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Visit To The Retreat For The Insane, At Hartford

Visit To The Retreat For The Insane, At Hartford image
Parent Issue
Day
14
Month
April
Year
1845
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

We had formed a high opinión of this instilulion, ond having a good opporluniiy, we went to eee it. Dr. Boller, wlio is at the heud, aflbrded us every facility for seeintr the intnatcs, and a tr.ore wretched, unforrunate set of' human beings we neversaw; not wretched for want of allent ion, but t eeemed as ihough the very worst cases in creution had been sent therc. Severa lseemed to beenlire ly kliolic. Some were raving in their madneea. One man was in the yard, with a piece of a btankeL thrown over his shoiildert;. We spoke kindly to him, and-he shook hands wilh lis, and said ie was 'great on religión, and great on scicnce Then he lookrd up lo heaven witi) great eamesrness, and repeated a verso of the hymn so wel! known to the religious world -'Let cares like a wild deluge coma, And storms of sorruw fa 11, Mny I but safely reach my home, My God, my heaven, my uil.' Poor, unfortunate man, thought we, nccording to our belief, you wil! safely reach your home finully, a World where there will be oll liannony and love. The attendant said'he was so raving mud ilrat ho would get well.' The prospect appeared ralher emali lo us,- We heard the most violent screams 'm another part of the building, anti we found there a female in the most raving condition. We went to her, and she exclaimed, 'Oh.' what shall 1 do! What siiall I do! Where are my maids of honor? Where are my maids oíorí We had a Ung conrversation with í)r. Butler, about the ueaimeut of tlie insane. H had laid down two principies, First. To treat llieni as tlioug-h they ttere sane. Second. To ploce confidence n theirword. He rcmarkcd tiiat a promise onco obtained from the insano wn6 scUlotn brokcn: not near 6o often as by thuse ín their nght minr!. Tnis was rather a sorry coinment, we thought, opon those ofus vvho we are io oirr rig.'it ' oGDses.Dr. Butler has mnch tosay about reslraint. He said he must either restrain the hands of the most raving, or put fhem in confinement. He prcferred the fo mcr. The proces was simply a strop nrouml the arms, leaving the patieni opportunity to eat, btit without líbery enough to strike its aitendant. This did ïot offciid uriion-rcsistant principies. We ravc no objection to any Cünfrtiement, w!:ere he good of the individual can be projnoted. Bui society generally rcIs on the principie of evenge. Pain is uflictert oti the criminal, nut tbr his good, but iwjrely hecouso he has nfl.cted pnin on sotne one clse. The whoic ! design of püitishimnt should hc pYovpecltve í ot retroactiva then tliis priw-ifTos iö once admitted, then wil] our priáüii become moral hospital, nor mere places oí"

Article

Subjects
Signal of Liberty
Old News