56 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



mer. Far out in infinite space are stars which the human eye, looking 

 through the most powerful telescope, fails to see ; they are beyond its 

 range. Yet this simple plate of glass can see them. It has a power 

 beyond that of any human retina ! Dark spaces, once considered 

 blank, are to-day known to be full of suns, each perhaps with its reti- 

 nue of planets, tilled it may be with beings like ourselves. 



The future possibilities of this wonderful invention are beyond con- 

 ception. It may be that for centuries hence, before war ends, and 

 civilization triumphs in peace, the instantaneous photographic appara- 

 tus will be a part of every army equipment. There is no reason why 

 a great battle could not be taken — aside, perhaps, from smoke-obscu- 

 rity — as well as any great concourse of people. To-day the photo- 

 graphic artist is content to catch the movements of a race-horse or an 

 athlete, or the panorama of a city crowd ; then, perhaps, our distant 

 posterity will be only satisfied with the instantaneous record of more 

 important events. To-day, history is made up of confused and dis- 

 puted statements ; then, it may be read in the living pictures of the 

 deeds themselves. 



A FKEE COLONY OF LUNATICS. 



Bv HENRY DE VAEIGNY, 



THE celebrated Belgian colony of the insane at Gheel has nothing 

 in its external appearance suggestive of the ordinary lunatic asy- 

 lum ; its inhabitants give no superficial indications that a large propor- 

 tion of them are madmen. 



If one would conceive what Gheel is, he must imagine a town of 

 five or six thousand souls, in no way different from other tow^ns of like 

 importance, surrounded by a number of hamlets containing altogether, 

 perhaps, about as many more inhabitants. These j^eople have been, 

 from a very remote period, in the habit of taking insane persons to 

 board in their houses. The lunatics live in constant contact with the 

 family of their host. They share in their labors and their pleasures 

 if so inclined and their means permit it. They come and go, in the 

 enjoyment of an almost absolute liberty. It has, however, been found 

 necessary for the good of the patients and of the settled population 

 to organize administrative and medical services, in order to prevent 

 dangerous and improper persons from being sent to the colony, and 

 for the care of the mental and physical affections of the patients, and 

 for securing to them proper accommodation and treatment ; and an 

 infirmary has been established for those who need medical care. But 

 the administration makes very little show. The Avhole of the Gheel 

 district is an asylum ; and the streets and the surrounding country are 

 the promenade of the lunatics. 



