M. Allen

“ The politeness which may be traced in his manners, is evidently the result or remains of his old habits, as he is so absorbed in abstract speculations that all attention to himself or external objects is utterly excluded; he is always solitary, but it is like the solitariness of one whose intense studies allow him no time for fellowship or the exercise of social feelings, so much so, that notwithstanding a consciousness of kind and respectful treatment towards him, he scarcely yet seems to know the name of his attendant. ”

“ Then, indeed, would the fire of Divine Love purify the earth of the human mind;—then would the oil of charity be the fuel on the altar of every heart;—then would the light of Divine Wisdom ascend into understanding, there to remain a sun without clouds for ever. ”

“ To have the character of being intelligent, is of great service.—Nothing impresses them with this conviction so much, as proofs that you possess a key to unlock their minds—that you have a perfect insight into the peculiarities of each—can trace to its origin their insane state,—the evil of extremes,—and more especially can meet these with clear views of the truth of that which they have perverted.—But all this still more requires that you are not merely esteemed for talents, but also for goodness ”

“ Insanity is, no doubt, a terrible visitation; but why should we allow a false and unreasonable horror to increase it? and why should we thus sever our sympathy from a disease which more than any other requires it? ”

“ If people are destroyed for lack of knowledge—if to hate the light is a proof of deeds being evil—if the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom—if this knowledge is the continent in the mind for the reception of every other what shall we say of those who teach—that this—the first, the best, the godlike gift of the Creator, must be sacrificed in order to embrace the view of religion which they propose? ”

“ And though the feeling of being excluded from rational society, often presents itself to the mind as a terrible sacrifice to those whose earliest and fondest wish was to live in the sphere of intellect and genius, yet we are often reminded that they are not always irrational, that some, are so only on a single point, while on every other they possess more than common powers of pleasing; others, are in a state of convalescence, and many of them are, for a while at least, grateful and amiable in the extreme ”

“ About two years ago he was subject to maniacal fits of outrageous passion, when his manner was proud and stalking, his voice loud and blustering, and his language contemptuous and imperative; calling the house his own; commanding every one of us as his servants, in grand style. The mention of a single fact, out of an immense number, will be sufficient to characterise his spirit and manners. ”

“ Yet, though we are not to tease and vex him, by contradiction, or by refusing to listen to his tales; it ought to be remembered, that in this and all other cases, we ought never, on any account, to violate the truth.
Though we should never forget to exercise prudence, we must be careful that truth still presides at the helm, otherwise it may degenerate into cunning; then what we call prudence, is vicious and mischievous; and yet, men persuade themselves while doing so, that some evil is avoided, or some good is secured. ”

“ There are few minds, even amongst the insane, who are not accessible to the salutary influence of this kind and liberal mode of proceeding. It is true, that many paupers, who have long been subjected to a very different system, are scarcely receptive of any of the impressions which belong to human nature; but with a higher class of patients, this can seldom or never be the case, unless it be in cases of absolute dementia. Even in the height of the most furious paroxysms, it is astonishing how much may be done by liberality and kindness. ”

“ They have given an undue and exclusive consideration to property and to the few extreme and violent cases; treating them and all who have the care of them as criminals. To live amongst them, appears to be deemed a crime, for which neither goodness nor talent can atone. All which must, in various ways, have an injurious influence. To banish these errors is to better the treatment of the insane. This conviction is my excuse for introducing the subject, and which makes me anxious to prove, from experience, that such extreme cases hardly have any existence at all under a proper system of treatment ”

“ The philosopher knows that the unobserved and silent influence is the most important, and that the striking results are the mere indexes of its secret movements.
Let ignorance pretend to admire these striking results, and laugh at him who is anxious to discover the cause which produces them; he has incomparably more interest and pleasure, his eyes more open, and his understanding more exercised in these common facts, than other men, while yet he deems them as nothing compared to the end they serve ”

“ To what extremes are the passions of the human mind liable, when neither the true light of the understanding nor any right sense of justice guide them! We see this in ignorant and unprincipled individuals, who suddenly rush out of their thraldom and pupilage into liberty and licensciousness; we see the same thing exhibited by p. 144agitated and wicked masses, as in the French Revolution, when the moral, like the physical ocean, is let loose from its order and control, and heaves its tumultuous waves of passion, as if by an earthquake, from one overwhelming extreme to another. ”

“ No power of the mind should ever be so exercised, as to require the suspension or sacrifice of another. To exercise every virtue in its place, and to give to each “its relative and appropriate share,” is the perfection at which we should ever aim. This principle, as it is the best prevention, so also it is the best remedy in the cure, of insanity. ”

“ No Act can give knowledge and principle, but an Act can carry with it so much opprobrium, that men of feeling and knowledge and principle, are deterred from undertaking a department of the profession, which the law supposes is only in the hands of base, unprincipled men. ”

“ Indeed, the same principle is exemplified in the cases of men of spirit or energy, who, during the excitement produced by the achievement of some difficult enterprise, bear the want of food and sleep, and resist the effects of cold and exhaustion, to an extent which would seem to have exempted them from the common laws of humanity, and these are the incidents in life which are never forgotten; but then, as with the insane, this extraordinary expenditure of the cerebral energy leaves the system exhausted, and it requires all our art and care to recover the enfeebled powers. ”

“ In fact, every system of management that does not make this principle, of mildly calling forth and gently exercising this internal principle of self-control on matters that are least connected with the diseased parts of the brain, a constant and primary object of attention, is not merely defective, but exhibits very great ignorance of the attributes of mind, as well as of the causes and nature of its maladies; and it follows that, as a system, it must be without any clear principle to guide its physical and moral treatment. ”

“ The study of mental philosophy, of which insanity is a very important part, is, of all studies, provided we are on the road where truth is the guide, the most useful to our moral state. This belief was the first motive which induced me, now more than thirty years ago, to direct my medical attention to this most radically-important, though hitherto-neglected branch of the profession, as well as to whatever seemed best calculated to make me understand the sources of all erroneous and extreme views, and which a series of painful circumstances through life have excited and continually strengthened ”

“ Perhaps the number of such men vouchsafed to the world, has been too inconsiderable to enable us to form any correct comparative estimate between them and the rest of mankind, yet reason proclaims it true; and as far as medical statistics furnish us with facts, they all tend to confirm the truth. Certain it is, that nothing conduces so much to health and long life as conduct, well regulated, and a mind habitually preserved in a state of intellectual calmness. ”

“ Where the powers of body mind are well balanced—every thing is in its p. 184place—every part subservient to every other—all reduced to practice—then the mental and corporeal powers wear well—age brings few diseases, and no apprehensions—our peace of mind becomes more settled—our wisdom greater—our friendships more valuable, and we come to the grave in a full age, like a shock of corn in its season. ”

“ No evil is greater than the evil of constantly chiding and suspiciously watching for faults. It is an evil spirit that poisons and inflames every thing within its sphere. A contrary spirit has a healing influence; and though it requires numerous attendants, and makes the whole business of superintending the insane a source of constant and intense anxiety and solicitude, yet it is pleasing to have it in my power to state many “striking” examples of its efficacy, but I shall, notwithstanding, content myself with only slightly glancing at two or three. ”

“ It is on this philosophical system of kindness, that every thing should be so contrived that the principle of internal self-control should be excited, and kept in exercise; and thus, being brought to depend somewhat on themselves, the depressing effects of the absolute restraint of fear, induced by harsh measures, and the tyranny into which a mere place of confinement with walls, and bolts and bars, must almost necessarily degenerate, is avoided. ”

“ In fact, to have recourse to any means which operates so much on the fears, whatever medical virtues it may appear to possess, is adopting a principal which philosophy and Christianity equally condemn. It ought ever to be the aim of all persons IN POWER to call in no principle but that of the OMNIPOTENCE of SYMPATHY and BENEVOLENCE; and this PRINCIPLE is not to be excluded even from those whose spirits are imprisoned in bodily evils and diseases. ”

“ I shall only remark that it is certain such seasons and states of the weather are equally fruitful in the production of insanity and in the excitement of those already insane. Yet, from these internal mental or moral influences, it is evident that neither insanity nor epidemic diseases can prevail exactly in proportion to the state of the weather, unless it could be proved there always existed a correspondence between the state of the weather and the moral and physical susceptibilities or predisposition of the persons exposed to its influence. ”

“ It is much more conducive to cure than the system of perfect separation and exclusion from any association. This truth is another important reason for being anxious, from the best of motives, to remove these baneful prejudices which have hitherto made a marked moral line of distinction between diseases of the brain, and other parts of the system, exclusively and absurdly making the former a proof of some shameful criminality. ”

“ Shut out from the world, one is as apt at one time, on again entering into it, to be as much oversurprised and delighted with the blessed fire-side scenes where the wise and good man resides, as one is at another time to be equally over-disappointed and revolted with the follies and miseries of the moral insanities which exist unrestrained among men in real life. ”

“ Nothing can be worse than the common practice in public institutions of allowing idle visitors to amuse themselves by listening to, and of course encouraging, their conversation on the subject of their individual insanity.—When we do notice these delusions, and it must be seldom, it must be a very important and grave matter; and we must exert all our eloquence, and call forth the most overpowering arguments against the folly, wickedness and direful consequences of encouraging these delusions. ”