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Illustrations Of Insanity, Furnished By Letters Of The Insane

Creator: n/a
Date: April 1847
Publication: American Journal of Insanity
Source: Available at selected libraries

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Utica Asylum, Saturday Morning August.

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Mr, --- My YOUNG FRIEND. -- I embrace the earliest opportunity, I have found according to the dictates of my own judgment and the opinion of my friends, that I should communicate to my numerous friends in --- County, which I have daily declared in loud and strong language to all within the hearing of a thundering voice to be the moral Religious Whig and Lyon County of the Empire State of New York, whether it is fancy or fact. The dictates of the inner man or in other words the feelings of the heart say to me that I am as happy a person this morning as is to be found in the limits of the large wealthy and populous state which now encloses in its territory instead of wild beasts and savage Indians who less than one hundred years since wandered over its then rich wild and uncultivated forests is now covered over every part of its extensive territory with sundry rich and populous cities; numerous incorporated active business villages and farms highly cultivated, last not least an intelligent Christian population, I trust redeemed from what I now presume to say to you a young man just commencing your career on the stage of active life in the strong language of the learned Dr. Dwight, is a hell upon earth. I mean a bar room in a whiskey or rum tavern or grocery store where six less or more drunken fools are blowing out of their steam throats the stinking fumes of whiskey rum, brandy or tobacco, and pounding and kicking each other to determine who has the best of the argument on some moral religious or political question which the drunken disputants are discussing with great zeal and with as much sense to an intelligent bystander as the crowing of an old or young rooster or the cackling of a hen or squall of a goose. I feel grateful to the good Providence of our Heavenly father and most merciful and gracious protector and redeemer that the Christian, permit me to say the holy enterprise of this age has placed before the young and unexperienced of this age so many checks to that flood of iniquity and outrageous and horrible depravity which in this happy land called the asylum for the oppressed of all nations to flea to, has nevertheless, since the death of that great and good man, George Washington justly called the best friend to his country and who during the sixteen years of his active public life, did not tarnish his moral religious and political life, with scarcely a single wanton abuse of his preeminent influence and the unbounded, unlimited power that attended that influence. Washington had passions and had errors as well as other men. No man liveth and sinneth not, is the language of inspiration written in the Proverbs of Solomon, one of the ancient kings among the Jews the son of the shepherd King, David, writer of the Psalms and called the sweet singer of Israel!! Washington's errors whenever any occurred during his public and eminently useful life were overlooked and forgotten, a large -- I may say a vast majority of the people of this now great and populous republic, had such unbounded confidence in his sterling, integrity and religious honesty, that his opinions while he lived when published and known became the established law of the land which no opposition could set aside. I cannot say much in this letter about the building in which I am writing, its beautiful and healthful situation in the northern part of the flourishing moral and religious city of Utica, composed principally of yankee or properly descendants of a yankee population. I shall probably be able to enclose you the annual report of the trustees to the Legislature in a few days, most of which report I read yesterday. That report if you get it will inform you and other friends in --- County, the particulars of an institution which I am now fully satisfied is highly useful and alleviating to the unfortunate persons deprived of the discreet exercise of their mental faculties. As my sheet is nearly full I must close, I cannot particularize in any formal compliments to friends. You, your father and mother will of course make the first use this letter, next other friends. Persevere in your business, be honest, prudent, virtuous, keep the best of company, avoid the vicious and you will go through life with credit to yourself and be useful to those around you. My present belief is that I shall write to --- shortly.

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Yours Truly,

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The following letter was, written by a convalescent patient, -- an interesting young lady, who had been deranged about six months; during most of which time she was speechless. In this letter, her condition and feelings are graphically described.

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DEAR PARENTS -- I take this opportunity of writing to you, after being separated from you a long time, and leaving home in a deranged state of body and mind. Little did you know how much suffering I endured in mind for one whole year before I came here. I felt that my reason was fast leaving me, but I concealed my feelings and thoughts on the subject as long as it was possible.

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