Bedlam
Bedlam
From English: Bedlam (short for .Bethlehem).
Bethlehem in English: Bethlehem, the biblical city. So, the “Bethlehem shelter” was called in London in the 19th century. all kinds of charitable establishments - overnight houses, hospitals for the homeless, etc.
Allegorically:
1. Noisy, restless place.
2. "Crazy House", psychiatric hospital (us.). IN last value this expression was used by Leskov, Saltykov-Shchedrin, Turgenev and Chekhov.
encyclopedic Dictionary winged words and expressions. - M.: "Lokid-Press". Vadim Serov. 2003 .
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
See what "Bedlam" is in other dictionaries:
- (eng. Bethflem). The famous hospital for the insane near London, the foundations. in 1247, as well as a lunatic asylum in general. Dictionary foreign words included in the Russian language. Chudinov A.N., 1910. BEDLAM Eng. bedlam. Asylum in London... Dictionary of foreign words of the Russian language
The devil will break his leg, the devil himself will break his leg, everything is upside down, poetic disorder, doomsday, Babylonian pandemonium, lunatic asylum, everything is upside down, confusion, pitch hell, turmoil, collapse, jumble, confusion, mess, ... ... Synonym dictionary
bedlam- Etymology. Comes from distortion. English from Bethlehem. Story. Initially, Bedlam was an English monastery of the sisters and brothers of the Star of Bethlehem, founded in 1247 by the mayor of London, S. Fitmary, and was originally a place of official receptions. By… … Great Psychological Encyclopedia
- (from distorted English from Bethlehem) originally, Bedlam was an English monastery of the sisters and brothers of the Star of Bethlehem, founded in 1247 by the mayor of London S. Fitmary and originally a place of official receptions. According to… Psychological Dictionary
BEDLAM, bedlam, husband. Chaos, noise, confusion, chaos. This is not a meeting, but some kind of bedlam. (According to the name of the insane asylum in London: Bedlam, prim. Bethlehem.) Dictionary Ushakov. D.N. Ushakov. 1935 1940 ... Explanatory Dictionary of Ushakov
From English. bedlam chaos, confusion on the stock exchange, in entrepreneurial activity in moments of upheaval. Dictionary of business terms. Akademik.ru. 2001 ... Glossary of business terms
- (English bedlam from Bethlehem Bethlehem, a city in Judea), 1) originally a hospital. Mary of Bethlehem, then an insane asylum in London2)] (Trans.) lunatic asylum; chaos, confusion... Big Encyclopedic Dictionary
- (English bedlam is the name of the insane asylum in London) slang: chaos, confusion on the stock exchange in moments of upheaval. Raizberg B.A., Lozovsky L.Sh., Starodubtseva E.B. Modern economic dictionary. 2nd ed., rev. M .: INFRA M. 479 s .. 1999 ... Economic dictionary
BEDLAM, a, husband. (colloquial). Confusion, chaos. Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov. S.I. Ozhegov, N.Yu. Shvedova. 1949 1992 ... Explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov
BEDLAM- (abbreviation of the word Bethlehem), a name that has become a household name for the designation " crazy house". In reality, B. mental hospital in London, converted from the hostel of the religious fellowship "Our Lord ... Big Medical Encyclopedia
Books
- , Paramonov B.. The subject of literary and philosophical conversations between Boris Paramonov and Ivan Tolstoy is Russian literature, which the co-authors consider in "personal" chapters. Chronological range - XX century,…
- Bedlam is like Bethlehem. Conversations of lovers of the Russian word, Boris Paramonov, Ivan Tolstoy. The subject of literary and philosophical conversations between Boris Paramonov and Ivan Tolstoy is Russian literature, which the co-authors consider in `personal` chapters. Chronological range - XX century,…
The word "Bedlam" comes from the name of the Bethlem Royal Asylum. At first it was the hospital of St. Mary of Bethlehem, which was built in London at the beginning of the Middle Ages, and was retrained as a hospital for the mentally ill only in 1547.
So here English word Bedlam comes from the English. Bethlehem - Bethlehem, so the people called it "Bethlehem Hospital" or simply - "Bedlam". Over time, the name Bedlam became a household name, at first - a synonym for a lunatic asylum, and later - a word for extreme confusion and disorder. 
Later, the word "bedlam" became a household word. They denoted disorder, confusion - which, in general, is very typical for a madhouse.
The insane, lunatics and other mentally ill people were brought to Bedlam from all over England.
By 1900, about a hundred thousand (!) psychiatric hospitals were built in England according to the Bedlam type. Most of them were private and looked more like prisons than clinics. Bedlam among them was the worst in terms of conditions of detention.
The first mention of lunatics in Bedlam dates back to the beginning of the 15th century. At that time, six crazy men were kept in the clinic, who were shackled with eleven chains and several shackles.
By the 17th century, the number of Bedlam prisoners had grown greatly. The violent here were also chained up. Donald Lupton, who visited Bedlam in 1630, described the sounds familiar to the hospital as follows - "crying, squealing, roaring, swearing, clanging of chains ..."
At one time, Charlie Chaplin's mother, Hannah Chaplin, was kept in Bedlam.
In the 18th century, Bedlam also became a tourist attraction. The guests of London were first shown the Tower, London Bridge and the city zoo, and then they were led to stare at the famous insane. Bedlam's patients included playwright Nathaniel Lee, Oliver Cromwell's personal porter, artist Richard Dadd, and others.
Interestingly, in 1815 the Bethlem Asylum was completely renovated. A gigantic asylum for the mentally ill was built on this site, exemplary at that time - they were not kept in chains or starved here.
In July 1790, the Russian writer and historian N. M. Karamzin visited the institution, colorfully describing it in his Letters of a Russian Traveler (1791):
“The long galleries are separated by an iron grating: on one side are women, on the other are men. In the corridor the first surrounded us, examined us with great attention, began to talk among themselves at first quietly, then louder and louder, and finally, they shouted so much that it was necessary to cover their ears. One took my hand, the other took my bun, the third wanted to blow the powder off my head - and there was no end to their caresses. Meanwhile, some were sitting in deep thought... Many of the men made us laugh. Another imagines himself to be a cannon and ceaselessly fires with his mouth; the other roars like a bear and walks on all fours. The mad ones sit especially; others are chained to the wall. One of them constantly laughs and calls people to him, saying: "I am happy! Come to me; I will breathe bliss into you!" But whoever approaches, he will bite. - The order in the house, cleanliness, service and looking after the unfortunate are worthy of surprise. Between the rooms there are baths, warm and cold, with which doctors treat them. Many recover, and upon graduation, everyone receives the medicines they need for free to strengthen the soul and body ... "
Bedlam is Europe's oldest institution for the mentally ill, still operating today. In 1997 he celebrated his 750th anniversary, in 2008 a new building with 89 beds was opened in the hospital, and in 2015 the opening of own museum, where visitors and tourists can learn about the history of the hospital and get acquainted with the life and work of patients.
In the thirteenth century there lived a man named Simon FitzMary. He was probably distinguished by enviable energy and administrative talent, because despite his rather modest origin, he managed to become the sheriff of London twice. In addition, Simon must have been very sympathetic to the suffering, for in Bishopgate (London) he allocated a piece of land in order to build a haven for the weak and destitute (now there is Liverpool Street station). As a result, in 1247, within the framework of the monastery of the New Order Holy Mary Bethlehem originated Bethlehem Hospital, which later became known as Bethlem or simply Bedlam. I will say in advance that not a word will be said about Simon Fitz-Mary in this sketch. So let's say goodbye to this gentleman immediately.
The institution was small, only 12 "hospital wards", and was supposed to be for the poor and sick. The idea is certainly noble. But for some reason, only the building was erected directly above the cesspool (that is, the sewerage system of that time), which served all the buildings of the complex. Naturally, the drains periodically clogged, and sewage seeped out, filling the space with unimaginable malice.
16th century plan
Obviously, already in the second half of the XIV century, the monks began to take care of people suffering mental disorders. Although it is not possible to speak with certainty about what was going on there at that time due to the lack of information. Nevertheless, historians believe that the “insane” 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 came down to corporal punishment, the strictest fasting and unceasing prayer in solitary confinement. cameras. 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 mente capti male patients". In addition, visitors found "four pairs of shackles, eleven chains, two pairs of stocks" and other wonderful devices that were probably used to pacify violent (and not only) guests.
Sometime in the 1370s, the management of the hospital passed to the crown, and then the real serious problems. In the sense that the monks tortured the unfortunate, guided by the best of intentions, and government officials - selfish interests. It's about good old corruption. The hospital existed on alms: good people donated food, clothes and other necessary things, and the employees of the institution sold it all (either to patients, if they had the means, or to the left) or consumed it themselves. In other words, the administration gave the hospital a minimum of time, while trying to extract the maximum personal benefit. As early as 1403, Bedlam's treasurer, Peter Taverner, was accused of money laundering and embezzlement, 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 (in the sense of dirt), and the patients were on the verge of starvation. Around this time, the word "bedlam" began to be widely used in the sense of chaos and chaos.
It is noteworthy that the first qualified doctor to be the director of the institution was a man with speaking surname Helkiah Crooke
1 ). It was the court doctor of King James I, who enjoyed a fair amount of authority. Probably, Crook took science seriously: in 1615 he wrote an anatomy manual with the mysterious title "Mikrokosmographia".
Pages from the book Mikrokosmographia
This work, in particular, contained images of the genitals, which caused the serious anger of 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 in a pirated way (more on that later).Nevertheless, this respectable-looking gentleman turned out to be dishonest. In 1632, Crook was fired as director of the hospital on charges of corruption, money laundering, and absenteeism (avoidance of attendance at work).
Given such a negligent attitude of employees to the performance of their duties, it is not surprising that by the 1600s the hospital was in a deplorable state, so drastic measures had to be taken. As a result, in 1676, an impressive building was built, on either side of the entrance of which two statues were installed, personifying "Melancholy" and "Violent insanity."
Bedlam's Second Building, engraving by Robert White
In the 17th century, the hospital administration decided to earn extra money, and the doors of the institution were opened for private visitors. The pleasure cost only twopence. There are reports that holidays crowds of idle people (often of noble birth) rushed there, thirsting for spectacles. Such "excursions" were served, of course, under a noble sauce, they say, visitors have the opportunity to see live examples of what a vicious life leads to. It was believed that "madness" is a consequence of the excessive sinfulness of man. Here is what a contemporary writes: “Nowhere else on earth will such a lesson be taught as in this school of suffering. Here we can see these "thinking" creatures that have sunk below the level of insects. This can induce us to learn how to moderate our pride and keep our passions in check, because breaking free, they can expel the mind from its container and level us with the unfortunate inhabitants of this abode of grief.In this regard, I would like to mention the artistic masterpiece of William Hogarth (1697-1764), which is called A Rake's Progress. This "comic book" of eight paintings tells instructive story fictional Tom Rakewell, who received a large inheritance and rolled downhill, ending up in Bedlam.
1 Heir
2 Social success
3 The Fall Begins
4 Arrest
5 Marriage
6 Gambling house
7 Prison
8 Crazy House
But, of course, the visitors did not think of any benefit. People came to the "abode of grief" exclusively for entertainment. “At least a hundred people began to run around the room uncontrollably, teasing and mocking the unfortunate patients. So the insults of this jubilant crowd caused fits of rage among many unfortunates, ”says a witness of one of the excursions (XVIII century).
TO late XVIII centuries, the attitude in society towards the madmen softened somewhat. It is believed that this was due to the mental illness of King George III. In any case, after the 1770s, the hospital was closed to the public, and permission from 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 an absolute hell for patients. Suffice it to recall Dr. Brian Crowther, who in the early 1790s took a job as chief surgeon at Bedlam. In this era, physicians were en masse fond of 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, the dead "goods" were in great short supply. In this regard, the practice of stealing corpses became widespread: enterprising adventurers devastated fresh graves and delivered bodies to the surgical table for a decent, naturally, reward. But in Bedlam huddled people abandoned by everyone, whose corpses no one claimed. Therefore, when he arrived at the hospital, Dr. Crowther found himself in a kind of medical Eldorado. He was formally assigned to care for living patients. However, he was mainly interested in dead stuff". The surgeon was very enthusiastic about dissecting the brains of deceased lunatics, trying to find physical evidence of insanity. His activities were completely illegal. To some extent, he can be called a gentleman of fortune, who traded on high road Sciences. And very successfully: he worked in Bedlam for twenty years. Although he failed to identify the causes of madness.
Crowther's senior comrade John Haslam, who became director of the hospital in 1795, also won notoriety. He was convinced that the only way to cure a madman was to break his will. Therefore, under him, unfortunate patients were subjected to all kinds of tortures. And it is not known how long this could have continued if not for the Quaker Edward Wakefield. This philanthropist suspected what things were going on within the walls of the institution, and was eager to get permission for an official visit at all costs. Of course, he was hindered in every possible way. But in 1814, he still got his way and visited the hospital, accompanied by the manager of the hospital and one of the members of parliament.
What they saw shocked visitors: darkness, stench and half-naked, chained patients. An American, James Norris, was reportedly held there. This man was wearing something like a harness with a chain, which went through a hole in the wall into the next room. From time to time, employees, as needed, pulled the chain, and the unfortunate man hit the wall painfully. How long has this poor guy been suffering? Wakefield asked. - Years 12, - they answered him.
James Norris
The case ended in a serious scandal. Haslam and Kruter were released in peace, but the problem of the mentally ill and conditions in hospitals was finally addressed. In the following decades, the country's parliament adopted a number of laws, which, of course, contributed to the improvement of the situation. Although, of course, before people with mental disorders began to be treated like human beings, a lot of time passed.
There are many scary stories about cases of torture and violence in this institution. But, sorry, I don't want to mention them.
Let's turn now to treatment. Here, to be honest, everything is simple. Almost to 19th century European medicine adhered to the ancient theory that a person's 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 an excess of blood leads to excessive activity. Therefore, the main methods of healing were bloodletting, as well as various 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 sick were kept on starvation rations, 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 put on a chair, tied with ropes to the ceiling, and untwisted. The duration and speed of rotation was determined by an experienced doctor. - What's wrong with that? - you ask. - After all, spinning for a couple of minutes is very pleasant. Agree if we are talking about a couple of minutes. But the prisoners of Bedlam were forced to spin for several hours at a speed of under a hundred revolutions per minute. After that, they vomited excruciatingly, 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, the classification of diseases did not exist. And madness was considered any deviation from the norm, including learning disabilities (learning disabilities) and epilepsy. Therefore, absolutely normal people were kept in the same room with patients with schizophrenia and paranoia, not to mention the fact that all
Bethlem Royal Hospital in London, known as "Bedlam", is one of the world's oldest hospitals dedicated to the treatment of mental illness. It has been accepting patients since the 14th century. But the fame of this hospital was brought not by its advanced age, but by a scandalously sad story, after which the word "bedlam" became synonymous with confusion and disorder.
"Bedlam" was founded in 1247, during the reign of King Henry III, by the Italian Bishop Gioffredo di Prefetti as a hostel for the brotherhood of the "New Order of St. Mary". The establishment was mainly used to help raise money for crusades through charity. 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. Bedlam at that time had 12 rooms for patients, housing for employees, a kitchen and a yard. The hospital remained in its original location for the next 400 years until 1675 when it moved north from London to Moorsfield as the old building was too small and needed to be enlarged.
The design of the new building for 150 people was designed by architect Robert Hooke. In front of the gates of the hospital, the architect Kai Gabriel Cibbera erected two statues, which were called "Melancholia" and "Violent Madness". People suffering from depression, dementia, schizophrenia, epilepsy, anxiety and other mental illnesses are known to have been subjected to horrific abuse, and local doctors, who were called "keepers", experimented on them.
"Melancholy" and "Violent Madness" by Caius Gabriel Cibber (1680).
At that time, Bedlam was rocked by scandals. One prisoner died after his intestines burst, as the unfortunate man was chained in a tiny cell, where he had to sit crouched, for many years. Others slept naked on the 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 usual diet of patients was extremely poor (cereals, bread, water), there was no talk of vegetables or fruits.
Scene from Bethlem hospital. Cycle of William Hogarth "Career mot".
One of the most brutal treatments at Bedlam was "rotational therapy," as the "keepers" called it. The patient was seated on a chair suspended from the ceiling by ropes, and spun up to more than 100 revolutions in one minute ... This went on for several hours. The result was usually vomiting and extremely severe dizziness, but, paradoxically, sometimes there was an 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 bullying. And then, not everyone survived in the hospital. Modern research 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 at St. George's Fields, 1828
In the 17th century, someone from the leadership of the hospital came up with a “brilliant” idea - why not earn extra money on unfortunate patients. For only 2p, anyone was allowed to come to the hospital to see the insane patients. All this was “served with sauce” so that people allegedly clearly saw what a vicious life leads to. People from all over the UK flocked to Bedlam in search of entertainment.
When the photo appeared, many masters of photography frequented the hospital, creating galleries of patients ...
About 96,000 people visited the hospital every year, which naturally annoyed the patients insanely. In 1930 the hospital moved to Beckenham and remains there to this day. The times when patients in Bedlam were subjected to horrific cruelty and experiments are over, but the institution's notoriety has remained for centuries.
