"On undressing for his bath, his two attendants treated him roughly because he did not remove his clothing as quickly as they thought necessary. He told them not to be so harsh, as he was still ill from fever, and was suffering from a blister on his back, which was covered with a plaster. One of the men said: 'Oh, we've heard of you before,' and, taking hold of the plaster, tore it from his back, pulling the skin of the blister with it. In giving him his bath, they rubbed his raw back with a flesh-brush, unmindful of his pleas and suffering.....About 8 o'clock in the evening Harper and two others came to the cell and wanted me to take some medicine. I was afraid it was poison, and refused. Then I was beaten, but still refused to take the medicine. This was followed by more kicks and knocks, and then the medicine poured down my throat.....Why didn't you give the "trailing sign" when you were abused?, he asked me. I told him I did not think of it. When the keepers found out that I was an Odd-fellow I was treated better than the other patients."
In this 1880 The New York Times article, the author does not have a major position in the presentation of the story. The author simply paraphrases and records the experience told by John Carroll. The author’s purpose is merely to explain the background of Carroll’s story, paraphrase Carroll’s explanations, and to interview him about his experience in the insane asylum. The author produced this document in an effort to make the conditions of the asylums known around the town. The author may have believed that publishing an interview with a patient about the inhumane treatment may initiate an opposition to the conditions of the asylums. John Carroll, one of the victims of the insane asylums, seems like a trustworthy source as he refers to himself as an odd-fellow, having a respectable position in society. An odd-fellow was a member of a global altruistic and benevolent fraternal organization derived from the British Odd-fellows service organizations of the 18th century. In the 1800's, the mentally ill were held in asylums in unhealthy environments, with no compassion or respect given to them. Those in asylums were perceived as “animals” and creatures that had no sense of feeling. In these morbid environments, patients were often left isolated in cells with no source of heat or light. In this New York Times newspaper article published in 1880, the author describes one of John Carroll’s daily occurrences with the workers of the asylum stating, “He told them not to be so harsh, as he was still suffering from fever, and was suffering with a blister on his back, which was covered with a plaster. One of the men said: ‘Oh, we've heard of you before’, and taking hold of the plaster, tore it from his back, pulling the skin of the blister with it. In giving him his bath, they rubbed his raw back with a flesh-brush, unmindful of his pleas and suffering.” The workers give inhumane treatment to their patients, causing physical pain, among their patients. Carroll states, “About 8 o’clock in the evening Harper and two others came to the cell and wanted me to take some medicine. I was afraid it was poison, and refused. Then I was beaten; but I refused to take the medicine. This was followed by more kicks and knocks, and then I was choked and the medicine poured down my throat.” Patients were even scolded and beaten for making decisions out of fear for their life. However, later in the article, Carroll mentions, “When the keepers found out I was an Odd-fellow, I was treated better than the other patients.” Due to Carroll’s respectable position as a part of a fraternal organization, his conditions in the asylum were noticeably better than those of other patients. Although all patients in the asylum had a mental illness, some may have been viewed as less of a brainless, comical “animal” as a result of one’s social status.
This document depicts the unjust, hazardous conditions and treatment given to the patients because of a mental illness. As if the patients were not sick enough, workers took advantage of most, causing injuries to the “creatures”. The discrimination between social class goes to show the lack of logic and reason used in treating the patients. Although the author of this article did not provide much of an opinion towards the story of Carroll, publicizing the interview shows that he had the intention of creating resistance against the treatment of the patients by spreading word through the newspaper.
Citation:
The New York Times, “Title: Out of an Insane Asylum- Released Patient's Remarkable Story of Cruel Treatment,”New York Times, March 26, 1880.
