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Au, :A AB IlJAL UR APP E CORNE FOR THE I , . I , \60 0 \ \ FIRST HOME FOR THE INSANE ON MOUNT LEBANO BY , lfJ if f--- - THEOPHILUS WALDMEIER, FOUNDER AND LATE SUPERTNTENDENT OF THE }<RIENDS' MISSION ON MOUN1 LEBANON, AND AUTHOR OF "TEN YEARS IN AnYSSINL\ AND SIXTEEN YEARS IN SYRIA." LONDON: HEADLEY BROTHERS, 14, BISHOPSGATE STREET WI' HOUT, E.C. I j

Appeal 1897

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  • Au, :A AB IlJAL URA P P E A~ ~k~fS CORNE

    FOR THE

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    ~~M\' \600\ \

    FIRST HOME FOR THE INSANE

    ON

    MOUNT LEBANO

    BY

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    THEOPHILUS WALDMEIER,

    FOUNDER AND LATE SUPERTNTENDENT OF THE }

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    Jntrobuctor1? (!tot.

    My friend Theophilus Waldn1eier needs, I think, .little introduction to British readers; his work in theEast speaks for itself, and is well known to all who havevisited the Lebanon.

    Mr. and Mrs. Waldmeier have a hvofold object intheir visit to Europe-to see and investigate the bestinstitutions for the insane, in order to gather knowledgefor their work, and to arouse interest in the hearts ofthe charitable, that the necessary n1eans may be provided.

    As regards the first aim, they have visited andcarefully exan1ined a great 111any of the best asylun1s inSwitzerland, Gennany, France, and n10re recently inEngland and Scotland. SOlne of our large new countyasylums, such as that at Claybury, where they werekindly entertained by the Superintendent, Dr. Jones,are built on excellent modern principles. Dr. Clollston,of Morningside, Edinburgh, Dr. Yellowlees, of Gartnavel,Gla gow, Dr. Percy Sinith, of Bethlen1, London, Dr.Whitco111be, of the City Asyhun, Birmingham, Dr.Bedford Pierce, of the Retreat, York, \vith otherleading mental physicians, have helped Mr. Waldmeier\vith advice and sympathy, and joined the localcommittees in aid of the work.

    The second aim, that of rai~ing funds, is renderednecessary by the con1parative poverty of the countryitself. Let it not, ho\vever, be thought that Syria is notdoing her own share. A large committee has beenforn1ed of the leading persons in Beyrout, representingall sections of the town, and all religions (although theundisguised aim of the founder is to work the Home for

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    the Insane upon Christian principles from the outset)to undertake the general responsibility of the asylum'with an executive of nine well-known Protestantresidents. Dr. Wortabet IS President; Dr. JessupPastor of the large American Church at Beyrout, andSecretary of the Alnerican Mission, is General Secretary;and Mr. Charles Slnith, an English banker in the town,Treasurer. This Conlmittee at once collected amongstthemselves about roo. When the Honle is opened,it is probable that in course of tilue a nlaterial SOurce ofinconle nlay be found in paying patients. But at first,and for all the foundation expenses, considerable Ineanswill be required, estinlated at ro,ooo. Local Conl-mittees have been formed in various centres for thecollection of funds, and Sir R. Tangye has taken theoffice of Treasurer for this country.

    The asyltull will be built on the cottage system,which is now approved by the be t authorities; it lUll tbe placed on the plain of Beyrout, \vithin easy accessof that town, and where there is a good supply of water.The large medical college belonging to the AnlericanMission may probably utilise the new institution as avaluable place of clinical study, and the resident doctorof the asylunl may be invited to lecture on mentaldiseases in the college. It is Mr. Walchueier's earnestdesire that the poor insane should be treated not onlyon the humane principles of the alienist medicine ofto-day, but with Christian love and kindness. The workin Syria will probably be a difficult one, as prejudices ofa deep-rooted character will be encountered; not onlyl&nOrance and superstition, but active fanaticism mayhInder the work; but those who know Mr. Waldmeier,and what he has aCcomplished in the past, will hardlyd?ubt that hIS great experience and tact in dealingWith Eastern people \vill enable hinl to succeed.

    Some may say, what claim have the insane of thisprovince of the Turkish Empire upon our sympathies andhelp? The answer is, that care for the sick in body ormind IS one of the fruits of ciVilisation, and that it is the;

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    . part of favoured Western States, su~h as ?~r own, tohelp the East to a hig~er plane of lIfe,.,relIgiously andsocially. It is a pioneer work. 1 he Home. Mr.Waldnleier would establish will be a gral~d obJ~ctlesson and its use will extend far beyond the Inllnedlatehelp df those to whonl it gives a shelter.

    R. HINGSTO. ~ Fox, M.D.

    Finsbury Square, E.C.

    January, r897.

    "ROYAL ASYLU:\I,

    l\10I{I IXGSIDE, EDI~BURGH.

    Inlet Mr. and Mrs. Th. Waldlueier in .Beyrout inth . of r896 and found Mr. Waidmeler about toe spnng , ( . 1 t raisestart for Europe and Alnenca to el~c eavo.ur 0 .funds for a new Home for the Insane In Syna, a projectwhich excited nlY keenest syn:p~thy. I had see1 :~rnl self the urgency of this mISSion on acc~:)llnt ~ eby . ble way the insane are now treated In Syna. I

    a onlInda' cal men clergymen and business nlen of reputesaw nle I , , 1 th 11 agreed. S ria in regard to this matter, anc ey a ( .III tYno better man than Mr. Waldmeier could be got 111~h~ia for this mission. He has experience, enthUSIasma~d hi h character; he is backed and _supp~rted by a

    g tatI've conlmittee and has a beasuler for therepresen ,fund collected.

    T. S. CLOUSTO. T, M.D., F.R.C.P.E.,

    Physician Superintendent, Royal Edinburgh Asylum."

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    fl SOine fZ'otlthe Insane in :Bible Lands.THE LONDON COMMITTEE FOH. 'I'HE

    Sir Richard Tangye, F.R.G.S., 35, Queen Victoria Street,E.C. (Treasurer for Great Britain).

    Rev. W. Wright, D.D., ofthe British and Foreign Bible ociety.Rev. Dr. A. Tien, 25, Mansfield Gardens, Hamp tead.Dr. Hingston Fox, 23, Finsbury Square.Dr. John Dixon, 39, Gloucester Road, Finsbury Park.R. Cope Morgan, Esq., Editor of Tlze Christian, Paternoster

    Buildings.Dr. R. Jones, Superintendent of the Lindon County Asylum,

    Claybury, Woodford, Essex.Dr. F. R. P. Taylor, Claybury Asylum.Dr. Percy Smith, Superintendent of Bethlem Royal Hospital.Francis William Fox, Esq., 14, Deans Yard, Westminst r.Dr. A. T. Schofield, 141, vVestbourne Terrace, Hyde Park.Dr. T. Gilbart Smith, 68, Harley Street, Cavendish Square.Colonel J. F. Morton, Superintendent of the Mildmay Par

    Conference Hall.Dr. Whitcombe, Superintendent of the Birmingham Cit

    Asylum.

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    HOME FOR INSA E 0

    SYRIA.

    MOD T LEBA ON, As I have been for 38 years a mIssIonary in theEast, first in Abyssinia, and afterwards in Syria,I have had abundant opportunities for studyingthe needs of these countries. I speak especially

    no\v about the urgent need of Syria, and feel constrainedto bring it before the public. I am sure that thispressing need will find Inany helping hands and heartsfor poor suffering human.ity. . .

    The urgent need whIch I desIre to bnng. be~oreChristians and lovers of down-trodden hUInanIty IS ahOlne for the insane. I think I anl right in saying thatsince our Lord Jesus Christ had pity on the poor lunaticsand healed their diseases, nothing more has been donefor this class of sufferers in that country. I thereforebelieve it is right to follow also in this resl:ect ourDivine Master's example, and do what we can In orderto bring help and relief to these afflicted people ofBible lands.

    Alnerican and European missionaries have done a:great deal for Syria and Palestine. Schoo~s haye beenbuilt, colleges opened, churches and hospItal~ erected;.the Holy Scriptures have been translated, pnnte~ andcirculated, and other good books have been pnnted,and various means have been eInployed to elevate andenlighten the people. All honour and praise. is due tothose noble missionaries who have done theIr utmostlor the social and religious elevation of the country ;

    ut there is still one great need to be supplied, and thisneed is that of the totally forsaken sufferers from nlentaldiseases.

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    'chitect for this special purpose, including the mostodern equipnlents, in a locality where there is plenty. good water, not far from Bey~'out. .The cost of such a construction, according to the

    ':>ttage systeln, would be about 10,000, including thepd on which it is built, which should be large enoughI occupy the patients in garden work. A well-qualified

    loctor (specialist) should be engaged as residenthysician at the asyluln, supported by a staff of \vell-Llalified and experienced men and women nurses.The general management of this establishment should

    est in the hands of the business superintendent, whovould be supported by the needful overseers and~rvant. The doctor of the asylunl and the businessllperintendent should be guided by a local C0111Inittee"proininent gentlenlen at Beyrout, who \vould IneetJery three months for the consideration of the generalrelfare of the home.Those patients who are able to pay must defray their

    III expenses during their stay in the retreat, and thosewho are too poor to pay anything ought to be InaintainedLnd cared for gratis. One part of the asyhun should belppropriated for imbecile and epileptic patients, \vhoave likewise a great c1ainl to be cared for by nledical

    lelp and Christian pity and kindness.The honle should be built by donations and collections

    'Specially Inade in different parts of Europe andAmerica, in addition to the funds raised in Syria itself.The current expense should be nlet by annual sub-scriptions. COlnlnittees in various parts of Europe andAlnerica should be organized, and linked together bytheir respective secretaries, in order to keep up theinterest in the establishinent. Sir Richard Tangye,F:H..G.S., 35, Queen Victori~ Street, London, E.C.,. h~skIncUy consented to be the rreasurer for Great Bntmnand Ireland, and \vill be glad to receive funds fromindividuals a'nd fronl the local treasurers for the Home.Annual reports and accounts will be Igiven b~ .theexecutive comnlittee at Beyrout. As regards rehglon,

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    ~urin~ the l~st seven years I ha\'e been greatly in-telestedln the Insane, and ha\'c .sYlnpathised deeplv \viththenl, but I could not do. anythIng for theIn, as thadon .Iny ha~lds the supenntendence of the large Ini8sio11statIon wluch I orgalllzed "'3 ye'll'S 'lgO 1'11 BMt L b J ~ rLunana, on

    . e anon, for the SOCIety of Friends. As the L . Jh3:s no\v sent 17 native and 12 European helpers ~~~.th~ w.ork, I feel tha~ I can leave the \vork in their handsa~l h gllv.e nlylself enh~-ely to ~he great and pressing needo e pIng t le poor In ane In the East. ~ha.d no idea of the large nUlnbe;' of lunatics \vho areIn rr~a, but, when I began to tudy their deplorablecone Ihon," I found that there are more of the e unfortu-nate suffel er than I ever 'lntiCl'l1ateel 'l"'hf th D" . e governoro e Istnct of EI Metn told Ille that 1 f d" . l' . . ( le nun 20Insa~e I.n us dl~tnct alone, who are bound hand andfoot In tr~l~ chaIns, and a the Lebanon is divided into~ev?nl~ IS ncts, \-ye nlay count about 1+0 of these notInc UC Ing the mIlder cases. In the re 1 of S ,.' 1othel- 1" 1 . th O' yua ane

    ~) aces In e nent wheI'e thel"e I'S1 . , no properaccomnloe.ahon for theIn, the only refuges for these

    poor lunahcs are dark danll) aIlel iI'ltllY 11. It " ) aces caveshal vau. ,s, In hso.nle convents, where they are fett~red in

    eavy lIon c alns.The only acknowledged fo' f . ". th 1 '. un 0 InsanIty In the Orient

    IS e e emono-manla (devII-l)ossessioIl) allel .que f t1 '. ,c: In conse-. nce.o lIs:we hnd that the only treatment of tl e~~~a~~i~~t~~~~~~s~~ew~diChtht~s been .kept in the hands ~f

    I 0 es nne unhl the present dacanno~ now enter upon the cruelty with \vhicl; Yihe

    poor lunatIcs a~e ~reated and tortured to death in theseplace~, but I WIll Just ~xplain \vhat should be done forth~~:I}~~d~r to. alnhe.hor~te their deplorable conditionabout 11 s s ep In t IS dIrection is to build a honle fOl:

    40 Inen and 40 \VOnle 'I""'h'should be erected . h It! n. . IS establislunentwhere we en' In a e.a. ly locahty on Mt. Lebanon,great Iibert JOd a Chnshan g:o-yernlnent, good laws,built accorct'n~ntol~any l~tl~er.prdIVr1eges. It should be

    c: we -c eVIse plan by a European

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    nu special creed or sect should guide this establislll11ent,but the silllple Gospel Truth should be taught, and JesusChrist should be preached as the power of God un tosalvation. All those who are engaged in the honlCshould feel the call fr01n God and be cOllst.raincdby the love of Christ to bring relief to the snf-erers froln mental diseases. The institution shouldbe undenominational In its character, and receIvepatients from all creeds and sects, froln differentnationalities and religions, without the slightest prefer-ence to the one or to the other, as its support should notbe restricted to one nationality alone, as Dr. Cloustonsays, but all nations and denonlinations should have ashare in this noble work in Bible lands. 1 he Con-stitution and Bye-laws of the Lebanon Home for theInsane have already been drawn up and printed atBeyrout.

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    obstinate during the first course of exorcism the monksthink it right to engage in more severe measures.. Theybind the hands and feet of the poor sufferer \vllIle theiron chain, by which he is kept close to the wall, is stillround his neck. A priest is then called to perform theexorcism; he takes a heavy boot in his right hand, andbeats the insane person repeatedly upon his forehead,while he is holding in his left hand the stoia and thebook from which he reads the formula of exorcisnl. Headdresses himself to the devil, saying: "Get thee awayfronl this person, accursed devil, and enter into the RedSea, and leave the telnple of Gael. I force thee in thename of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost to goto the everlasting fire," etc., etc.

    H is a sad and not surprising fact that the patientsscarcely ever recover under such inhunlan and crueltreatnlent, but go from bad to worse, and generally die.The nlonks then say that St. Antony has loosened thepatient frOlll his chain, and has taken hinl straighhvayup to heaYen, for which the nlonks and priest ask a heavyfee from the relatives of the poor deceased.

    Near Mount Cannel is another cave, not far fronl theconvent of the Carnlelite nlonks, and tradition saythat the prophet Elijah of old dwelt in this cave inconsequ~nceof ~hich the people regard it as a l~olyplace. with heallng power. They often bring theirlunatics and those who suffer from nlental diseases intothis ca~e. wher.e they ~re locl~~d in for three days andthree nlght~. WIthout llght. .1 he people say that thep~ophet EllJah appears to the Insane at night, and peaksWIth them, and heals thenl froln their diseases andcasts out .the evil spiri.t fronl thenl, but the expel~iencethe relatives have with their unfortunate patients inthis cave also, is very sad.. Anot~ler. lnethod of exorci~nl is the following: TheInsane IS tightly bound to a pIllar of a house with strongropes fronl head to foot.. A priest is called upon to cast~he ~leInon out of tl:e patient, and he goes with the censerIn hIS hand many times round the poor man, fUInigating

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    him, and reading the formula of exorcism. Of coursethis has never been satisfactory. However, the ignorantsuperstitious public have looked upon the pnests asmagicians froIn the oldest tinle until now, believingthem to be eillpowered to heal spiritual diseases.

    The Inany different kinds of spiritual and nlentaldiseases present a very difficult field for enquiry, andnluch nlight be said in support of different opinions onthe subject.

    But it is Iny belief that nledical and spiritual meanswill have to be employed together in order to bringrelief to these objects of our sympathy. Hippocrates,Caelius Aurelianus, and others of the olden time, nladea study of the diseases of the mental faculties, and laidin nlany ways the basis of the ilnprovec1 treahnent of theinsane without restraint. ~ Pinel and Esquirol, inFrance, the Tukes and others in England, Heinroth andHoffbauer in Genllany, and others in other parts ofEurope, have been the Refonners of the LunaticAsylunls, and have delivered the insane fronl their ironchains, and lifted thenl up once nlore to the rank ofhUlnan beings. Heinroth especially elllphasizec1 thereligiou and spiritual means to be used for thepsychical disturbance, as well as the proper Inedicaltreabllent of the physical diseases. These nlen prepareda solid foundation, and nlarked out well hovv to buildupon it the refornled systelll of doing better work intreating the sufferers fronl mental diseases.

    The treatnlent of the insane at Danlascus will like\viseshow how needful it is to gather thenl into a properhome. A gentlenlan of DalllaSCllS told nle that thereis a place in that town for about twelve nlen who sufferfrom ll1ental diseases. Each nlan is bound by an ironchain to the wall of a little cell of about five feet square:it has a snlall door for entrance. The patients are\vatched by a guardian, and when they get their attack

    flo Mr. Hills, in England, said, 60 ycars ago, that in a properly construckd Asylumwith thc proper and sufficient nursing, restraint is ncyer necessary, never justifiableand always injurious in all cases of lunacy.

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    not recover her reason, and was not merely as insane asbefore but lnuch worse. She ran away fronl Brumanadown to the sea, where she drowned herse~f.

    In the neighbourhood of Bethlehenl IS a conventcalled EI Khudr. It is dedicated to St: George theDragon Killer, and stands ~n~ler the ~upenntenc~el~ce-,ofthe Oriental Orthodox ChnstIan Patnarch of Jerusalem.The leo-end tells us that St. George killed the dragon,hI'and that the dragon was a denlon, ane In c?nsequence

    of this the people believe that St. Geo~&e IS also ableto subdue and cast out demons. I herefore, theInonks of St. George's convent have a few ~mall cellsappropriated for the madjallccn. Ho:vev~r,. It appearsthat St. George has not succeeded III lnlhng all thedelnons, as there are still, I am sorry to say, ll1anydemons who take possession of the people. In thesecells the insane are half or quite naked, with heavy ironchains round their necks, running through a hole of thewall of the cells into the church of St. George, where theyare fastened round a stone pillar.

    From these statenlents we can clearly see how pressingis the need for a home for the insane in Bible lands.I believe that when once a nl0del asylunl is establishedin Syria, others will soon follow .il~ diife~'ent parts of theOrient. A native doctor of nlechclne sard to me, " I cunquite ashanled of my fellow countrylnen that they havenot yet sufficient synlpathy and noble feelings forh uinanity to arouse thenl fronl their indifference to thesufferings of their afflicted brethren, and to induce theln todo their utnlost to establish the needful accollllnodationfor theln. But, alas! although they see the increasedpressing need

    JI am sure that nothing will be done un til

    Christian Europe and Ainerica lay the first founclationstone for a regular lunatic asylunl in this land."

    In May, 1896, I began Iny work for the poor lunaticsIn the East, and have travelled In Switzerland,Germany, England, and Scotland, and organized localCOlnnlittees and appointed local Treasurers in Geneva,Lausanne, Neuchatel, Le Ponts, Berne, Zurich, Bale,

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    Heidelberg, Frankfort, Elberfeld, Barmen Bielefeld,London, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Birminghanl, Newcastle-on-Tyne, and York. In this last place I visited theRetreat, when I was nlost interested and learned a greatdeal. I have held meetings in all these places, andhave visited the best asylums in order to becomeacquainted with the architectural requirements and thebest nlethods of treatment to be pursued. I have alsoobtained very useful information and good suggestionsfronl the greatest authorities on Inental diseases inSwitzerland, Gennany, and Great Britain in regard tothe treatnlent of the insane, as well as to the arrange-Inents and building of asylums suitable to an eastern,c1ilnate. While my \vife and I were travelling in Europe,"ve received an Arabic newspaper frolll Syria, thetranslation of which nlay be interesting here-

    Babda, Mount Lebanon, Syria,May 4th, 1896.

    '" We have had the pleasure of having a most interestingmeeting of 46 of the best and most highly esteemed and influen-tial men of Beyrout of all denominations-Europeans, Syrians,Mohammedans, Druses, Christians, and Jews-who cametogether, in the house of Dr. J. Wortabet, to constitute aCommittee to consider the question of erecting a homefor the poor insane in Bible lands, which will be the first asylumin th Orient. These poor sufferers from mental diseasesare treated most cruelly, running about without shelter,and going from bad to worse by the brutality and heartlessnesso~ the pe?ple. We need to build a home for t~em, where theyWIll be kmdly treated and taken care of. ThIS home will beunsectarzau and z"nternatzonal, and all mentally afflictedwill have access to it without exception. Our dear andhighly esteemed friend, Mr. Th. \Valdmeier, has dedicatedthe rest of his life to this noble and philanthropic enterprise,and has undertaken the journey to Europe, and perhaps alsoto America, to raise funds for a home for our insane. MayGod abundantly bless and reward all who have compassion()n the poor and sorely afflicted insane of Bible lands."

    Out of this large Comnlittee of 46, an Executive ofnine, nlembers was s~lecte~l, in order to give strength,conhdence, and a sohd baSIS to the undertaking.

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    The following are the nanles ofTHE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE AT BEYROlJT:-

    Rev. John Wortabet, M.D., President (late professor otAnatomy at the American Protestant College at Beyrout).

    Rev. Henry Jessup, D.D., General Secretary (Pastor of thePresbyterian American Church at B,eyrou~, ~nd, Gen~ralSecretary of the American Presbytenan MisSlOn III Syn~.).

    Charles Smith, Esq., Heald & Cie, Treasurer (EnglIshBanker at Beyrout).

    Esbir Eff. Shkeyr, Assistant Secretary (Dragoman of theBritish Consulate General).

    Assad Cheyrallah, Esq., Assistant Secretary (Clerk of theAmerican Mission Press).

    Dr. Brigstock (English Physician at Beyrout).Dr. Graham, (Physician at the German Hospital of the Knights

    of St. John, and Medical Professor at the AmericanProtestant College at Beyrout).

    Dr. \Villiam Van Dyck (Physician at the Greek Hospital ofSt. George at Beyrout).

    Theophilus Waldmeier, Founder and General Agent of theLebanon Home for Insane.

    It is interesting to know that the Conl1nittee started asubscription among the natives of all c1enonlinations inSyria, and soon more than 100 were collected for theHome.

    Of the many recomlnendations which I received, Igive here three only, which will show the reader theopinion of elninent gentlelnen \vho have lived in Syriafor many years, on this great subject.

    Beyrout, Syria,Feb. 28th, 1896.

    " It gives me great pleasure to commend to th' Christianworld the beneficent project now undertaken with so much ofself-denial, practical wisdom, and true consecration by myfriend Mr. Theophilus Waldmeier. '

    My observation for forty years in Syria have convinced methat there is an urgent need for an Asylum for the Insanethe Imbecile and Epileptic. There being no provision fo;these unfortunates, they are treated with brutal violenceconfin~dwith iron chains, or left at large, a terror and a periito SOCIety.

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    . Mr. "\Valdmeier's plan is wise and entirely practicable, andIS worthy of support of the benevolent and humane in allChristian lands. His long experience in Mount Lebanon, hiskn?~ledge of the :people, and h,is successful planting andtraIllll1~ of the admIrable schools III Brl1mana, have given himexceptlOnal advantages for the successful founding of thehumane insti~ution now proposed. No better person could befound to begll1 the work, and Christian philanthropists canrest assured that he will make wise and conscientious use ofthe funds entrusted to him for this object.

    HE RY H. JES '"UP, D.D.Stated Cl rk of the American Presby-

    terian Mission in Syria.GEORGE POST, M.D.,

    and Professor of Surgery at theAmerican Protestant College."

    ---Dear Mr. 'Valdmeier, Beyrout, Feb. 20th, 1896.

    " I have hard with much interest and pleasure that youare about to undertake a work of great benefit to the poorinsane of this country. Nothing in my opinion is so muchcalled for as an asylum for this unfortunate class, who are~tterly unprovided for throughout the whole of Syria, and itIS truly heartrending to see how cruelly they are treated; andcases which might recover become utterly hopeless fromignorant and bad management. Let me wish you, therefore,and with all my heart, God speed and a complete success inthis most humane enterprise. You have done much goodduring the 2S years I have known you, in Syria, especially inconnection with the schools and hospitals of your BrumanaMission, and you cannot close and crown your life with a moreuseful de~d than with that which ha engaged your thoughtsfor the last seven years, and to which you now propose todevote your remaining years. Having put your hand to thisplough, I hope you will never turn back without fullyaccom-plishing the design which you have in view. Of course I neednot, remind you that the success of the scheme will dependentIrely on the full equipment of a lunatic asylum accordingto the latest developments of such institutions in Europe. Inthis work you have my best wishes.

    Yours very sincerely, JOHN WORTABET, M.D.,and late Professor of Anatomy in the

    Medical College at Beyrout."

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    Fr01ll Her Britannic l\Iajesty's Con ul-General, H.Drun1nlond Hay, of Beyrout :-

    Syria, 11th April, 1896.Dear Mr. \Valdmeier,

    " Your design of buildin,O" an Asylum for the Insane in Syriahas my keenest sympathy, ~and cannot fail to .commend itselfto all who are interested in the welfare of BIble lands, andindeed to all actuated by the desire to do what in them lies torelieve the misery of their fellow men.

    I sincerely wish that your pr~iseworthy endeavour maymeet with all the success they so nchly deserve.

    R. DR oro D HAY."

    Dr. T. Clouston, of Edinburgh, and Dr. Yello\vlees,of Glasgow, hvo eminent physicians and great authoritiesin mental di eases, \vho have lately travelled throughPalestine and Syria, have een for thelnselves thepitiable condition of the poor in those countries, andhave helped Ine a great deal in Scotland, and I thinkI cannot do better than repeat "Vvhat they said at Inypublic n1eetings In Edinburgh and Glasgow, held inNoven1ber and December of 1896, which appeared inpart in the Scotsman and in the Glasgow Herald.

    Dr. T. Clouston, Superintendent of the Hoyal Asyluln,in Edinburgh, said :-

    20th November, 1896." I became interested in the subject of the insane in yria

    when I was in the East in the beginning of this year. I met.Mr. Th. Waldmeier and some of the doctor, and found themunited in the opinion that the condition of the insane was adisgrace to humanity. Along with other medical men I madepersonal investigations into the existin

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    By Subscription per Chas. Linney: s. d.

    Anna Maria Fox 5 0 0Robert Fox 2 0 0

    aomi B. Fox I 0 0Sundry other items 3 12 0

    Miss Von ieburh 3 8 0Mary Jane Fox 5 0 0Miss Margaret M. McCrae 300 0 0Sir Richard and Lady Tangye 200 0 0A Friend, per W. C. Allen 25 0 0vV. Catchpool . I 0 0Mrs. A. C. Bryant I 0 0Miss E. Beck . 0 10 0Col. J. F. Morton I 0 0Miss Florence Grimshaw 0 5 0The Misses Tylor I I 0Mrs. Ellen Barclay 2 0 0Mr. J. G. Barclay 25 0 0

    I

    Mrs. E. F. \V. 0 10 0Forster Green .

    20 0 0

    Miss F. Bruce 3 0 0Maj or T. n. Richey I I IMrs. Grimke . 25 0 0Major T. D. Richey 4 4 4Miss Petter . 3 3 0Mrs. E. M. Nettleton. 0 10 0Miss Ellen Robinson 0 5 0Mrs. ] ane Miller I 0 0Mrs. John Sinclair 0 10 0M. J. Hillman 0 5 0

    LIST OF SUBSCRIPTIONS TOWAHDS THE

    SYRIAN HOME FOR THE INSANE,

    ",,

    "",,,,

    ",,

    ",,,,

    ",,

    """"""""""""

    / 'p'r()m the Month 0.1 October, 1896, to 14th 0.1 January, 1897.I '

    -

    ..

    THEOPHILUS WALDMEIER,

    Gene1'al Agent 0./ the Home .lor the Insaneon Mt. Lebanon.

    11Y London address :-

    c/o \/\7. C. Allen,7, Cowper Street,

    Finsbury, London, E.C.

    Major T. D. Richey, R.A., who is about to proceedfrom Edinburgh to Londonderry, is Honorary Agent forIreland.

    In conclusion, I should like to say that, after so manyen1inent Inel1 , both in Europe and Asia, have so en1-phatically expressed their approval and interest in theproposed Home for the Inentally afflicted in the Orient,I feel encouraged in n1Y work, trusting that God willdirect the hearts of His people to help n1e. To thosewho have already helped in this cause, as the followinglist 'will sho'w, I convey in the nan1e of the COlnn1ittee,and in the nan1es of the poor insane in the East, n1Ycordial thankfulness.

    As it is intended to build the Asylum on the Cottagesysteln it "vould be interesting to allot different blocksto different nationalities. Say, first, the Administrationblock to Great Britain; second, a cottage to Gern1any;third, to Switzerland; fourth, to An1erica; fifth, toSyria; thus delnonstrating to the East and to the worldat large that there can be unity for good work alnongChristian nations.

    "Blessed are the Inerciful, for they shall obtainmercy."

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