DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.4592#0089
MADHOUSE. 89
had an imposing appearance. Several Turks were
inside, and some of them engaged in their devotions.
Under the rule of Mehemet Ali, mosques in Egypt
are open for Christians to enter; a permission not
granted under any other Mohammedan government.
During my stay of nine days in Cairo, I visited
about every thing in and around the city, which is
considered of interest to travelers. There is a public
madhouse in the city, which can never be visited but
with painful emotions. Insanity is considered an im-
mediate visitation from heaven ; and where the suf-
ferer is inoffensive, it very often procures for him
superstitious reverence among Mohammedans. But
the frantic and dangerous must be restrained ; and as
insanity is regarded as incurable, those who are un-
happily in this condition, are treated merely as dan-
gerous animals. A more painful and revolting spec-
tacle I never saw, than the madhouse of Cairo. I was
shown into a spacious, lofty stone hall, having a row
of cells, or rather dens on each side, with strong iron
gratings in front. Each of these dens contained a
creature, secured by an iron chain, one end of which
was attached to a collar round his neck, and the other
fastened into the wall on the outside of the grating.
When I saw one frantic creature, half naked, his head
and beard unshaven and matted with dirt, sitting on
his heels, grinning horribly, and shaking the iron bars
with both hands, I could scarcely believe I was looking
at a human being. There is no medical attendance,
because it is considered useless ; and the place is in
nearly every respect, like a collection of wild beasts.
It was, indeed, some time before my nerves recov-
7
had an imposing appearance. Several Turks were
inside, and some of them engaged in their devotions.
Under the rule of Mehemet Ali, mosques in Egypt
are open for Christians to enter; a permission not
granted under any other Mohammedan government.
During my stay of nine days in Cairo, I visited
about every thing in and around the city, which is
considered of interest to travelers. There is a public
madhouse in the city, which can never be visited but
with painful emotions. Insanity is considered an im-
mediate visitation from heaven ; and where the suf-
ferer is inoffensive, it very often procures for him
superstitious reverence among Mohammedans. But
the frantic and dangerous must be restrained ; and as
insanity is regarded as incurable, those who are un-
happily in this condition, are treated merely as dan-
gerous animals. A more painful and revolting spec-
tacle I never saw, than the madhouse of Cairo. I was
shown into a spacious, lofty stone hall, having a row
of cells, or rather dens on each side, with strong iron
gratings in front. Each of these dens contained a
creature, secured by an iron chain, one end of which
was attached to a collar round his neck, and the other
fastened into the wall on the outside of the grating.
When I saw one frantic creature, half naked, his head
and beard unshaven and matted with dirt, sitting on
his heels, grinning horribly, and shaking the iron bars
with both hands, I could scarcely believe I was looking
at a human being. There is no medical attendance,
because it is considered useless ; and the place is in
nearly every respect, like a collection of wild beasts.
It was, indeed, some time before my nerves recov-
7