Library Collections: Document: Full Text

"Dr. McFarland's government of his patients is believed too severe, and his discipline of attendants too mild."

He was found also to be very neglectful of his sick patients. They found also that he had not only admitted sane patients and kept them for years, but he often kept the patients there after they had fully recovered, so long, that they had been made incurably insane by allowing them no hope of ever being liberated. This class were compelled to work constantly for his benefit.

But the records of the house were so artfully kept that it was almost impossible to detect this mode of purloining public treasure, talent and labor.

The women worked in the sewing and dining-rooms, the wash-rooms and ironing-rooms and kitchen, and the men on the Doctor's great farm, which was entirely carried on by this slave labor -- slave labor in the sense that the laborers were never allowed to be paid one dime for all this toil for the Superintendent's pecuniary benefit.

But as an atonement for this sin of extortion from his own patients, Doctor McFarland would often have it lauded to his generosity that he had donated, from his own farm, potatoes for the poor in Jacksonville!

Yes, 'tis true. This noted Dr. McFarland was, indeed, the most benevolent man, in his way, I think, that ever lived.

He never abused patients but it was for "their good!" He never kept the sane at work for him years after they were fit to go home but for "their good!" He never robbed his patients of their better clothing and exchanged it for very inferior clothing unless it was for "their good!" He never wrote to their friends the intelligence that these his sane patients were not fit to be with sane people, and therefore should not be removed, but for "their good!" He never denied them the right of corresponding with their friends except for "their good!" He never sent his sick or convalescent patients to the wash-room to do the day's work of a well one, but for "their good!" He would refuse the request of friends to see their relatives in his wards for "their good!" He would brand as incurable his sane patients who dared to tell him they should expose him when liberated for "their good!" He would not allow his sick or tired patients to lie upon their beds in the day time for "their good!" He would deny their request for papers and books to read for "their good!" He would turn a deaf ear to his patients' complaints for "their good!" He would not credit the testimony of his patients for "their good!"

In short, this benevolent man never did anything from a selfish motive -- but always for "the good" of some one besides himself!

Indeed, Benevolence was one of his largest phrenological developments; but the truth must be told, his benevolence was perverted to mere selfish ends and selfish purposes. That is -- he would carry on his selfish and nefarious schemes under the ostensible plea of "the good of his patients," while, in reality; no injustice to them was too great for him to perpetrate if he saw his selfish interests required it, or could be promoted thereby.

The above seems a sad picture of the character and actions of a public servant, whose character had so long been regarded as above suspicion, and this ostensible plea of benevolence, or regard for others, had been the bait with which their confidence had been secured.

But for the truth of this picture, I would refer my readers to that massive volume of testimony now in the archives of the Library Room in the State-House at Springfield, collected by this Committee, as a standing monument of the corruption and guilt of that public servant who is held responsible for the revolting details it contains of perverted public trusts and public confidence.

The writer, who has been allowed the unrestricted privilege, as is the right of all citizens of Illinois, of examining these manuscripts to her entire satisfaction, is prepared to state that all the charges I have ever brought against Dr. McFarland are there fully corroborated by the most reliable testimony; such testimony as left no doubt in the minds of these faithful and patient investigators of the truth of all the charges I had brought against him.

CHAPTER XXIX.
Mr. McFarland's Punishment of Mr. Wyant.

Since the public are so very unwilling to believe that insanity is treated as a crime rather than a misfortune, in our public hospitals, and as the writer knows this to be a fact, she has therefore introduced one fact, found in these records, demonstrating her position. And this is by no means an isolated case, but is only one of many, which might be mentioned, showing that punishment is the chief and almost the only treatment patients receive in Jacksonville, as a cure for their insanity.

The case mentioned is that of a Mr. Wyant, a gay, sprightly, sensitive young man, who had placed his ardent affections upon a beautiful young lady, who unfortunately was beloved by another young man of like passions with himself. These rival lovers agreed to settle the question, as to who should win this contested prize, by a duel, which was fought as agreed.