CHAPTER XII 



THE CENTURY'S PROGRESS IN EXPERIMENTAL PSY- 

 CHOLOGY 



I 



A LITTLE over a hundred years ago a reform move- 

 ment was afoot in the world in the interests of the in- 

 sane. As was fitting, the movement showed itself first 

 in America, where these unfortunates were humanely 

 cared for at a time when their treatment elsewhere was 

 worse than brutal, but England and France quickly fell 

 into line. The leader on this side of the water was the 

 famous Philadelphian, Dr. Benjamin Rush, " the Syden- 

 ham of America" ; in England, Dr. William Tuke inau- 

 gurated the movement ; and in France, Dr. Philippe 

 Pinel, single-handed, led the way. Moved by a com- 

 mon spirit, though acting quite independently, these 

 men raised a revolt against the traditional custom 

 which, spurning the insane as demon-haunted outcasts, 

 had condemned these unfortunates to dungeons, chains, 

 and the lash. Hitherto few people had thought it other 

 than the natural course of events that the "maniac" 

 should be thrust into a dungeon, and perhaps chained 

 to the wall with the aid of an iron band riveted per- 

 manently about his neck or waist. Many an unfortu- 

 nate, thus manacled, was held to. the narrow limits of 

 his chain for years together in a cell to which full dav- 

 light never penetrated ; sometimes iron being expen- 



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