INSANITY. 333 



One can readily imagine how great the torture must have 

 been inflicted by madhouse gyrators, the revolutions of which 

 were accomplished at velocities up to one hundred times per 

 minute or more, and prolonged to the last possible minute 

 next to death. 



Were the associations connected with this horrible ma- 

 chine of torture not so repulsively painful, one might find 

 a sort of grim humour in the fact, that the inventor of this 

 machine was actually regarded as a benefactor to humanity 

 in his generation. The various applications of this machine 

 w r ere codified into a system. It was established, that in the 

 treatment of certain forms of insanity the recumbent position 

 was best for a patient ; in certain other forms, the prone and 

 supine. Never, perhaps, had humanity been so grimly tra- 

 vestied into horrible torture. 



Pause we now to indicate a fact not very creditable to 

 those amongst mankind who profess the benignant faith in 

 Him whose motto was ' Peace on earth and good-will to man.' 



It is a fact that, in certain respects of social government 

 and discipline, Christians have shown a degree of cruelty 

 unmatched by Pagan, Jew, or Mohammedan. 



The history of slavery proves this. Heathen nations of 

 antiquity had mostly the institution of slavery amongst them ; 

 but they were not, as the rule, cruel to their slaves. Moham- 

 medans neither were nor are. Every one at all conversant 

 with the political and domestic history of Mohammedan 

 peoples must be well aware that slavery, whether male or 

 female, is amongst them not inconsistent with family ties 

 of patriarchal rule. 



Of women Mohammedan slaves I say nothing, inasmuch 

 as kindness to them may be assumed by one of views opposed 

 to mine as referable to the influence of sex and beauty. The 

 treatment by Mohammedan peoples of their male slaves must 

 be the ground upon which the general proposition will have 

 to be substantiated. It abundantly suffices, examples being 



