258 



KIDD'S OWN JOURNAL. 



numbers," in our Dally and Weekly news- 

 papers; and some of which we recently wit- 

 nessed, in their effects, at Hanwell. Here, 

 ' there is no locus penitentios. 



las 



We have been promising ourselves a visit 

 to this noble establishment for the last three 

 months. It is some two and-a-half years, 

 since last we were there ; and we have felt 

 anxious to make certain inquiries about per- 

 sons in whose fate we felt interested. We 

 hardly need say that all here is conducted 

 by kindness. No harsh words have we 

 ringing in our ears ; no coercion by cruel 

 ligatures and iron bars ; no blows dealt out 

 upon a poor unconscious sufferer ; no torture 

 inflicted for offences, unwittingly committed 

 by one no longer able to discriminate 

 between right and wrong. The horrors of 

 " Bethlem" — of which we heard so much in 

 our youth, and of which so much that is 

 horrible has been heard again very recently, 

 are, at Hanwell, unknown.* One law pre- 

 vails throughout. It is the law of mercy, 

 kindness, gentleness, and forbearance. The 

 results produced thereby, let all who love 

 their fellow-creatures hasten to witness. 



Shocked as we were to behold the moving 

 wrecks of humanity around us, and to note 

 the departed image of our Maker from the 

 body of his creature — yet, we say, did our 

 heart rejoice to observe how tenderly these 

 decaying fragments of mortality were re- 

 garded and provided for. If " happiness," 

 even in degree, can be theirs — it is theirs. 



It was a brilliant morning (the 30th of 

 September inst.), when we reached the gates 

 of this fine structure. The sun shone 

 brightly. The skylark was on the wing, 

 carolling merrily ; the robin and the wren, 

 too, joined in chorus. All " without" 

 was happy — free. We thought much of 

 those " within," and wished inwardly, that 

 they too were equally happy — equally 

 free. A pull at the bell summoned the 

 porter ; we enrolled the names of ourself 

 and fair partner, and we were in less than 

 five minutes walking among " people devoid 

 of reason !" If ever we felt " thankful" to 

 the God of our mercies, it was then. 



The people whom we found strolling 

 about the pleasure-grounds, were compara- 

 tively harmless. They were talking bravely 

 to themselves, and gesticulating ; but they 

 took little notice of us in our progress to the 

 inner entrance. Here we were met by one 



* The cruelties and barbarities that prevail at 

 Bethlem, have recently been brought to light by 

 our Public Journals ; and we rejoice in the fact, 

 seeing that some improvement must be the inevi- 

 table consequence. "Nurses" at these public 

 institutions are too frequently fiends in human 

 form. What a contrast have we in the Asylum 

 of Hanwell! The nurses and attendants, here, 

 are more like Angels. — Ed. K. J. 



of the attendants, who at once conducted us 

 to the Male Wards. Step by step, we were 

 shown all the internal arrangements. We 

 passed from passage to passage, from room 

 to room. There were the refractory rooms,* 

 the bath-rooms, the sleeping apartments, the 

 dinner-rooms, the store-room (herein might 

 be found everything in the world (almost) 

 that could be wanted) — the- infirmary, and 

 other offices. We next visited the noble 

 kitchen ; and here we saw all the important 

 preparations for dinner, going on upon a 

 grand scale. It was Thursday {Irish-stew 

 day), and savory indeed, most savory every- 

 thing smelt ! The cooks were in all their 

 glory, and kindly answered the many curious 

 inquiries we put to them. Bonnie lassies are 

 they all ; and well pleased do they seem with 

 the office assigned to them. We saw quite 

 enough to enable us to give them a good 

 character. They are evidently well skilled 

 in the culinary art, and know well what is 

 " good." 



We next visited the bake-house, and 

 found all hands employed in setting the 

 sponge, kneading the dough, and preparing 

 a general batch. The poor creatures who 

 officiated here, were apparently devoid of 

 all excitement. They went passively on 

 with their work — looking neither to the right 

 nor left. Here we learnt the full meaning 

 of the word " vacancy." Previous to en- 

 tering the bake-house, and whilst passing 

 through the yard, a poor wretched old man 

 whispered in our ear — that we were " going 

 in to be murdered." He said, " all who went 

 in, never came out again alive." This man 

 is of an unhappy temperament. He once 

 escaped — fled to America for six months, 

 returned of his own accord to the Asylum, 

 and has remained there ever since ! Time 

 would fail us, to record one half of what we 

 saw and heard, or to tell of the admirable 

 arrangements for the comfort of the inmates. 



In these our wanderings, we passed by a 

 multitude of faces and human forms that we 

 shall never forget — nor would we if we 

 could. If we ever before prized our "reason" 

 highly — at what rate do we value it now ? 

 Oh ! the horrible grimaces, the idiotic 

 stares, the puerile amusements, the frantic 

 embodiments of despair and disappointment; 

 the lost hopes, the pictures of revenge, the 

 ravages of sorrow, the agony of remorse, 

 the diseased imaginations, and the morbid 

 expressions of indescribable doubts, fears, 



* The rooms where refractory patients are 

 confined, are small apartments whose walls are 

 padded. The time required to bring one of 

 these patients to a sense of duty, rarely exceeds 

 one day. He remembers " why " he was put in 

 there, and the remembrance abides with him. He 

 is put in gentl^; and as gently let out. — 

 Ed. K. J. 



