Madhouse in London title. Bedlam

What does the word "Bedlam" mean? February 24th, 2015

You will live your life and not know that there are so many interesting things and stories under your nose. It would seem a simple and popular word in everyday life, but it pulls such a thread so deep into history that you would not have guessed it. We have already promoted a lot of things with you, but now here’s a question.

Do you know how the word "Bedlam" came about? I'm telling...

The word "Bedlam" comes from the name of the Bethlem Royal Asylum. Bedlam(English) Bedlam, from English Bethlehem- Bethlehem; official name Bethlem Royal Hospital- English Bethlem Royal Hospital), original title- Hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem, mental hospital in London (since 1547).

The hospital was built in London at the beginning of the Middle Ages. People called it “Bethlem Hospital” or simply “Bedlam”. Later, the word “bedlam” became a common noun. They denoted disorder, confusion - which, in general, is very typical for a madhouse.

London Bethlehem Hospital for the Mentally Ill Bethlehem hospital for insane) built opposite the famous Tower. Since 1547, the insane and the “blessed” have been brought here. At that time, the clinic housed six insane men, who were shackled with eleven chains and several shackles.

By the 17th century, the number of prisoners in Bedlam had grown greatly. The violent ones here were also chained. Donald Lupton, who visited Bedlam in 1630, described the sounds familiar to the hospital as follows: “crying, screaming, roaring, swearing, clanging chains ...”

At one time, Charlie Chaplin's mother, Hannah Chaplin, was kept in Bedlam.

In the 18th century, Bedlam also became a tourist attraction. Guests of London were first shown the Tower, London Bridge and the city zoo, and then taken to look at the famous insane people. Bedlam's patients included playwright Nathaniel Lee, Oliver Cromwell's personal porter, artist Richard Dadd and others.

In 1815, a gigantic hospital, exemplary for those times, was built on this site - the mentally ill were no longer kept in chains or starved here. In William Shakespeare's play King Lear, Edgar, the son of the Duke of Gloucester, plays the role of Bedlam Beggar in order to remain unnoticed in England after his exile.

By 1900, about one hundred thousand (!) psychiatric hospitals were built in England according to the Bedlam type. Most of them were private and more like prisons than clinics.

For example, Hogarth, William “A Rake’s Progress” (1735) is one of eight paintings by William Hogarth dedicated to the rise and fall of Tom Rakewell, a spendthrift, the son of a wealthy merchant. He arrived in London, squandered all his money on a beautiful life, whores and blackjack, after which he was sent to prison, and he ended his days in a mental hospital - in that very Bedlam. By the way, in the picture in the background you can see beautifully clad women. They are quite normal (for their time). It was just fun back then - to go and look at psychos for money.

When photography appeared, many photography masters frequented the hospital, creating galleries of patients...

Crazy people from the Bedlam hospital were released onto the streets so that they could collect alms.

Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, known as Bedlam, is one of the world's oldest mental health institutions. It has been accepting patients since the 14th century. But the fame of this hospital was brought not by its advanced age, but by its scandalous and sad history, after which the word “bedlam” became synonymous with confusion and disorder.

"Bedlam" was founded back in 1247, during the reign of the king Henry III, by the Italian Bishop Gioffredo di Prefetti as a dormitory of the fraternity of the “New Order of St. Mary”. The establishment was primarily used to help raise money for crusades through alms. The building was located in the parish of St Botolph in Bishopsgate, outside the London Wall. Today the site is home to Liverpool Street tube station in London.

Plan of the first Bethlem.

No one knows exactly when the establishment was converted into psychiatric hospital, but in 1330 it was already a hospital, and in 1357 the first patients appeared here. At that time, Bedlam had 12 patient rooms, housing for employees, a kitchen and a courtyard. The hospital remained on its original site for the next 400 years until 1675, when it moved north of London to Moorsfield as the old building was too small and needed to be expanded.

The design of the new building for 150 people was developed by the architect Robert Hooke. In front of the hospital gates, the architect Kai Gabriel Cibbera installed two statues called “Melancholy” and “Rampant Insanity”. It is known that people suffering from depression, dementia, schizophrenia, epilepsy, anxiety and other mental illnesses were subjected to horrific abuse in this hospital, and were experimented on by local doctors, called "guardians".

"Melancholy" and "Rampant Madness" by Caius Gabriel Cibber (1680).

At that time, Bedlam was rocked by scandals. One prisoner died after his intestines burst after he was confined to a tiny cage where he had to sit hunched over for years. Others slept naked on straw in the cold. And literally all the patients were tortured by sadistic “guardians.”

For example, the hospital’s “treatment” program included shackles, chains and cold baths. Patients were often chained to walls and starved. And the patients’ usual diet was extremely meager (porridge, bread, water), there was no talk of vegetables or fruits.

Scene from Bethlem Hospital. William Hogarth's "The Career of a Waste" series.

One of the most brutal treatments in Bedlam was “rotation therapy,” as the “guardians” called it. The patient was seated on a chair suspended by ropes from the ceiling, and spun to more than 100 revolutions in one minute... This continued for several hours. The result was usually vomiting and extreme dizziness, but, paradoxically, sometimes there was improvement.

Patients were also “treated” with bloodletting and cupping. The treatment was so terrible that not all patients were admitted to Bedlam, but only those who could survive the abuse. And then, not everyone survived in the hospital. Modern research discovered mass graves in St. George's Fields (where the mental hospital moved in 1810). Only those who died in Bethlem were buried in them.

Bethlem Hospital in St. George's Fields, 1828.

In the 17th century, someone from the hospital management came up with a “brilliant” idea - why not make some money on unfortunate patients. For just 2 pence, anyone was allowed to come into the hospital to look at the insane patients. All this was “served with the sauce” so that people supposedly clearly saw what a vicious life leads to. People from all over the UK flocked to Bedlam in search of entertainment.

When photography appeared, many photography masters frequented the hospital, creating galleries of patients...

About 96,000 people visited the hospital every year, which naturally irritated the patients beyond belief. In 1930 the hospital moved to Beckenham and remains there to this day. The times when patients at Bedlam were subjected to horrific cruelty and experimentation are over, but the institution's bad reputation remains for centuries.

What is “bedlam” and why did the British buy tickets to a madhouse?

Bedlam was founded back in 1247, during the reign of King Henry III, by the Italian bishop Gioffredo di Prefetti as a dormitory for the New Order of St. Mary. The establishment was primarily used to help raise money for the Crusades through alms. The building was located in the parish of St Botolph in Bishopsgate, outside the London Wall. Today the site is home to Liverpool Street tube station in London.

Plan of the first Bethlem.

No one knows exactly when the institution was converted into a psychiatric hospital, but in 1330 it was already a hospital, and in 1357 the first patients appeared here. At that time, Bedlam had 12 patient rooms, housing for employees, a kitchen and a courtyard. The hospital remained on its original site for the next 400 years until 1675, when it moved north of London to Moorsfield as the old building was too small and needed to be expanded.

"Melancholy" and "Rampant Madness" by Caius Gabriel Cibber (1680).

Scene from Bethlem Hospital. William Hogarth's "The Career of a Waste" series.

Patients were also “treated” with bloodletting and cupping. The treatment was so terrible that not all patients were admitted to Bedlam, but only those who could survive the abuse. And then, not everyone survived in the hospital. Modern research has discovered mass graves at St. George's Fields (where the mental hospital moved in 1810). Only those who died in Bethlem were buried in them.

Bethlem Hospital in St. George's Fields, 1828.

When photography appeared, many photography masters frequented the hospital, creating galleries of patients...

Patients were also “treated” with bloodletting and cupping. The treatment was so terrible that not all patients were admitted to Bedlam, but only those who could survive the abuse. And then, not everyone survived in the hospital. Modern research has discovered mass graves at St. George's Fields (where the mental hospital moved in 1810). Only those who died in Bethlem were buried in them.

From: thevintagenews.com

In the 13th century there lived a man named Simon FitzMary. He was probably distinguished by enviable energy and administrative talent, because despite his rather modest origins he managed to become sheriff of London twice. In addition, Simon must have been very sympathetic to the suffering, for in Bishopgate (London) he allocated a plot of land so that a refuge for the infirm and disadvantaged could be built there (now Liverpool Street station). As a result, in 1247, within the framework of the monastery of the New Order Holy Mary Bethlehem arose Bethlehem Hospital, which later became known as Bethlem or simply Bedlam. Let me say in advance that not a word will be said about Simon Fitz-Mary in this sketch. Therefore, we will immediately say goodbye to this gentleman.

The institution was small, only 12 “hospital rooms”, and was intended for the poor and sick. The idea is certainly noble. But for some reason the building was erected directly above the cesspool (that is, the sewer system of that time), which served all the buildings of the complex. Naturally, the drains periodically became clogged, and sewage leaked out, filling the space with an unimaginable stench.

16th century plan

Obviously, already in the second half of the 14th century, monks began to take care of people suffering mental disorders. Although it is not possible to say with certainty what was happening there during that period due to the lack of information. Nevertheless, historians believe that the “mad” were kept in harsh conditions: the clergy were convinced that the path to mental health lay through the torture of the flesh, so the “treatment” most likely amounted to corporal punishment, to the strictest post and incessant prayer in solitary confinement. The first official mention of the presence of insane people in the institution dates back to 1403, when a special commission visited the hospital. The report mentions "six male patients mente capti". In addition, visitors discovered “four pairs of shackles, eleven chains, two pairs of stocks” and other remarkable devices that were probably used to pacify violent (and other) guests.

Somewhere in the 1370s, control of the hospital passed to the crown, and then things began in earnest. serious problems. In the sense that the monks tortured the unfortunate, guided by the best intentions, and government officials - by selfish interests. It's about good old-fashioned corruption. The hospital existed on alms: good people they donated food, clothing and other necessary things, and the employees of the establishment sold it all (either to patients, if they had the means, or to the left) or consumed it themselves. In other words, the administration devoted a minimum of time to the hospital, while trying to extract maximum personal benefit. Already in 1403, the treasurer of Bedlam, Peter Taverner, was accused of money laundering and theft, so to speak, of state property. And in 1598, during a visit to the next commission, it was revealed that absolute unsanitary conditions reigned in the hospital (meaning dirt), and the patients were on the verge of starvation. Around this time, the word "bedlam" began to be widely used to mean chaos and chaos.

It is noteworthy that the first qualified doctor as director of the institution was a man with a telling surname Helkiah Crooke

1 ). This was the court doctor of King James I, who enjoyed considerable authority. Crook probably took science very seriously: in 1615 he wrote a manual on anatomy with the mysterious title Mikrokosmographia.

Pages from the book Mikrokosmographia

This work, in particular, contained images of genitals, which caused serious anger from representatives of the Church, who declared the book “indecent.” In addition, Crook was the attending physician of William Jaggard, who published the works of Shakespeare, including through piracy (more on this later).

Nevertheless, this respectable-looking gentleman turned out to be dishonest. In 1632, Crook was dismissed from his post as director of the hospital on charges of corruption, money laundering and absenteeism.

Given the lax attitude of the staff towards their duties, it is not surprising that by the 1600s the hospital was in a deplorable state and drastic measures had to be taken. As a result, an impressive building was built in 1676, on either side of the entrance of which two statues were installed, personifying “Melancholy” and “Rampant Insanity”.

Second Bedlam Building, engraving by Robert White

In the 17th century, the hospital administration decided to make some money, and the doors of the establishment opened to private visitors. The pleasure cost only two pence. There are reports that holidays crowds of idle people flocked there (often noble birth), thirsty for spectacle. Such “excursions” were, of course, served with a noble sauce, they say, visitors have the opportunity to see in living examples what a vicious life leads to. It was believed that “madness” is a consequence of a person’s excessive sinfulness. Here is what a contemporary writes: “Nowhere else on earth will they teach such a lesson as in this school of suffering. Here we can see these “thinking” creatures who have descended below the level of insects. This can encourage us to learn to moderate our pride and keep our passions in check, for, having broken free, they can expel reason from their container and level us with the unfortunate inhabitants of this abode of grief.”

In this regard, I would like to mention artistic masterpiece William Hogarth (1697-1764), called A Rake's Progress. This eight-panel "comic" tells instructive story the fictional Tom Rakewell, who received a large inheritance and went downhill, ending up in Bedlam.

1 Heir

2 Social success

3 The Fall Begins

4 Arrest

5 Marriage

6 Gambling house

7 Prison

8 Madhouse

But, of course, the visitors did not think about any benefits. People came to the “abode of grief” exclusively for entertainment. “At least a hundred people began to rush around the premises uncontrollably, teasing the unfortunate patients and mocking them. So the insults of this jubilant crowd caused fits of rage among many unfortunates,” reports a witness of one of the excursions (18th century).

By the end XVIII century Society's attitude towards crazy people has softened somewhat. It is believed that this was due to mental illness King George III. In any case, after the 1770s the hospital was closed to the public and the permission of the manager was required to enter.

King George III, portrait by Alan Ramsay

At the same time, historians believe that after the cancellation of visits, the hospital turned into a complete hell for patients. It is enough to remember Dr. Brian Crowther, who in the early 1790s took a job as chief surgeon at Bedlam. During this era, doctors became increasingly interested in applied anatomy, that is, the dismemberment of corpses and visual study human devices. But for experiments they could only use the bodies of executed criminals. Therefore, dead “goods” were in great short supply. In this regard, the practice of stealing corpses became widespread: enterprising adventurers emptied fresh graves and delivered the bodies to the surgical table for a decent reward, of course. But in Bedlam there were people abandoned by everyone, whose corpses no one laid claim to. Therefore, when Dr. Crowther arrived at the hospital, he found himself in a kind of medical Eldorado. He was formally assigned to care for living patients. However, he was mainly interested in " dead material" The surgeon was very enthusiastic about dissecting the brains of deceased madmen, trying to discover physical evidence of madness. His activities were completely illegal. To some extent, he can be called a gentleman of fortune who lived in high road Sciences. And quite successfully: he worked in Bedlam for twenty years. Although he was never able to identify the causes of madness.

Crowther's senior comrade John Haslam, who became director of the hospital in 1795, also gained notoriety. He was convinced that a madman could only be cured by breaking his will. Therefore, under his supervision, unfortunate patients were subjected to all kinds of torture. And it is unknown how long this could have continued if not for the Quaker Edward Wakefield. This philanthropist suspected what kind of things were going on within the walls of the establishment, and was eager at all costs to obtain permission for an official visit. Of course, he was prevented in every possible way. But in 1814, he finally achieved his goal and visited the hospital, accompanied by the hospital manager and one of the members of parliament.

What they saw shocked the visitors: darkness, stench and half-naked, chained patients. American James Norris was reportedly held there. This man was wearing some kind of harness with a chain that went through a hole in the wall into the next room. From time to time, the staff, as necessary, pulled the chain, and the unfortunate person hit the wall painfully. - How long has this poor fellow been suffering? - asked Wakefield. “About 12 years old,” they answered him.

James Norris

The case ended in a serious scandal. Haslam and Cruter were released in peace, but attention was finally paid to the problem of the mentally ill and conditions in hospitals. In subsequent decades, the country's parliament adopted a number of laws that certainly helped improve the situation. Although, of course, before people with mental disorders began to be treated humanely, a lot of time passed.

There are many scary stories about cases of torture and violence in this institution. But, excuse me, I don’t want to mention them.

Let's turn now to treatment. To be honest, everything is simple here. Almost to XIX century European medicine adhered to ancient theory, according to which the human condition depends on the balance of the “four juices of the body”: blood, black bile, yellow bile and mucus (phlegm). For example, the predominance of black bile causes depression, and excess blood leads to excessive activity. Therefore, the main methods of healing were bloodletting, as well as various types of laxatives and emetics. Bedlam was not original, and patients there were brought to their senses in similar ways. Along with this, as mentioned above, methods of torturing the flesh and suppressing the will were practiced. In other words, the patients were kept on a starvation diet, beaten, shackled, put in solitary confinement, and so on. But there were also specialized methods. For example, “rotation therapy”, developed by Erasmus Darwin, the grandfather of the founder of the theory of evolution, Charles.

Erasmus Darwin, portrait by Joseph Wright, 1792

The technology was as follows: the patient was seated on a chair tied to the ceiling with ropes and spun around. The duration and speed of rotation were determined by an experienced doctor. - What's wrong with that? - you ask. - After all, it’s very pleasant to spin around for a couple of minutes. I agree if we're talking about about a couple of minutes. But the prisoners of Bedlam were forced to spin for several hours at a speed of one hundred revolutions per minute. After this, they painfully vomited, which was considered extremely useful for recovery mental health. By the way, it is worth noting that not everyone was put in the hospital, but only those who were strong enough to withstand this horror.

Moreover, there was no classification of diseases. And any deviation from the norm was considered madness, including learning disabilities and epilepsy. Therefore completely normal people were kept in the same room with patients with schizophrenia and paranoia, not to mention the fact that all