Charles Dickens.]

A LUNATIC ASYLUM IN PALERMO.

151

great extent, convinced, though we must, in
fairness, add that some of the statements of
Mr. Rugg border on exaggeration—for if not,
we wonder how half the children in London
escape being poisoned. That the adulterations,
however, are great, and a common practice we
know; and even while we are concluding this
article one of the mysterious doctor's " milk-
balls " with which Mr. Tim Slivers taunted
poor Mr. Yawl, has been brought to us. As
to the " mystery," the thing itself turns out to
be annatto, which is harmless enough, and
used commonly to colour cheese. But as
for the aid it gives, with few exceptions, to the
London dairyman, here is the simple recipe,
derived from the best authority:—Wrap the
ball up in a piece of flannel: then take a
quart of water for every two quarts of milk,
and dipping the ball in the water, whirl it
round and round (as you would use a blue-
bag) until the water becomes the colour of
pale ale; then pour it into the milk, and stir
the whole together until the milk-and-water
assumes the rich, soft, yellowish, creamy con-
sistency required. Our fat friend, the Hippo-
potamus, found out the deception in a very
few days, and communicated his discovery to
Hamet Safi Cannana, in his peculiar way.
He insisted on double his former quantity of
milk, yet manifested a distaste for it. So
Hamet went to the Secretary, and with
oriental simplicity, spoke thus: " I think, Sir,
we had better keep our own cow. The milk
we get within, we know:—but the outside
milk, we don't know."

A LUNATIC ASYLUM IN PALERMO.

THE ancient mode of treating the insane,
which showed that the keepers of old were as
mad as their patients, has, happily, been
cured. Esquirol and Pinel commenced the
humane system in France, and it has been
followed with the best effects, not only in
Great Britain, but throughout Europe.

The recent improvements in the treatment
of lunatics in this country, have been widely
reported to the public in many ways by the
press; and only lately an account has ap-
peared in the newspaper of a ball at St. Luke's
—formerly a stronghold of severity and re-
straint—in which the patients joined. Not
so much, however, is known by the English
public of the progress of this excellent cause
in the South of Europe. We are, therefore,
glad to give a translation of an interesting
account of a visit to the Casa dei Matti in
Sicily.

Several years ago Count Pisani, a Sicilian
nobleman, whilst on a tour through Europe,
directed his attention to the condition of the
receptacles for lunatics in some of the prin-
cipal continental cities. Deeply impressed by
the injudicious and often cruel treatment to
which the unhappy inmates of those estab-
lishments were subject, he determined on re-

turning, to convert his beautiful villa near
Palermo into a Lunatic Asylum, which re-
ceived the name of the Casa dei Matti; and
withdrawing to a more humble place of abode,
he devoted his fortune and energies to the
purpose of carrying out his philanthropic
scheme.

Count Pisani himself offered to conduct me
over the establishment. After a short walk
we arrived in front of a spacious mansion, the
exterior aspect of which presented nothing
differing from that of a handsome private re-
sidence. The windows, it is true, were grated;
but the gratings were so ingeniously con-
trived that had not my attention been par-
ticularly directed to them, I should not have
discovered their existence. Some represented
vine leaves, tendrils, or bunches of grapes;
others were fashioned like the long leaves
and blue flowers of the convolvulus. Foliage,
fruit, and flowers were all painted in natural
colours, and it was only from a very near
point of view that the artifice could be de-
tected.

The gate was opened by a man, who, in-
stead of carrying a huge stick or a bunch of
keys, (the usual insignia of the porter of a
mad house,) had a fine nosegay stuck in the
breast of his coat, and in one hand he held a
flute, on which he had apparently been playing
when interrupted by our summons at the gate.

We entered the building, and were pro-
ceeding along the corridor on the ground-floor,
when we met a man whom I took to be a
servant or messenger of the establishment, as
he was carrying some bundles of fire-wood.
On perceiving us, he laid down his burden,
and advancing to Count Pisani, respectfully
kissed his hand. The Count enquired why he
was not in the garden enjoying the fresh air
and amusing himself with his companions.
"Because," replied the man, " winter is fast
coming, and I have no time to lose. I shall
have enough to do to bring down all the wood
from the loft, and stow it away in the cellar."
The Count commended his forethought, and
the man, taking up his fagots, bowed, and
went his way.

This man, the Count informed me, was the
owner of large estates in Castelveleruno; but
owing to a natural inactivity of mind, and
the absence of any exciting or useful occu-
pation, he sank into a state of mental tor-
por, which terminated in insanity. When he
was brought to the Casa dei Matti, Count
Pisani drew him aside, under the pretence of
having a most important communication to
make to him. The Count informed him that
he had been changed at nurse, that he was
not the rightful owner of the wealth he had
heretofore enjoyed; and that the fact having
become known, he was dispossessed of his
wealth, and must therefore work for his main-
tenance. The madman believed the tale, but
showed no disposition to rouse himself from
the state of indolence which had been the
primary cause of his mental aberration. He