Paige Salter
What is the significance of William Charles Hood in the improvement in Bedlam?
From 1247 the establishment named Bedlam has existed with the aim of providing a place for the supposedly mentally ill to reside in but as one recalls it rather ‘drove a man that hath his wits rather out of them’. The buildings that made up the mental institution were often decaying and held the danger of backed up drains which could inevitably lead to overflowing which would be unpleasant for all. From 1725-34 ‘curable’ and ‘incurable’ wards were opened and patients were split into the according, however without any classification of mental illness at this time you can only begin to wonder how these decisions were made. Nathaniel Lee, a playwright recalled in 1675 ‘they called me mad, and I called them mad and damn them, they outvoted me’, from this the belief on what made someone ‘mad’ clearly differed and opinions often overruled however Lee may have been in a state of denial as mental illness was shunned upon at this time.
For just a penny and for free on the second Tuesday of every month visitors were permitted to bring long sticks which were used to poke and provoke inmates at the ‘show to Bethlehem’ which often consisted of a sexual nature and violence. In 1814 there were 96,000 of these visits. The difference between visitors and the inmates is clearly in direct contrast as often instead of being treated they were surrounded by the laughter of what was deemed as the higher of society. A quote from a visitor was this ‘the madness of some of them has such a humorous air, and displayed itself in so many whimsical freaks, that it was impossible not to be entertained at the same time I was angry with myself for being so’. The quote itself explains the reason perhaps to why there were so many visitors, the entertainment being provided must have overshadowed the wrong doing