CHAPTER XXXVIII.

LUNATIC ASYLUMS.

T has always been the custom for meritorious

honors, but it is only in modern times that peaceful civilians have been so rewarded for services rendered to their fellow-citizens. A signal instance of this occurs to me in the case of a physician, who, for his humane treatment of insane patients, was knighted by Queen Victoria. I refer to Sir William Ellis. He was at the head of the great lunatic asylum for paupers at Hanwell, near London, which I once visited, and saw the happy effects of his system on eight hundred patients, who were there taken care of without coercion or severity of any kind. No straitwaistcoats, no strapping patients into beds or chairs, no punishments of any kind were used,nothing but the personal influence of Sir William and Lady Ellis; and their power over all under their care was extraordinary. Even persons in the height of an attack of mania yielded to it. Part of their system was to keep the patients as fully and as happily employed as was possible,

and the whole establishment was like a great school of industry. The pleasure-grounds and the gardens were all kept in order by the patients, watched over by competent persons. Sir William Ellis took great pains to imbue with his own spirit of kindness and patience all whom he employed in the care of the insane, and Lady Ellis was a true helpmate to him.

The extraordinary success of the mild treatment in the Hanwell Asylum soon became known, and numerous applications for admittance there were made by the rich and great, who would pay any price to secure such treatment for their insane relations; but their ability to pay was a complete bar to their reception, none but the very poor could be received at Hanwell.

The number of paying patients thus refused admittance to the pauper asylum was so great, that it put it into the heads of some philanthropists to establish an asylum for the rich, on the same plan as that at Hanwell, but with such accommodations as would be in accordance with the manner of living to which the wealthy were accustomed. A handsome country-seat was hired, within twenty miles of London, a physician chosen to preside over it, with a fixed salary, and an educated person employed to take care of each insane patient. Carriages and horses were pro

vided for their use, and a row-boat, on a piece of water made to look like a river, was a never-failing source of amusement. A billiard-table too was a great resource in wet weather. Every evening a spacious and handsome drawing-room was well lighted, and the patients, attendants, the physician and his wife, with any guests who happened to be there, would assemble in it and amuse themselves with various games, music, and conversation, till nine o'clock, when family prayers were attended in a pretty chapel in the house, after which all retired for the night.

When I visited this invalid establishment, as it was called, there were about a dozen patients in it who were not very insane, and nearly as many educated attendants. Some of these were wellbred persons, who dined at the same table with the patients and guests; and a stranger, dining with them, could not distinguish the sane from the insane, so well did the patients behave themselves. One of them, an elderly clergyman of the Church of England, always said grace before and after dinner. He was quite a character, and amused the whole household with his sallies of wit, his poetic effusions, and his various peculiarities. One fine morning there was an unusual flocking of patients and guests to the river, where this reverend gentleman had decorated the boat with boughs of trees and red bandanna handker

chiefs. He called it Cleopatra's barge, and was handing in an old lady of seventy to give her a row in it. Some of the visitors had tried to frighten her from going on the water with an insane man; but she knew no fear, and when he invited her into Cleopatra's barge, she delighted him by saying, "If I am Cleopatra, you must be Mark Antony." When she had been out long enough and wished to land, he was not willing to go back until she reminded him that Mark Antony always did exactly as Cleopatra wished. That was sufficient to make him return immediately. The same brave old lady was visiting a patient who was confined to her room, for a few days, because she could not command herself sufficiently well to be in the drawing-room. The attendant who had been sitting with her asked the visitor if she was willing to remain there while she went down to her dinner. She assented, and was locked into the room with the refractory patient. They were seated on each side of the fireplace, when the invalid said, "Are you not afraid to be left with me when that poker is so near me? "Oh! no," replied the old lady, "not while I have the tongs and shovel so near me." The patient laughed, and was very quiet and inoffensive.

I have mentioned guests as being in this insti tution, because the friends of the patients were

allowed to visit them occasionally, when deemed proper by the physician of the establishment.

In strong contrast with the instances I have given of persons not at all afraid of the insane, is one which I remember of unreasonable alarm. Among the companions of my girlhood was one, remarkably pretty and amiable, but always laughed at for being a great coward. She had many admirers, and was early married to an excellent youth with a good fortune. She became mistress of one of those charming country-seats, for which England is so remarkable, and enjoyed for a short time the happiness of a true union. Soon, however, her husband showed great uneasiness of mind, and when driving out with his wife, expressed fears of being waylaid, and avoided passing through woods lest his enemies should start out from behind trees. This of course frightened her almost out of her wits, and she became very miserable. A brother of hers paid her a visit, was told of her fears and alarms, and assured her there was no cause for them. He saw at once that his brother-in-law was insane and needed care. The next morning, while the young wife was making her tea on the breakfast-table, and her husband was standing opposite to her, she saw two men enter softly behind him, take hold of his arms and lead him off. on the floor in a swoon.

She screamed and fell Her brother was at hand