INSANITY. 



539 



etantly chained. This illustrious physician, after 

 having in vain solicited the government to allow 

 him to unchain these maniacs, finally went in per- 

 son to the authorities, and advocating, with much 

 warmth and earnestness, the removal of this mon- 

 strous abuse, obtained permission to do as he 

 pleased respecting them. Great fears were enter- 

 tained for the personal safety of M. Pinel, should 

 he undertake to unchain them. This, however, 

 he resolved to do. The first man on whom he 

 tried the experiment was one of the most furious, 

 who had been in chains forty years, and had al- 

 ready killed one keeper by a blow with his mana- 

 cles. Pinel entered his cell unattended, and 

 offered to remove his chains and permit him to 

 walk in the court, if he would promise to behave 

 well and injure no one. "Yes, I promise you," 

 said the maniac. His chains were then removed, 

 and the keepers retired leaving the door of his 

 cell open. " He raised himself," says the son of 

 the celebrated Pinel, in a paper read at the academy 

 of sciences, " many times from his seat, but fell 

 again on it, for he had been in a sitting posture so 

 long that he had lost the use of his legs. In a 

 quarter of an hour he succeeded in maintaining his 

 balance, and with tottering steps came to the door 

 of his dark cell. His first look was at the sky, 

 and he cried out enthusiastically, ' How beautiful !' 

 During the rest of the day he was constantly in 

 motion, walking up and down the staircases, and 

 uttering short exclamations of delight. In the 

 evening he returned of his own accord into his cell, 

 where a better bed than he had been accustomed 

 to had been prepared for him, and he slept tran- 

 quilly. During the two succeeding years which 

 he spent at the Bicetre, be had no return of his 

 furious paroxysms, but even rendered himself use- 

 ful, by exercising a kind of authority over the 

 insane patients, whom he ruled in his own fashion." 

 In the course of a few days, Pinel released fifty- 

 three maniacs from their chains. The result was 

 happy beyond his hopes. Tranquillity and har- 

 mony succeeded to tumult and disorder ; and, by 

 the aid of continued mild and judicious treatment, 

 the most furious became calmer and more tractable, 

 and many were restored to perfect health of body 

 and mind. This transaction caused much sensa- 

 tion, not only in France, but throughout the civil- 

 ized world, and created a revolution in the treat- 

 ment of this unfortunate but hitherto neglected 

 portion of our fellow-creatures. To M. Pinel is 

 unquestionably due the great credit of first employ- 

 ing judicious, systematic, moral means in the cure 

 of the insane. 



At present there are in France many large in- 

 stitutions for the reception and cure of lunatics. 

 Among the most celebrated are the Salpetriere 

 and the Bicetre, and the Maison Royale de Cha- 

 renton. The former, at the southeastern extrem- 

 ity of Paris, is composed of several buildings, en- 

 closing spacious gardens and grounds for exercise. 

 This is for the accommodation of females only. It 

 usually contains about 1000 lunatics. These are 

 divided into three classes, the curable, incurable, 

 and idiotic. M. Parise,t has the medical superin- 

 tendence of the curable class. The Bicetre, about 

 two leagues from Paris, receives only males. It 

 usually has from 350 to 400 patients. Here are 

 also spacious grounds for exercise, and a farm 

 where many of the patients are employed much of 

 the time. The Maison Royale de Charenton, a 

 short distance from Paris, is exclusively appro- 



priated to the reception of the insane of both sexes, 

 and contains 600 beds. Besides these, there are 

 others in the vicinity of Paris and in many of the 

 large towns of France, some public and some pri- 

 vate, but all under good regulations and well con- 

 ducted. 



In London, so early as 1553, lunatics were re- 

 ceived into the Bethlem Hospital, a royal founda- 

 tion for lunatics, incorporated by Henry VIII. 

 This hospital has been rebuilt several times, and 

 enlarged. It is now a noble brick building, 580 

 feet in length, with accommodations for 400 pa- 

 tients. It cost about 100,000, and has an annual 

 income of 18,000. St Luke's Hospital, another 

 institution in London for the reception of lunatics, 

 originated in 1732. The present building, though 

 commenced in 1751, was not completed until 1786, 

 at an expense of 55,000. It is a solid brick edi- 

 fice, 500 feet in length, and accommodates 300 

 patients. This hospital has an annual income of 

 9,000. 



Both these old establishments are quite defec- 

 tive, as they are without the useful appendage of 

 spacious grounds and workshops, for the exercise 

 and employment of the patients. In other parts 

 of England, in Ireland, and Scotland there are 

 many well arranged and well conducted lunatic 

 establishments. Among the most celebrated, are 

 the Wakefield Asylum for the West-Riding of 

 York, and the Lancaster Asylum, in England ; the 

 Richmond Asylum at Dublin ; and the Glasgow 

 Lunatic Asylum in Scotland. But there are sev- 

 eral others, more recently established, equally well 

 conducted. Most of these institutions can accom- 

 modate from 200 to 300 patients. Workshops are 

 generally attached to them, and twenty or thirty 

 acres of land, where the patients are much of the 

 time employed at their trades, or in agriculture. In 

 addition to such public institutions, private ones, 

 for the accommodation of a limited number of 

 lunatics, are numerous in England. Often one 

 such receives only those of the same sex. Some 

 of them are fitted up with great elegance, with 

 every thing desirable for the safety and welfare of 

 the patients, affording to them all the advantages 

 of a secluded private residence, with large, airy 

 and commodious apartments, beautiful gardens and 

 grounds for exercise and amusement, together with 

 experienced and careful medical superintendence. 



In many of the other states of Europe, hospitals 

 for the insane have been provided. Some of them 

 are well, and others badly conducted. In the Ne- 

 therlands, according to Halliday, much attention 

 has been paid to the relief and comfort of the 

 insane. At Ghent are several public establish- 

 ments, and one private, for their accommodation. 

 At Antwerp there is an excellent hospital for lun- 

 atics. It was built about thirty years since, and 

 usually has between 200 and 300 patients. With 

 this is connected the celebrated and singular estab- 

 lishment at Gheil, which, with perhaps some mo- 

 difications, might be adopted with advantage in 

 this country. It consists of a village, or a number 

 of detached cottages, far removed from other habi- 

 tations. These buildings are occupied by peasants 

 of good character, who receive lunatics, mostly 

 those that are convalescent, treat them with 

 great kindness, and employ them in the cultivation 

 of the land. Each patient is obliged to labour a 

 certain number of hours every day when able ; and 

 when not so employed, is allowed to walk about 

 without restraint. Scarcely any accident occurs, 



