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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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Mr. Sibly, of Brewer, was knocked down upon the floor by the attendant, last winter, (1850) and so bruised by being jumped upon that he died in a day or two after. That is the truth -- believe it or not, as you may choose.

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Mr. Eaton, of Brooks, was also knocked down by the same attendant, and jumped upon with his feet or knees, so that he died in about thirty-six hours, and he purged blood while he lived. His crime was shutting himself up in his room. He had been there but four days, but so strong were the impressions of his sister that he had been murdered, that she removed the shroud from the neck of the corpse after it was carried home, and saw the prints of a man's fingers upon his throat. Notwithstanding these facts, Simon S. Bartlett testified before the committee that he laid out the corpses of both these men, and did not discover any signs or marks of violence upon their bodies. -- The facts were, the body of Mr. Eaton was very much jammed and crushed, so that it had swollen to an enormous size. I now say that Mr. Bartlett indirectly admitted to me, but a few days after Mr. Eaton's death, that he lost his life by violence, but did not give me any particulars, and he was perfectly astonished when I told him that he was murdered, and to use his own words when I told him of it, -- "How in the devil is it that you find out every thing that takes place at that hospital so soon?". To this question I replied that I did not reveal my sources of obtaining information from that place, but the real truth was that I had received a sort of telegraphic or clairvoyant despatch from some of my familiar "spirits" of that abode of darkness.

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Now I wish the public to know that Mr. John Pitts, before alluded to, witnessed the cruelties upon Sibley and Eaton, which terminated their unhappy career. This fact was one of the important reasons for Dr. Bates refusing to let John Pitts out into the world, for he knew that his assertions would be believed by every body that knew him.

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Dea. Turner, the steward, did testify before the investigating committee that he would take the word of John Pitts upon any ordinary occurrences that might have taken place under his observation. I wish further to state that two of the committee of investigation went to the lodging of Mr. Pitts, while he remained in Augusta, and took his testimony in full in reference to the above two quoted cases, as well as his own personal case. But the committee, though having possession of these statements, did not, so for as the public know, pay the slightest attention to them. Dr. Bates wrote to the sister of Mr. Eaton that he died with the acute or chronic rheumatism; I should think it must have been very cute, indeed. Well, that is as near truth as you can expect from the great Dr. Bates.

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A few more brief relations will close my statements in regard to the abuses of this Institution. One evening I had a conversation with Dr. Bates in the gallery, (in March previous to my leaving,) in regard to the medical treatment I had received at the hands of Dr. Ray. Dr. Bates replied that I must acknowledge if Dr. Ray could produce such effects, as I stated he had, he was unquestionably a very scientific man, and understood his business well! To which I responded; "Sir, I acknowledge that not even the Spanish Inquisition ever produced the superior of Dr. Ray as a horrid, barbarous, cruel and vindictive Inquisitor!"

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Next morning, when Dr. Bates visited the gallery, he said to me, that if I ever used any more of such language as I had used the evening previous, he should have to have a different classification of his patients, as he could not have such language used in that gallery ! thus intimating that I should be obliged to go below with a worse class of patients, to which I meekly replied -- "Sir, I am in your power, class me where you please, and as you please!"

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In my charge before the committee of investigation I made a general statement of the poor and meagre food supplied the patients, and the sumptuous and princely fare that made the table of the officers groan. Now I should like to particularize, just a little. For instance; not even pure milk was allowed to bless the wishy washy tea and coffee slops; doled out to the poor patients. Before the milk reaches the patient, it is always skimmed of its creamy richness; that valuable part of it being consumed in making light bread and tea cakes, and giving a zest to the bowls of berries and rich preserves of the officers or Doctors table. These things are true, and if they are not enough to convince the public, I will add another chapter in the second edition of this work.

CHAPTER VIII

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MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS.

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There is one thing connected with all the other modes of deceiving visitors, who go to the hospital to visit their friends, which ought to be understood by the public, viz.; they are frequently told that their friends are very crazy and excitable, and that it will do them a great injury to see their friends, and therefore they are pre-emptorily refused the privilege, and go away without the interview. Undoubtedly the real cause is, that they are frequently suffering the most horrid mental agony from being separated from those friends, or, perhaps from the more horrid torture of body and mind, caused by the fiendish drugs which are given to them for experimental purposes; or, from other abuses which they might reveal to their friends if they were permitted to see and converse with them. Such was the case with me, when my brother-in-law visited me for the purpose of taking me away the next week after I was carried to the hospital ; and I think that when people are refused seeing their friends under such pretences, it is time for them to demand an interview; and, if refused, to forthwith move their friends from the custody of such officers, as they may be pretty sure that there is iniquity at the bottom of such cases.

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