KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



33 



REASON AND ITS SHADOW. 



THOUGHTS OCCASIONED BY 

 A RECENT VISIT TO COLNEY HATCH. 



Poor fall'n humanity! where'er is found 



Thy prostrate shrine, the place is hallowed ground. 



Though laid in ruins, till to thee belong 



Our honesr tears ; oh, who would do thee wrong ! 



Fresh from our hearts the pitying waters roll, 



And claim a kindred with each brother's soul. 



ERY SAD IS IT THAT THE 

 GREAT MERCIES MOST OF US 



enjoy, should be, compara- 

 tively speaking, so unappre- 

 ciated ! The man who " never 

 knew a day's illness in his 

 life," marvels to hear people 

 complaining of pain ; and can 

 feel no sympathy for those who are subject to 

 sickness, and the other ills of life which fall 

 to the share of so many sufferers. It is only 

 by comparison, that we can form any just 

 idea of how happy we ought to be; and how 

 thankful to the Creator of Heaven and 

 earth, whose delight has ever been among 

 the sons of men. 



On the 23rd of October, 1852 (see Our 

 Journal, Vol. II., p. 257), we penned an 

 article of some considerable length on " the 

 Asylum, at Hanwell." We described all we 

 had seen there, during a most interesting 

 visit ; and we glanced at the various 

 "causes" of aberration of mind, and lotal 

 loss of reason ; nor did we fail to dwell on the 

 exceeding kindness shown to these poor 

 sufferers by those who had the care of them. 

 The sights we saw — painlul as they were to 

 a reflecting mind — yet made us thankful that 

 such a noble establishment existed among us, 

 to "alleviate" suffering that might not be 

 cured. 



We are not disposed to go into lengthened 

 detail to day, upon the further consideration 

 of Lunacy and Madness. We all know suffi- 

 cient of their bearings, to make us shudder 

 at the thought of our ever becoming subjects 

 of their power. The " causes," however, 

 may be profitably hinted at. They are, — 

 jealousy, passion, fanaticism, undue mental 

 excitement, methodism, a disposition to 

 melancholy, over-study, false zeal, excess, and 

 debauchery. An indulgence in ardent spirits, 

 smoking, &c, &c, are of course the proximate 

 causes of much, — perhaps most of the evils 

 we deplore. These bad habits, we regret to 

 say, still continue amongst us ; and the " con- 

 sequences" become only too visible day by 

 day 



Colney Hatch, we hardly need remark, is 

 the Middlesex County Lunatic Asylum-. At 

 the present time, it numbers be ween 1,200, 

 and 1,300 inmates ; of these, some 750 are 

 females. The conduct of the establishment 

 is precisely similar to that of Hanwell. 

 Kindness is the talisman which performs all 



the wonders we behold. We say wonders, — 

 for it really is wonderful to observe how 

 easily the poor creatures are wrought upon 

 by a kind smile, a gentle word, or the 

 upraising of a ringer. 



Whether spoken to by the nurses, — or by 

 the visiting magistrates, the effect produced 

 on them is the same. An innate conscious- 

 ness appears to exist that they are "at home," 

 and well provided for; and so far as they can 

 be " happy," they are so. 



A recent visit here, enables us to speak to 

 a point as to the truth of our remarks. On the 

 4th of January, a grand Christmas entertain- 

 ment was given to the patients — in the 

 spacious room, usually devoted, we believe, 

 to exercise. The time of rendezvous was 

 six, p. m., and a number of visitors were 

 invited to join in the interesting festivities. 

 We were among the guests ; and through 

 the kindness of B. Armstrong, Esq. (one of 

 the visiting Magistrates) we were enabled 

 to take a friend with us. No sight could 

 have delighted us more. No two people 

 could have taken a more painfully-pleasing 

 interest in the doings of that evening. We 

 shall never forget the mise en scene ; for every 

 thing was in good taste. All was provided 

 that could please the eye ; and every thing 

 was there that could minister to the comfort 

 of " a mind diseased." 



No little ingenuity and skill had been 

 shown in the decoration of the room. Wreaths 

 of holly, and other evergreens, were inter- 

 twined in graceful harmony all around the 

 gallery ; on the pillars, and beneath the cor- 

 nices. Festoons, too, were there ; tastily 

 grouped and as tastily arranged. We saw 

 also some Camellias and other choice flowers, 

 claiming a right to be present in honor of 

 that night. Then there were multitudes of 

 variegated lamps of all hues, suspended in 

 every direction (reminding us of the palmy 

 days of Vauxhall) ; and handsome gas 

 chandeliers, dispersing bright streams of light 

 on all the magic scene around. This, and 

 much more, — for every effort had been put 

 forth to do the occasion ample justice. 



We were there some little time before the 

 festivities commenced. The day was Wed- 

 nesday, January 4th, — the ever memorable 

 day, following the snow-storm of the pre- 

 ceding night. Nothing daunted us. Had 

 the rail not been cleared — fortunately it was 

 — we should have walked; our heart lay that 

 way, and the effort cost but little. Cold it 

 was, very. The snow too was deep ; and 

 the prospect without, desolate. Still we 

 waded on through the opposing elements ; 

 and tripped over the fleecy carpet, until we 

 were fairly at the portals of Colney Hatch. 



Entering, — our nose led us into a little 

 snugly-furnished corner room, nicely 

 "warmed " with the tangible productions of 



Vol. V.— 3. 



