Page:A short history of nursing - Lavinia L Dock (1920).djvu/228

212 212 A Short History of Nursing work, and, as it was preceded by a stage of active reform in special hospitals, it may best be made clear after a brief historical survey of the manage- tions shine brightly as compared with more modern ones in their treatment of insanity. Egypt and Greece recognized it as a form of disease, and Egyptian priest-physicians used music, recreation, occupation and beauty in nature and art to cure it. Greek physicians followed these methods and used no restraint. Hypnotism was also under- stood and practised in the treatment of these cases. The Middle Ages brought a revival of the belief in demoniacal possession, and torture and the most cruel punishments were applied in cases of acute mania. Many saints were supposed to have power to exorcise the evil spirits of the insane. They probably were humanitarians who treated those misunderstood patients kindly. Such saints had a shrine at Gheel in Belgium where, from the seventh century on, the insane were taken, and from it the well-known village colony grew up, cases of epilepsy and other abnormal forms of mentality being domiciled with, and humanely treated by the villagers. When witches came in Progress of mental hygiene ment of insanity. No patients have suffered more from superstitious beliefs than the insane. Yet some ancient na-