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Astounding Disclosures! Three Years In A Mad House

Creator: Isaac H. Hunt (author)
Date: 1851
Publisher: Isaac H. Hunt
Source: Patricia Deegan Collection
Figures From This Artifact: Figure 2  Figure 3

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188  

Mrs. Church, of Farmington, was at the hospital, a patient, several years ago. She was most shamefully and inhumanly abused. I have been told that when her husband visited her, she threw herself into his arms, and told him he should never leave her again. He took her away and it is said that he entered complaints to Reuel Williams, one of the Trustees, and by his persuasions he did not make a public exposure as he talked of, because Mr. Williams said it would injure the reputation of the Institution.

189  

Wm. Stevens, a patient, was a young man who had a fall which somewhat impaired his reasoning; but I think had never ought to have been at the Hospital. He was sick some two months or more, and when he had no appetite to eat I have seen his gruel forced into his mouth by pulling out his tongue and filling his mouth, and then compelling him to swallow it. He had an impediment in his speech so that it was difficult for him to converse with any one. But several times when I would be sitting by his side, he would say to me, "Oh what a dreadful place is this." He was very much frightened by being compelled to stay in that dreadful abode of the most frightful mortals that can be conceived of, and when he was sick, he was afraid that he should die, and be in the hands of the devil the other side of the curtain.

190  

MR. KYLE, who was a patient, showed me a sear upon his head, which he said he received by being knocked down by an attendant. Jonathan Knowles, a laborer on the new wing, saw the print of a man's hand upon the throat of a patient, and heard the hired man boast that he had him down by the throat, and made the marks upon it. Is not that the milk of human kindness, distilled down in the best of cream or oil?

191  

MISS ZORADA REED, of Swan Island, was kept in the cottage for a period of nearly two years; much of the time in a state of nudity. -- Dr. Bates asserted that he could not afford her even a duck frock, as she would tear her clothes. Miss Reed was seen one day in the gallery with the muffs on, and her food was placed upon a seat, uncut and to eat it, not having, the use of her hands, she was obliged to stoop down on her knees, and thus get the food into her mouth. In doing this she thrust the plate upon the floor, for which act she had her head pounded against the bench by the attendant. This was another act, done, I suppose, to allay the poor girl's excitement. Miss Reed was finally taken home by her friends, and kept for a short time in a cage, but at the expiration of about one month; she so far recovered as to be able to go to teaching school, an occupation she has continued, I believe, ever since. She is perfectly sane now.

192  

Soon after the hospital was burned, Reuel Williams was returning up the river, on board a steam boat, and the calamity was the topic of conversation. One gentleman said that he should like to hear that the whole building had sunk below the ground, so that not a stone could be seen. Mr. Williams said that perhaps he had heard some stories about it which he did not like. The gentleman said he had not heard of any thing, but knew by his own observation, for he had had a sister there, who had been teaching school, and was taken deranged, and by his advice she was taken to the hospital, thinking from what he had heard of it that she would be greatly benefitted by going there. After she went he used to visit her occasionally, and for a time she appeared very well, and said she had a kind nurse, who treated her well; and he sometimes gave the nurse money for her kind attention to his sister. After a while the nurse was changed, and his sister appeared very bad, and told him she was abused by the nurse. He visited her again, and she appeared worse than before, and told him the same story of her abuse. The next time he visited her he told Dr. Bates that he wished to be taken to see his sister as she then was, for the two last times he visited her she appeared as though she had just been washed and dressed for the purpose of seeing him, and that she had told him that she was abused, and he wished to see her as she then was, for the purpose of satisfying himself. Dr. Bates objected to his seeing her in her cell; but he persited -sic-in such strong terms, stating that he believed she was abused, that Dr. Bates was forced to take him to her cell, and there he found her a pitiable object enough; in dirt and filth, which was perfectly disgusting, and he told the Doctor that that sight was enough to satisfy him and that she had told him the truth in relation to her abuse, and he should remove her as soon as possible. He went home and told his father of her situation, and that she must be taken home immediately. And then the question was, to know what they could do with her there. He told him that while a house was building for her she must be kept in the corn-barn, and the corn-barn was accordingly prepared for her, and she was put into it and kept there until a small house with two rooms was ready for her. When she had been kept in her house about one day, she was taken into the house with the rest of the family, and in a few weeks she went to teaching her school again, and had continued to do so up to the present time, and he did not want any more evidence, than his own sister's treatment, to convince him of the abuse of that Institution, and if any person wishes to know who the lady was, I will inform them that she was Miss Zorada Reed, of Swan Island, mentioned above. I think any comment by me on this case, is unnecessary; but I have no doubt but that her case is a fair sample of eight cases in every ten, of all female patients.

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