“The first and most sacred of all Property is Thought, and the first duty of a Philosopher and メン THE BELFAST MONTHLY MAGAZINE. No. 18.] JANUARY 31, 1810. COMMUNICATIONS, ORIGINAL AND SELECTED. For the Belfast Monthly Magazine. ON LUNATIC ASYLUMS. OR some little time past, my at has been the present state of the principal Lunatic Asylums in and about London; and in the course of my visits to these abodes of mental disorder, I could not but experience a variety of emotions-many, it will readily be supposed, of sorrow and compassion for suffering humanity-but, some, I must confess, of pleasure and satisfaction. The calamity of reason dethroned is indeed to be deplored, but the wisdom that restores her lost empire cannot be sufficiently admired. I did not undertake this survey, from any expectation, that my own observations could suggest any thing useful: But, considering the advances which have been made within the last 20 or 30 years in the science of political and moral economy, if I may be allowed the latter expression, I was desirous to compare the present mode of treating the unhappy objects of Insanity, with the practice of former times, in order that I might discover the degree of enlightened humanity to which the present age has attained, concerning a subject so interesting to every inhabitant of every nation. [Vol. 4. which man, without establishments the few public receptacles rather Even to the time of the benevolent Howard, many hospitais as well as prisons in Great Britain and on the Continent were rather a disgrace to humanity, than the emblems of charity or justice. By the inestimable labours. of this great Philanthropist, which the celebrated Burke eloquently termed "a voyage of discovery-a circumnavigation of charity," how greatly has the sum of human misery been diminished! and, during the short period of his own life, what a happy change, was wrought all over Europe! We need but look over his pages to discover, in what state he found uraerous happy beings, deprived of their reason; either wander ing about without restraint, the objects of horror or of pity; or, confounded with felons in common jails; or lastly, under ignorant and unfeeling keepers, in the gloomy cell of a workhouse, condemned to clank their chains night and day, upon the stony floor-in winter, perishing with cold→→ in summer, without even the refreshment of a Bath to cleanse the feverish body from its accumulated filth.* We have, indeed, some reason to congratulate our country when we regard the numerous hospitals and charitable institutions, established of late years in this metropolis, and in most parts of the British Empire, supported too in the most liberal manner, and conducted upon the wisest plans of economy. We cannot sport to idle visitants at Assizes, and but reflect-these are all of a date comparatively recent--poverty and disease have always existed: How then did our ancestors support their existence under evils so incident to BELFAST MAG. NO. XVII. *In some few gaols are confined Lunatics and Idiots. These serve for other times of general resort. "Many of the Bridewells are crowded and offensiv, because the rooms which were designed for prisoners are occupied by the insane. When thesc are not A It is almost impossible to conceive that, for so many past ages, the situation of the Maniac should have engaged so little the attention of enlightened politicians, or of wise and disinterested men; that the sentiment of the vulgar should have been so long practically entertained, of madness being an incurable disorder, (as though an instance of recovery from that degraded state had never occurred within their knowledge) that no public efforts were made, no system of wholesome and humane treatment adopted, to restore the wanderings of a distempered imagination, to restore in fact, a man to himself-a citizen of the world to his proper rank in the scale of rational existence. But, what shall we say of their sagacity, who, when they had faintly discovered, that a restoration from this humiliating state was not impossible, permitted or used blows and stripes, with horrible barbarity and ignorance, to correct the ravings of men, who knew not that they had erred in any way to deserve a punishment so cruel? We are necessitated to conclude that the world is progressively wing wiser, seeing we now find that kindness will produce a soothing effect upon the affections, and will often succeed in calming the fury of a. turbulent insane; when harsh means would have exasperated him to all the Bottars of determined vengeance. The affections are not therefore extinguished, because the controul of reason may have been for a time suspended.* And the rule will as well apply to raging madmen kept separate, they disturb and terrify other prisoners. No care is taken of them, although it is probable that by medicines and proper regimen, some of them might be restored to their sense and to usefulness in life."-Howard on prisons. Sect. 1, p. 8. most "I cannot avoid giving my decided suffrag, says Pincl, in favour of the moral quanties of maniacs. I have no where met, except in romances, with fouder husbands, more affectionate parents, more empassioned lovers, more pore and exalted patriots, than in the luatic asylum, during their intervals of calmness and reason. Vid. Pinel on Insanity, s. 5. as to children, with regard to its practical effect, that the dominion of fear will not produce a moral change like the dominion of confidence and esteem. Yet, I apprehend, every one will be inclined to confess, because from earliest infancy he has associated together the ideas of fury, Bedlam and chains, that, he thinks it so necessary that lunatics 'should be confined and kept in awe, he has always been used to regard the name of a mad-house with horror. I am far from thinking, that any thing I may have to communicate, respecting the interior of these receptacles," the secrets of the prison house"-will remove the natural impression of awful terror and sympathy for man's fallen dignity, which must strike every feeling mind. But I am inclined to believe that many of the particulars which I shall introduce amongst the observations that I may have to make upon the present state of Lunatic Asylums in England and on the Continent, will not be read without interest by those who value, as they ought, the possession of their reason-perhaps with something like compassionate tenderness for suffering humanity, and gratitude to the source of wisdom, which are felt on reading the melancholy tale of a shipwreck; in which a favourite traveller is represented as being cast away senseless, upon some distant shore, destined however,after toils and dangers to recover not only the strength of his body, but the vigour of his mind. The wreck of intellect, when complete, is indeed a mournful subject for reflection; and the blameless form which was once governed by reason, is contemplated by many with more horror than the wretch who has degraded his nature, and dishonoured the surviving gift of reason with the infamy of some wicked crime. Whence arises this strange prepossession unless from ignorance of the cause? Non unus mentes agitat furor."* The man who is deeply versed in experience of the aberrations of reason, knows that there are some species of Insanity, which, with proper treatment are curable; and others he is accustomed to re * Juvenal Sat. xiv. that |