lunatics with almost reverential
alteration; but, instead Of whipping
them and combining them In dungeons,
as was once the practice, we house
them comfortably, call them patients"
instead or inmates" entertain them
as Tar as practicable at dances, balls,
so1rees, dinner and supper parties, and,
where possible, allow them to occupy
their time in farming and other healthy
pursuits. Lantern lectures are also
given, card parties and progressive
whist tournaments are held, while the
outdoor sports include golf, cricket and
hockey, matches being arranged oc-
casionally between the married and
single patients.
More recently, also, other healing
factors have been brought into play in
the treatment. Despairing, melan-
chOly patients are placed in rooms
where the walls, carpets and gas
globes are Of red color; the easily ex-
citable are placed in rooms which are
covered with q blue coloring, which
seems to have soothing effect upon
this type. Even a room in which all
the hangings were in black proved to
possess a healing effect upon a woman
afflicted with recurrent mania. Music
as means for coaXing the insane into
sanity has been adopted lately in one
Of the American institutions. The
gramophOne. piano, violin and various
brass instruments have each in turn
proved to have q soothing influence
upon various classes and types of pa
tents. 1t has also been ascertained
by experiment that many acute and
chronic forms of insanity can be treat
ed with good results in the open air.
One of the greatest difficulties eXpe-
rienced by the asylum authorities is to
find occupation for the male patients
who have no liking or aptitude for
farm and garden work Some are able
to occupy themselves with ornamental
glass work, carpentry, etc, but the wo-
men are generally and naturally more
fortunate in being better able to adapt
themselves to indoor occupations. The
greatest danger lies in the tendency to-
ward permanent weak mindedneSs (de-
mentia), implying a want Of interest
and initiative and loss of sense Of
the amenities Of life.
Several of the institutions set apart
for the treatment of the insane publish
periodicals at intervals edited and con-
Quoted by the patients, though under
the supervision Of the medical staff,
which acts as an editorial board. The
credit for this innovation is due to the
Vermont asylum, in New York.
There has been growing tendency
of late years to do away as far as pos
sible with restraint in the treatment Of
insanity. DR.. Cellar, a well known
AlueTlCdu dueUlSL, Introduced TOUR pTlu-
ciples at the Illinois Asylum For Incu-
rable Diseases-viz, nonimprisonment,
nonreStraint, nonresistance and eight
hours labor daily. Sir John luke when
in command Of the Fife district asy-
lum also abolished the use Of locked
doors, and DR.. Rutherford Of Glasgow
and Edinburgh unhesitatingly sent pa
tents to work in the open air, even in
trusting them with the use Of ordinary
agriculture Implements
It is of interest to note that at the
James Murray asylum no patients
broke their parole during the year and
failed to return to the institution In
accordance with their undertaking, al
though an average number Of 80 out Of
142 patients were intrusted with their
liberty for varying periods. Asylum
patients Of the present day are kept
fully informed of all Of Importance
that is passing in the outer world