TO MAKE THE INSANE SANE.

Otago Witness, Issue 2923, 23 March 1910, Page 79

TO MAKE THE INSANE SANE.

INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS IN OHIO. Medical men are- watching with great interest a series of experiments which are ■being made- at the State Asylum for the Insane at Massillon, Ohio, with a view to determining the possibilities of music ai u cure for insanity. The first experiment (says the New York correspondent of the Daily Chronicle) was made recently by means of a piano, and its beneficial effects exceeded all expectations. One or the patients, a girl of 17, who was considered hopelessly insane, haa •made extraordinary progress towards sanity since the experiments on her began. She. is now believed to be well on the road to recovery. Delighted with his success, Dr Eyman, the superintendent of the asylum, decided to extend the system and try other musical instruments on the patients. Findinc, that one of hLs assistants had a gramophone, Dr Eyman said, "Let us try it in the demented room." When the doctors entered the room, in which 60 women were confined, all regarded as hopeless cases, the patients set up chattering, screaming, and hysterical laughter. Without taking any notice of them, Dr Eyman and his colleagues, placing the gramophone on a table, started up a stirring military march. The effect was magical. Silence fell upon the .room almost instantly, and for the first time since their admission to the asylum looks of intelligent interest and natural smiles spread over the faces rf the insane. The doctor is persevering with the gramophone, and has already ueeeded in quite changing the atmosphere of the room where the wildes* patients were kept. He is appealing for funds to continue the experiment in other ways, and, a prominent local philanthropist has con.-

tributed £SOO for the purchase of pianos and musical; instruments. '. 4->' The pianos will be used for the milder cases, while it is proposed to use violins and brass* instruments for the other patients.;, ._•..: „,. -.. ■% -■*.