Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 28.djvu/69

Rh a close asylum, a very small number of guards are sufficient, with the aid of the high walls and gratings, to watch a relatively large number of insane; but there the patient is not watched by any except the guards. Willie cases of maltreatment are rare, they nevertheless occur, and have to be brought into the courts. But this is hardly possible at Gheel; here is a whole population directly or remotely interested in seeing that the patients are well treated. The nourricier always has rivals who would be eager to take advantage of any case of violence or brutality to denounce the culprit and have his license withdrawn. Every inhabitant of Gheel is or can become acquainted with all the members of the colony; he knows where they live, and understands the phases of their various affections, and has a sympathy for them. Where else could be found so many guards and so well trained? But the number of guards of section is not in proportion to the importance and multiplicity of their duties, and it should be increased. Four men are not enough to attend to all the details that fall under their supervision; and cases may occur, as has sometimes happened, when they are all at once occupied, or absent, on special duty.

Once placed with his nourricier, the patient enjoys considerable liberty. If he is wealthy, or in easy circumstances, he does what he pleases; he may read, write, smoke, and work, according to his inclination; the poorer patient, also, if he does not care to work, may pass his time in his own way. But, except when an indigent patient is too old to labor, or when physical infirmities forbid his exercising any manual profession, the large majority of the patients at Gheel are employed in some way or another. Work, especially field-work, agrees well with the insane. It gives them a salutary diversion. In a purely physical view, it has always the advantage of strengthening their muscles and promoting an energetic circulation of the blood; but the benefit in this case is perhaps more moral than physical. The proportion of patients employed at Gheel varies according to the categories of their affections, but may be averaged at about seventy-two per cent, and is nearly equally made up of men and women. According to an estimate furnished by Dr. Peeters, in a group of 390 maniacs are 178 men, only 30 of whom are idle; the rest are at work as follow: 25 at housekeeping, 110 in agriculture, and the rest as masons, fishermen, brick-makers, draughtsmen, carriers, shoe-makers, joiners, or tailors. Among the idiots, we find 182 employed, 84 unemployed; among 62 melancholies, 44 engaged in some kind of work, and 18 not so engaged. A considerable number of professions are represented among the insane men, and those who desire to work at their regular business can do so. With the women, while the number of professions is smaller, the number who are occupied in one way or another is more considerable than among the men; the majority of them assist in the housekeeping or in taking care of the children; many work in the fields; a few carry on a trade, lace-making, for instance.