Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 28.djvu/71

Rh of himself; when, with nothing to do, or with which to occupy his mind, and in his timidity and strangeness, the idea of escape is apt to take possession of him. The remedy for this is simple: the patient has shared the occupations of the family during the week, now let him share their diversions. Although Gheel is not a place of dissipation, there is no lack of diversions there; and there is no reason why the lunatic, being invited to participate in them along with the others, should not be made to feel at home in the colony, and become attached to it.

A doctor of laws, who had had several attacks of insanity, and had passed sixteen months in a close asylum, came to Gheel in 1871. His host took pains to procure diversions for him, and frequently engaged him to assist in the concerts of the musical circle of the town. He took great pleasure in this recreation, so that, in 1872, when he was cured and at liberty to go away, he chose to stay in Gheel with his musical circle; and nothing but an official appointment in another city could induce him to leave the place where he had had so much enjoyment. The Harmonic Society was founded near the beginning of this century by a lunatic named Colbert, a musical artist, with another insane musician and a friendly amateur, and has Colbert's portrait in its hall.

A few unpleasant features, from the moral point of view, are produced through the constant intermingling of the insane with the normal-minded population. There have been half a dozen cases of pregnancy among the insane within fifty years; two of them since 1880. Some of the patients also will occasionally manifest their passions in an obscene manner; but, whenever they do so, they are sent to a close establishment as soon as possible, and are in the mean time confined in the infirmary. Generally, however, so careful discrimination is exercised in sending patients to Gheel, that it is rare to find among them any who are dangerous to public morality. It has long been usual for persons to come to Gheel for a temporary sojourn; and these are mostly deranged. They are not under the control of the administration, which has no right to interfere with them, except in case of scandal or danger; and they come and go without surveillance. Many of them, according to Dr. Peeters, may be regarded as dangerous, and likely to abuse their liberty; and the doctor cites some particular instances to prove his position. These are the persons who commit most of the immoral acts, and it would be wrong to hold the colony responsible for their misdeeds. The value of the system pursued at Gheel can not be justly estimated by the proportion of cures obtained. The colony makes no pretense to be a substitute for the close asylums. The administration, agreeing with alienist experts, recognizes that there are some forms of insanity for which the close asylum is the only possible resort. Therefore, only certain classes can be sent to Gheel, and among these the number regarded as curable