Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1913-09-05
BRAIN NOT INACTIVE
Remarkably Clever Work Done
by Insane Persons.
Many Of Those Confined In Asylun,s.
Without Hope Of Permanent Cure,
Earn Large Incomes by Pro-
ducino Works Of Art.

II am sure" said we'll known mind
doctor to q New York Press writer.
you would be amazed at the clever
work that 10 done by hundreds Of men
and women who are hopelessly insane;
some Of 1t at least as good as that
done by sane people who earn large
incomes.
Among my patients today 10 one
man whose skill with the brush would
almost surely qualify him for high
rank II he were only In possession Of
his senses. There are few of the
great exhibitions which do not contain
one or more OF his canvases. and he
has often received as much as $500 for
picture. And yet this man Is as
mad az hatter.' the victim Of ter.
rible delusions and subject to violent
homicidal attacks.
Naturally, his work is unreliable.
One week he will produce q mastery
and beautiful picture, with genius In
every line Of 1t. The next he will
paint the most weird picture, q per
feet nightmare In color. which, curl.
ously enough, he always considers q
masterpiece.
"And this man is no exception. for
there are scores of lunatics who are
quite excellent artists, and many of
them make good incomes by their art.
Several years ago an exhibition Of pic
lures, the work of insane patients OF
the Bethlehem Royal hospital, was
open to the public, and can assure
you many Of them are beautiful works
Of art. g..
There are hundreds of other luna
tics who are Just as skillful in music
and literature. One Of my own pa
tents. who is hopelessly mad on one
subject and who Is perfect musical
genius. has composed operas and sym
phonies and scores of songs which
have won considerable fame for him
have brought him small fortune.
know OF many other insane men and
women who earn small and regular In
comes in the same way.
There are, similarly, hundreds Of
the insane who make a hobby, and
sometimes a profitable one. Of writing
Indeed. many Of our asylums have
magazines which are almost entirely
the work Of the patients.
Even in our public asylums there
are hundreds Of patients who make
money by skilled work Of one sort OF
another. Thus. in country asylum
know we'll one man who does the most
exquisite water color sketches. TO,
which he receives from SIS to So
each, and he has market for al
many as he can produce. Unfortunate
ly. like 80 many mad artists, he II
often unable or unwilling to finish
picture, and thus at least four-afths o
his work Is wasted.
Another patient, former sea cap
tain, spends his time in making thu
most perfect tiny models Of ships
carved with infinite skill and pain'
from bone or ivory, for each OF which
he gets S. to $40. For one very elab
crate and beautiful model Of cathed
raj he was paid as much as $3.50. ant
1t was certainly cheap at the price. A
third patient in the same asylum earn'
many dollars a year by cutting the
cleverest silhouettes out Of colored pa
per.
1.-THE women, too, are Just as clever
as the men. l know one demented wo
man who writes the most charming
books for children and verses fol
Christmas cards. Another who makes
a good income, in her lucid hours, BY
illustrating books. and third wht
draws several hundred dollars veal
from royalties on her plays. And there
are countless women in our public
asylums who earn money In scores o.
ways. such as knitting, lace making
straw plating and leather work"