Itisacuriousmatterforreflection，thatbutforthisswayofthedestructivephilosophyoftheeighteenthcentury，andoftheTerroristsduringtheFrenchRevolution，Pinel’sblessedworkwouldinallprobabilityhavebeenthwarted，andhehimselfexcommunicatedforheresyanddrivenfromhisposition。
DoubtlessthesameeffortswouldhavebeenputforthagainsthimwhichtheChurch，alittleearlier，hadputforthagainstinoculationasaremedyforsmallpox；butjustatthattimethegreatchurchmenhadotherthingstothinkofbesidescrushingthisparticularheretic：theyweretoomuchoccupiedinkeepingtheirownheadsfromtheguillotinetogiveattentiontowhatwaspassingintheheadofPinel。Hewasallowedtoworkinpeace，andinashorttimethereignofdiabolismatBicetrewasended。
Whattheexorcismsandfetichesandprayersandprocessions，anddrinkingofholywater，andringingofbells，hadbeenunabletoaccomplishduringeighteenhundredyears，heachievedinafewmonths。Hismethodwassimple：forthebrutalityandcrueltywhichhadprevaileduptothattime，hesubstitutedkindnessandgentleness。Thepossessedweretakenoutoftheirdungeons，givensunnyrooms，andallowedthelibertyofpleasantgroundforexercise；chainswerethrownaside。Atthesametime，thementalpowerofeachpatientwasdevelopedbyitsfittingexercise，anddiseasewasmetwithremediessanctionedbyexperiment，observation，andreason。Thuswasgainedoneofthegreatest，thoughoneoftheleastknown，triumphsofmodernscienceandhumanity。
TheresultsobtainedbyPinelhadaninstanteffect，notonlyinFrancebutthroughoutEurope：thenewsspreadfromhospitaltohospital。Athisdeath，Esquiroltookuphiswork；and，intheplaceoftheoldtrainingofjudges，torturers，andexecutionersbytheologytocarryoutitsideasincruelty，therewasnowtrainedaschoolofphysicianstodevelopscienceinthisfieldandcarryoutitsdecreesinmercy。[381]
[381]FortheservicesofTenonandhisassociates，andalsofortheworkofPinel，seeespeciallyEsquirol，DesMaladiesmentales，Paris，1838，vol。i，p。35；andforthegeneralsubject，andtheconditionofthehospitalsatthisperiod，seeDagron，asabove。
AsimilarevolutionofbetterscienceandpracticetookplaceinEngland。Inspiteofthecoldness，andevenhostility，ofthegreatermenintheEstablishedChurch，andnotwithstandingthescripturaldemonstrationsofWesleythatthemajorityoftheinsanewerepossessedofdevils，thescientificmethodsteadilygatheredstrength。In1750theconditionoftheinsanebegantoattractespecialattention；itwasfoundthatmad-houseswereswayedbyideasutterlyindefensible，andthatthepracticesengenderedbytheseideasweremonstrous。Asarule，thepatientswereimmuredincells，andinmanycaseswerechainedtothewalls；inothers，floggingandstarvationplayedleadingparts，andinsomecasesthepatientswerekilled。Naturallyenough，JohnHowarddeclared，in1789，thathefoundinConstantinopleabetterinsaneasylumthanthegreatSt。Luke’sHospitalinLondon。Wellmighthedoso；for，eversinceCaliphOmarhadprotectedandencouragedthescientificinvestigationofinsanitybyPaulofAegina，theMoslemtreatmentoftheinsanehadbeenfarmoremercifulthanthesystemprevailingthroughoutChristendom。[382]
[382]SeeD。H。Tuke，asabove，p。110；alsoTrelat，asalreadycited。
In1792——thesameyearinwhichPinelbeganhisgreatworkinFrance——WilliamTukebeganasimilarworkinEngland。Thereseemstohavebeennoconnectionbetweenthesetworeformers；
eachwroughtindependentlyoftheother，buttheresultsarrivedatwerethesame。So，too，inthemain，weretheirmethods；andinthelittlehouseofWilliamTuke，atYork，beganabettereraforEngland。
Thenamewhichthislittleasylumreceivedisamonumentbothoftheoldreignofcrueltyandofthenewreignofhumanity。
Everyoldnameforsuchanasylumhadbeenmadeodiousandrepulsivebyagesofmisery；inahappymomentofinspirationTuke’sgentleQuakerwifesuggestedanewname；and，inaccordancewiththissuggestion，theplacebecameknownasa“Retreat。”
FromthegreatbodyofinfluentialclassesinchurchandstateTukereceivedlittleaid。Theinfluenceofthetheologicalspiritwasshownwhen，inthatsameyear，Dr。PangsterpublishedhisObservationsonMentalDisorders，and，afterdisplayingmuchignoranceastothecausesandnatureofinsanity，summedupbysayingpiously，“Hereourresearchesmuststop，andwemustdeclarethat`wonderfularetheworksoftheLord，andhiswayspastfindingout。’“SuchseemedtobetheviewoftheChurchatlarge：thoughthenew“Retreat“wasatoneofthetwogreatecclesiasticalcentresofEngland，wehearofnoaidorencouragementfromtheArchbishopofYorkorfromhisclergy。
Norwasthistheworst：theindirectinfluenceofthetheologicalhabitofthoughtandecclesiasticalprestigewasdisplayedintheEdinburghReview。Thatgreatorganofopinion，notcontentwithattackingTuke，pouredcontemptuponhiswork，aswellasonthatofPinel。AfewofTuke’sbrotherandsisterQuakersseemtohavebeenhisonlyreliance；andinaletterregardinghiseffortsatthattimehesays，“Allmenseemtodesertme。”[383]
[383]SeeD。H。Tuke，asabove，p。116-142，and512；alsotheEdinburghReviewforApril，1803。
InthisatmosphereofEnglishconservativeoppositionorindifferencetheworkcouldnotgrowrapidly。Aslateas1815，amemberofParliamentstigmatizedtheinsaneasylumsofEnglandastheshameofthenation；andevenaslateas1827，andinafewcasesaslateas1850，therewererevivalsoftheoldabsurdityandbrutality。Downtoalateperiod，inthehospitalsofSt。LukeandBedlam，longrowsoftheinsanewerechainedtothewallsofthecorridors。ButGardneratLincoln，DonnellyatHanwell，andanewschoolofpractitionersinmentaldisease，tookuptheworkofTuke，andthevictoryinEnglandwasgainedinpracticeasithadbeenpreviouslygainedintheory。
Thereneedbenocontroversyregardingthecomparativemeritsofthesetwobenefactorsofourrace，PinelandTuke。Theyclearlydidtheirthinkingandtheirworkindependentlyofeachother，andtherebyeachstrengthenedtheotherandbenefitedmankind。
Allthatremainstobesaidis，thatwhileFrancehaspaidhighhonourstoPinel，astoonewhodidmuchtofreetheworldfromoneofitsmostcruelsuperstitionsandtobringinareignofhumanityoverawideempire，Englandhasasyetmadenofittingcommemorationofhergreatbenefactorinthisfield。YorkMinsterholdsmanytombsofmen，ofwhomsomewereblessingstotheirfellow-beings，whilesomewerebut“solemnlyconstitutedimpostors“andparasitesuponthebodypolitic；yet，tothishour，thatgreattemplehasreceivednoconsecrationbyamonumenttothemanwhodidmoretoalleviatehumanmiserythananyotherwhohaseverenteredit。
Buttheplaceofthesetwomeninhistoryissecure。TheystandwithGrotius，Thomasius，andBeccaria——themenwhoinmoderntimeshavedonemosttopreventunmeritedsorrow。Theywerenot，indeed，calledtosufferliketheirgreatcompeers；theywerenotobligedtoseetheirwritings——amongthemostblessedgiftsofGodtoman——condemned，aswerethoseofGrotiusandBeccariabytheCatholicChurch，andthoseofThomasiusbyalargesectionoftheProtestantChurch；theywerenotobligedtofleefortheirlives，aswereGrotiusandThomasius；buttheireffortisnonethelessworthy。TheFrenchRevolution，indeed，savedPinel，andthedecayofEnglishecclesiasticismgaveTukehisopportunity；buttheirtriumphsarenonethelessamongthegloriesofourrace；fortheywerethefirstacknowledgedvictorsinastruggleofscienceforhumanitywhichhadlastednearlytwothousandyears。
CHAPTERXVI。
FROMDIABOLISMTOHYSTERIA。
I。THEEPIDEMICSOF“POSSESSION。”
IntheforegoingchapterIhavesketchedthetriumphofscienceindestroyingtheideathatindividuallunaticsare“possessedbydevils。”inestablishingthetruththatinsanityisphysicaldisease，andinsubstitutingforsuperstitiouscrueltiestowardtheinsaneatreatmentmild，kindly，andbaseduponascertainedfacts。
TheSatanwhohadsolongtroubledindividualmenandwomenthusbecameextinct；henceforthhisfossilremainsonlywerepreserved：theymaystillbefoundinthesculpturesandstoriedwindowsofmedievalchurches，insundryliturgies，andinpopularformsofspeech。
ButanotherSatanstilllived——aSatanwhowroughtonalargerscale——whotookpossessionofmultitudes。For，afterthistriumphofthescientificmethod，therestillremainedaclassofmentaldisorderswhichcouldnotbetreatedinasylums，whichwerenotyetfullyexplainedbyscience，andwhichthereforegaveargumentsofmuchapparentstrengthtothesupportersoftheoldtheologicalview：theseweretheepidemicsof“diabolicpossession“whichforsomanycenturiesafflictedvariouspartsoftheworld。
Whenobliged，then，toretreatfromtheiroldpositioninregardtoindividualcasesofinsanity，themoreconservativetheologianspromptlyreferredtotheseepidemicsasbeyondthedomainofscience——asclearevidencesofthepowerofSatan；
and，asthebasisofthisview，theycitedfromtheOldTestamentfrequentreferencestowitchcraft，and，fromtheNewTestament，St。Paul’squestionastothepossiblebewitchingoftheGalatians，andthebewitchingofthepeopleofSamariabySimontheMagician。
Naturally，suchleadershadverymanyadherentsinthatclass，solargeinalltimes，whofindthat“TofollowfoolishprecedentsandwinkWithbothoureyes，iseasierthantothink。”[384]
[384]Astoeminentphysicians’findingastumbling-blockinhystericalmania，seeKirchhoff’sarticle，p。351，citedinpreviouschapter。
Itmustbeownedthattheircaseseemedstrong。Thoughinallhumanhistory，sofarasitiscloselyknown，thesephenomenahadappeared，andthougheveryclassicalscholarcouldrecallthewildorgiesofthepriests，priestesses，anddevoteesofDionysusandCybele，andtheepidemicofwildragewhichtookitsnamefromsomeofthese，thegreatfathersanddoctorsoftheChurchhadleftacompleteanswertoanyscepticismbasedonthesefacts；theysimplypointedtoSt。Paul’sdeclarationthatthegodsoftheheathenweredevils：theseexamples，then，couldbetransformedintoapowerfulargumentfordiabolicpossession。[385]
[385]AstotheMaenads，Corybantes，andthedisease“Corybantism。”see，foraccessibleandadequatestatements，Smith’sDictionaryofAntiquitiesandLewisandShort’sLexicon；
alsoreferenceinHecker’sEssaysupontheBlackDeathandtheDancingMania。Formorecompletediscussion，seeSemelaigne，L’Alienationmentaledansl’Antiquite，Paris，1869。
Butitwasmoreespeciallytheepidemicsofdiabolisminmedievalandmoderntimeswhichgavestrengthtothetheologicalview，andfromtheseIshallpresentachainoftypicalexamples。
Asearlyastheeleventhcenturywefindclearaccountsofdiabolicalpossessiontakingtheformofepidemicsofraving，jumping，dancing，andconvulsions，thegreaternumberofthesufferersbeingwomenandchildren。Inatimesorude，accountsofthesemanifestationswouldrarelyreceivepermanentrecord；
butitisverysignificantthatevenatthebeginningoftheeleventhcenturywehearofthemattheextremesofEurope——innorthernGermanyandinsouthernItaly。Atvarioustimesduringthatcenturywegetadditionalglimpsesoftheseexhibitions，butitisnotuntilthebeginningofthethirteenthcenturythatwehavearenewalofthemonalargescale。In1237，atErfurt，ajumpingdiseaseanddancingmaniaafflictedahundredchildren，manyofwhomdiedinconsequence；itspreadthroughthewholeregion，andfiftyyearslaterwehearofitinHolland。
Butitwasthelastquarterofthefourteenthcenturythatsawitsgreatestmanifestations。Therewasabundantcauseforthem。
Itwasatimeofoppression，famine，andpestilence：thecrusadingspirit，havingrunitscourse，hadbeensucceededbyawild，mysticalfanaticism；themostfrightfulplagueinhumanhistory——theBlackDeath——wasdepopulatingwholeregions——reducingcitiestovillages，andfillingEuropewiththatstrangemixtureofdevotionanddissipationwhichwealwaysnoteduringtheprevalenceofdeadlyepidemicsonalargescale。
Itwasinthisfermentofreligious，moral，andsocialdiseasethattherebrokeoutin1374，inthelowerRhineregion，thegreatest，perhaps，ofallmanifestationsof“possession“——anepidemicofdancing，jumping，andwildraving。Thecuresresortedtoseemedonthewholetointensifythedisease：theafflictedcontinueddancingforhours，untiltheyfellinutterexhaustion。Somedeclaredthattheyfeltasifbathedinblood，somesawvisions，someprophesied。
Intothismassof“possession“therewasalsoclearlypouredacurrentofscoundrelismwhichincreasedthedisorder。