| Show I If i t THROUGH A LUMTIC ASYLUM il IH 1I 1 j Ili 1 = = = = r j I Ijt I t L i t Most Intoropting Account of a Visit by n Utah Olti I i lit i 1 > I y0ii to nKmnouti Institution I = 11 1 I I WIIII tr the News I i I MAiDsTONBKentEnglnmlJan 15 1897 I I I I Last week I found myself in a lunallc 1 I b t I asylum Which melancholy fact may i I not surprise some of my intimate friends I f T I ji W I This is how It happened reeling that i 111 tI perchance the NEWS readers possibly f I F I might like to revel In something really sensational in which strait waistcoats f m i t I 1 boiling oil and something lingering I I I l played a prominent part methought I that a visit to a dark damp dismal dire i English lunatic asylum might fill the j bill I hid had my mind set upon a I I good old British goalP but on lurther I I consideration decided in favor of the asylum as furnishing more variety ard scope consequently more raw material I 11 II I i for first class nightmares and thrilling I situations I I With this plausible idea In view Iin I dited a short epistle to the superintendent V I superinten-dent of the Kent County asylum at j Harming Heath Inclosing my noble I i I I i pasteboard and by return mall was agreeably gratified to receive a lately of jf I 1 which the follow ing is a cop h Kent County Asylum Dec 3tst 1697 11 Dear SIrIt 111I give me great I pleasure lo meet > ou and any friend you like to bring with you I have been to II I your country twice and met such kindness I kind-ness there that It gladdens my heart to meet an American here and to be able to do anything lor him Will you come I in the forenoon We have lunch at one I oclock sharp and cm look round the I asylum afterward Fix your own time only kindly let me know one day beforehand I I I before-hand Yours very truly I I r PRITCHARDYbAVIIIS M D George K Carpenter Esq To say flit least of n the answer was i I I an agreeable surprise so upon arriving In Maldstone alter previously dropping n nole raysell and companion wended our way to a pile of buildings situated I upon a hill Needless to remark rained it always does rain over here especially on bundajs and holidays despite the fact I that tIe weather clerk most religiously and gravely publishes the morning papers the lact tint This days forecast i I fore-cast Selfalr Temperaturesutionary I I light balmy winds etclo With M this I surfeit of prize competitions puzzles I conundrums etc with which English weekly literature abounds ns a mean 01 11 i f increasing the circulation one often wonders bow the greatest writer of fie lion of the age viz the weather clerk I has been soN eglected i and his rl praiseworthy i praise-worthy efforts allowed logo unrewalded remarked heretofore we walked Our host later suggested that we drove I but we scorned the base insinuation asa I as-a missionarys diet is apt to make one dyspepticwe always make II a point i to i I w f kIn I fact there is an iridescent charm I I connected with splashing through the I mire collecting a goodly I supply of f i 9 drinking water m the brim ot f ones four p I I dollar chap au and Incidentally indulging 1 indulg-ing in derogatory remarks regarding the S samples of climate one enjoys in the tight little Isle 11 I On approaching i our destination we il were confronted by a good solid built lid ntlty lr jl 11 eo to last stone wart Here we halted to I spy out the land lor we reasoned In our Innocent childish manner that it behooved J be-hooved us not to enter the portals and I 1 wander around In search at the superintendent I 11 superin-tendent two amateur Daniels m the finnje uwca tn I fin lions den BO to speak the sport and 1 prey of some lvo thousand designing bportive inquisitively inclined maniacs I i Her we observed a young man eyeing us suspiciously so we cornered him despite I de-spite his edging awavcalmed his troubled 1 troubl-ed mind with a Morgan No I and asked to be directed to Doctor Davies residence resi-dence which we found without much 11 trouble and were ushered into the drawIng draw-ing room where the doctors ulle who has been on two cross continent trips I including Salt Lake City entertained m I I till lunch which consisted of fish entrees il en-trees game r fee served iW Ihe English I hlyle ln conjunction j i with sundry niS II i torious fining amber fluids and lIavanas I I for those who wished to so indulge In parenthesis whenever any of the boys fn I I indulge lit slojt bragging i propensities I regarding the chuck steak they had lorI lor-I I supper the week bolure lall we hope t j lessly annihilate i them with the aforesaid t menui Alter having a good chat on America In general and Utah In particular we adjourned ad-journed to the asylum and I must say it I was a most agreeable disappointment n3 The doctors house stands alone within 1 4 I its ovu private grounds which are connected I I con-nected with 1 the asylum grounds by a fate through the nail We were accompanied Ii accom-panied in our tour of inspection by two t t prize skye terriers belonging to the t doc Ihasee rsl itt par f eth tor these were imbued with a most I 0 praiseworthy Idea to exterminate all the II cats lathe neighborhood For the benefit k t bene-fit of the uninmatedaskye terrier U first I last and all the time a dog that on a o cursory glance resembles an animated ball of worsted and when In repose is I a never ending diversion for gamblers to 11 decide which is the aggulg and which the biting end These to aforesaid Cannes gloried in the appellations ot f I Nanny and Zip and seemed to be great favorites with the lunatics patients I is I sbLl henceforth Further 1 despite what the author of bird cash may on thesubjectlet it be distinctly undtood that the attendants cmphatl ally resent being call < d keepers e Upon entering tie doctors private I omce we viewed a pan ot the place and found that it extended fur tit o hundred I hun-dred acres part of it being used as alarm a-larm and worked by the patients There were at the time one thousand een hundred patients and two hundred 1 and twenty attendants The as lain is built ot stone quarried on the estate and h i ever sixty years old Since Doctor II tXJ II VVv il I Davies took the reins twent tnovcars t ago he has inaugurated change doing away with all brutal restraims such as bobble chains etc for dangerous patients surprise bulbs ingenious con I tnvances to cool oil the amor of enthusiastic enthu-siastic maniacs by which they are precipitated preci-pitated through the floor into tanks of ice cold water below etc Anyhow the doctor assured me such was the case and that he had shown us some ot the worst caaeb and certainly we saw nothing noth-ing that mucked of suLjeellon by brute force In answer to the question how the I English asylums compared with those ol the United Stales he declined lu express ex-press a decided opinion laughing relating re-lating an incident during Ilea visit to I mentioning one ol our largest cities There he had asked the superintendent I how long he bad been in Ills post Six 11 I t 126 I 4 J months was the answer fie was further astonished to find that none of the attendants or assistants had teen connected with the place longer thane than-e months Upon requesting a solution the superintendent informed h m that he didnt propose anyone around his aslum to know more than he did and further I he was going to he superintendent superinten-dent of that is > lum just as long as g b1el IS1 i Cleveland I held the Presidency i 1 laughed and suggested that the Amiri cans didnt have the monopoly on tall stories We looked lit on the telephonic I ex clange each ol the thirty rlne wards having a telephone and then the doclor unlocked n door and we were in one of the womens ward 1 he head lady attendant ol the ward met lu at the door locking the same filter us A glance at the barred u indow revealed the fart that all retreat was cut olf Instead In-stead ol putting mj back to the wall and selling my hie clearly I gazed complacent compla-cent around jusllv arguing that If four rail roiy checked pretty young alien ants were safe there that possibly I would be spared to t ce the valleys of Ihe mountain once more The Allen dants look very neat lit their blue berg uniform broad lite culls and collars and latched nurss cap But for I a belt 10 wHch I ta ILA Chad a whistle to summon help one would imagine they were Imply bospitlll nurses I dont think that a ingle one 01 the one hundred hund-red and six lady attendants was older than thirty and not one face was In the let I brulal 1111 t I man is opposed to be a poor ludge al a 0101 v its The fint thing it-he I its t ik e one abont an s-y bight 15 the panlul I cle1nlme of the whole Intllution Th stone stairways I stair-ways are whitened to an extent conducive con-ducive to snow blindutas while thc brass work makes one blink As all the wards are bUilt pan the battle plane and are neatly Identical In dilllenSions and general get up I will describe one A hich wIll give a far Idea 01 them all The lard is about one hundred feet long with window al stated Intervals apposite appo-site which on the other side are the cells with the doors standing uuen displaying dis-playing a scrupulously clean vdrnlShed it Care an Iron furnished hh horsehair horse-hair mattrese tile heets and three blankets being all folded oil and lucked neatly upon the allow while the strip 01 floor carpet Is folded up and placed al the foot Each cell Is lighted by a window anti warmed by stcani I heat the better t class I I mentally l for cacti I a al every Inmate is I a county pauper patient < are locked In these cells IIlgnUy when an allendant keeps his eye on them nl stated Intervals through the peel holes In the doors I each ward being fitted w ith a telltale electric time regbt that keeps the attendant np tu his duty Color greets the ee evrywherered and blue dados yellows and impossible magentas No paper on the wallevery where bright paint together with thirty or forty framed pictures adorn the walls There are big avarlei full of canaries large aquariums stocked wlm gold fish together willi poltld pants galore The cheerful fireplaces are strongly barred over Such is a fair sample of a womans ward there not omitting the library ol books that are changed from ward to ward monthly thus taking two years belore they come round again also a litter I boxlrce paper and pencils with which to indite missives to the superintendent which have to be seen to be appreciated The women dont have all the luxury either tar from it m fact the wards are identical with the exception that the men are furnished with bagatelle tables in lire ol pianos Naturally m those wards devoted to happgc > ucKyaihee tic patients ullh a penchant fir dusting the atmosphere with the human race in general everything is screwed down rubber takes the place ol earthenware while such tasty missiles as flutter pots rpergnes or a solid volume of Paleys Christian evidence are conspieloUb by their absence In net judgi all irom the blasphemous reception we received on entering the homocldil ward Ialey might be used to advantage Then up they rushed howled and more An d the air w enl blue for miles The ratters shook find I took my hook 4s down came all the Ilk The suicidal and epileptic patients sleep in dormitories containing about fifty cots each the litter being provided with beds upon the floor so that If taken with a lit they may not roll oil mid hurt themselves Further the attendants are with them night and day A visit to an epileptic ward is not a very cheerful proceeding As the doctor unioeked the door the attendants drew themselves up and saluted military fashion the majority ol them t are retired soldiers while ire I patents seated along the walls g ized into in-to vacancy utterly oDhvioui to us or to tO 01 their comrad one Ina fit oil the floor and the other resllessly roiling around a padded cell the door of which was open None 01 them were smoking as the majority of the other male patients seemed to he occupylllg their lime While on Ihesubject of thinking the tobacco habit cents to be universal III England Tobacco Is ghen 10 the patients as a reward lor obedience and Ih mount ol work they perform Quite a contrast to this was our reception re-ception in the infirmary where there were some patients slow y dying ill bed and others silting around tile cheerful place Several ol the inmates Insisted on shaking hands with us while une Individual with a face on him that re amhld 10 a marLed degree that ol 1 hpyelled enthusiastically acro3s from Ills corner llutob doctor have I com posed a lovely hlIm this morning The doctor formally introduced us 10 Mr Brown our noted and ditlllluished composer With a courtly bow he acknowledged the insinuation oh you Utter me doctor and then there was no peace for any one The man who will deliberately or innocently broach to a lunatic tic hobby upon which he Is maddest twell Ins blood be upon his 011 head The character cf the institution was all old ex mans wttrsman regarding hoe age nobouy seemed to be able to throw any lujit OT certain Uaionl will he ramble about lib pastille md the set battles be has fought in tuat lead those van know him to place his age at une hundred ears Ahesitup in bed smoking be looked lor all the wotld like Kip van Winkle his long I stiaipley beard and snowy white hair over a foot long together with two piercing black restless eyes gave him a wicrd look two infers ol his hand vt re missing me Clack was tattooed with the papal keis etc On irquinng how he lobt them he at once gave eVidence being us mad as the proverbial march lure He has been an inmate lor fort lour years The asylum is provided with a large church small Roman Catholic chapel a splendid amusement hall In which dances are held furnished with stage and drop curtain at one end with music tands for a large orchestra which was imrshallcd to play for our edification Naturally the bakery kitchens laundry tailor caipcnter paint and blacksmith I shops connected with such i a large I In siitution are vciy interesting Of course the patients who work In them supervised super-vised by attendantsare I selected and look a very harmless lot ami as I saw them mechanic illy spreading slices of bread with butler and stacking up piles ol loaves and seed cakeIho get tho latter three timed a weekIhe tnsanp lunging and desire came over me to see these met k ard mild Idiots cause a little excitement and mild diverSion by heaving heav-ing pounds of butter it the head cook knocking us out un third base with a goodly chunck 01 seed cae or perChance per-chance hying out our Partly conductor will a sample loal Not that I mean to insinuate that the staff ol life was heavy far from It for the food of nil descriptions descrip-tions was ol first class quality anti had to pass inspection Inc bake ovens vegetable soup and tea coppers were on a huge scale holding about sixty gallon piece The vegetables were washed and prepared by aid I of median cal coi I trlvai ces The stores were quite uiteiestin the blankets being all wool sheets and everything being marked with a private stripe boot and shoes for an armylei chests slacked sky high together to-gether with hogsheads of sugar and hale of tobacco etc Adjoining the stores situated the brilliant room for the amusement of the stall It is fitted up in in elegant waytho doctor having invented a very ingenious electrical contrivance con-trivance by which the score is registered upon a big dial on the wall on the pushbutton push-button principle there being buttons situated ill around Ihe room and table within i easy reach The fire prevention t tilt f system is also verype tie c I and a fireman is always oil duty As is the case in every asylum the women patients far outnumber the men Oie of the most touching cases that came under m > observation wis that of in old woman who had only two slumps left having cut oil one hand with an ax and thrust Ihe other into the fire until it was bitintito a cllll She was crooning over an old dirty rag doll Mrs Davis had previously sent her in a I fine wax doll which she had named the Princess but she did not care for It at all and had It stowed away under the bed A goodly number of the patients seemed to be suflering from various forms ol religious mauia One youngwornan in particular as soon as we entered one ward threw herself before the doctor under the impression im-pression he was the Messiah Others of them develop lovef making propensities that arc to sy the least uf It embarrassIng embarrass-Ing lo a stranger in a strange land Others approacn mysterious and inform in-form one with startling abruptness that they areQueen Catherine their throat h where their stomach ought to be together to-gether lIh arious knotty problems that would make one scream with laughter anywhere else but in an asylum A great many of them talk anti yell utter nonsense find do not aem 10 take the sliglolesl heed 01 each otherin any shape or form For each and every one the doctor bad n ready answer that quieted them and Ile were not slow in failing tile cue for it gets monotonous when tbe fortieth patient comes up and confidentially confi-dentially Inloims one thit I hey are perfectly per-fectly sane and want to get out or that they are being starved to death etc To sympathize with them Is fatal Hut for the kindly attention of the keeper one would have to listen to their tale ot woe till the crack til doom The primary reasoi thai the asylum of the world are full 1 to overflowing will not bear diseasing through the colums of a home paper still ngreat many ca < cs are from drink and are hcriditary lather and son often occupying cells in the same institution Happily Ihre is always chance for the vounger ones 45 per cent 01 whom are annnally discnarged as being permanently cured It is with a suh of rebel that one leaves the as lum with us awiul obect lesson to humanity anti takes a glance through the cunservatones wherein are raised all the pot plants and flowers used to adorn the wards and Doctor Davies I hut houses whcrein are several hundred 1 pounds worth ol ln valuable I orchids or-chids collected from various climes the world over Truly a man who has to deal with Inc seamy rnorbcd side of humanity hu-manity daily needs some uch t innocent relaxation Gto g CAnrtNTER |
