INSANITY. 339 



provided for the material is of such sort that ligatures 

 cannot be made out of it. The end is, that the furious 

 maniac discovers in time the padded chamber to be heedless 

 of his fury. He calms down, and is thenceforth placed in 

 the social state, thus to speak, to which his manners entitle 

 him. 



A difference of social state there is in every well-regu- 

 lated asylum. Writers on this branch of human suffering 

 are unanimous in recommending that the insane should be 

 treated, to as great an extent as possible, in accordance with 

 the position in life to which they have been individually 

 accustomed. Dr. Conolly relates an anecdote of a gentle- 

 man stricken with insanity, who, having been treated like 

 a brute, turned brutal, every vestige of his former refinement 

 departing. It was at the time when the system of non- 

 restraint was first being inaugurated. This gentleman's 

 friends had him conveyed to one of the asylums managed 

 under the gentle system ; and, amusing to relate, even though 

 the theme be sad, the poor gentleman's cure was more than 

 half effected through the influence of silver forks, clean 

 dinner-napkins, and polite attendance ! The subject of in- 

 sanity, interesting at all times, seeing that if indeed each 

 of us be not insane, either of us may be, seems of especial 

 interest to me now, having had opportunities of studying 

 the awakenings of wandering human intellect under the 

 influence of poetical declamation and music. 



An accomplished actress has long been in the habit of 

 delivering recitations to the insane inmates of the various 

 lunatic asylums that she finds within the scope of her the- 

 atrical engagements. I was present at two entertainments 

 of this sort given to the inmates of St. Luke's, and on each 

 occasion was much gratified. The proceedings opened both 

 times with some good instrumental music, piano and violin, 

 the executants being patients. 



The piano-player was a lady, who happening to sit next 



