Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 September 1913 — REMARKABLE City of Insane [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

REMARKABLE City of Insane

THE most remarkable Insane colony In the world 1b probably that at the Gheel in Belgium. The system in vogue'there consists in no-restraint but tßat of kindly surveillance except in dangerous cases. The colony is in a village surrounding a church dedicated to St. Dymphe, the patroness of the insane. The insane patients are not referredto as mad. Always they are “the sick,” the malades. They are boarded in the homes of the inhabitants in order that they may enjoy the freedom and t intercourse of family life, the benefit of which is one of the fundamental ideas of the system. Nehriy every house in the colony contains one or two “malades” —more than two not being allowed by the medical authority in chief. "This fact makes a visit to Gheel somewhat weird,” says a writer in the Queen. “One constantly meets patients and never knows whether one Is speaking to a sane person or not. As 1 was taken round by the wife of a nurse I was very probably taken for the newest arrival in the colony. Enjoy Perfect Freedom. “Among Gheel’s mentally afflicted population are people from all parts of Europe—England, France, Holland and Belgium all send patients 'here. My guide kept pointing out to me a patient in the street, or a house where dwelt one or more of the malades. “A woman standing here, a man walking there, an old man with a scythe returning from harvesting—all were aliens, but all were enjoying perfect freedom, walking about like the rest of the world, working if they liked, or resting if they liked, though all were known and looked upon with kindly commiseration as sick in mind if not in body. “In the railway Btation I noticed a man walking up and down very impatiently waiting for the booking office to open; he, too, like so many others, was “not quite all there,” and this was one of his daily customs. I believe a ticket of some kind was given him, and he walked away quite happy, as the patients In this queer colony are all known to the inhabitants and their ldiosyncracies indulged with a kindly tolerance as far as possible “My guide, too, seemed quite amused when I expressed a fear of accidents, seeing that the Btation and lines, both of the tram and railway, are open. I found out afterward that there had been up till then but four fatal accidents to the patients on the railway at Gheel, one of which was due to a sudden fit of suicidal mania. Epileptic patients, by the way, seem to improve here, and in twenty years, out of no fewer than 3,000, only once had there ever been an attempt on life, and that not a serious one. “It must not, however, be thought, that the dangerous patients are allowed perfect freedom at Gheel. On the contrary, these are kept under restraint in the Hospice, where they are cared for by the kindly, sweet faced Sisters of Charity. But confinement Is only resorted to in those cases where it is absolutely necessary. “The history of the Belgian ■system Is interesting, as the treatment of the insane in the manner sketched is purely Belgian both in its inception and its realization. It has been copied by other European nations, as well as America, but England has held aloof, though Scotland tried it some years ago. The colony has been in existence* at Gheel as such since the beginning of the last century, though legend places Its origin very early indeed. “It has been visited by all the great mental Specialists of Europe, who have, of course, found fault with it. but have, nevertheless, often taken hints from it It consisted, at my visit, of about 2,000 maladies, out of which number an average of about sixty only were sequestrated, the rest enjoying perfect liberty, as 1 have stated above. How By*tem Originated. “The system originated at first la a ( ' . ; .. V .. ... 4 1 ; • u s •

question of cost. ‘We are not rich enough to build the big establishments you have in England,’ the medical director told me. The second and most important one was the desire for at more humane treatment of the ‘sick in mind,’ as they hold that shutting them up only irritates them and increase* the malady. It is calculated that each lunatic costs us in England £175. Gheel the cost varies from 300 francs to 2,000 francs per annum (S6O to $400), the sum paid depending on the position of the family of the alienated. “The colony 1b under , the direction of a medical director. Under him are six specialists, who live in separate houses, but are not allowed any private practice. “The medical director inspects the colony at least once a year. The members of the permanent committee, in two series, each pay a visit once a year. The doctor in charge of the sections visits the Incurables at least once a month, while those who show any signs of cure are visited once a week. “In addition there are seven gardes, who must visit all the patients of their section at least twice a month, while two others charged with the hydropathic service, and another garde complete the * service of surveillance. In addition to this, if necessary, other visits are paid, the incurables being visited in all about 450 times a year, those who give any sign of recovery being seen more often than this. Daily reports to the director and meetings at his house to receive instructions keep him courant with everything and every one in the colony. Amusements are arranged for the patients in the winter. •* “As the results of the system, it may be of interest to mention that the death fate (has averaged about four per cent, during the past few years, while in England and Wales the rate has been seven per cent, for the past ten years. With regard to recoveries, in Gheel these have been 19 per cent., at least since 1889, while in the two countries above mentioned ten per cent., I understand, has been the average.”